The Indian cuisine's love for roses is endless. This edible flower has been a part of our food since ancient times. Roses also have cooling properties, which makes them the perfect ingredient for summer drinks. One such popular rose product is Rooh Afza syrup, which is believed to have existed for 116 years! This Sharbat Rooh Afza recipe or Rooh Afza drink with sabja seeds (sweet basil seeds) has been one of my favorites since childhood.

What is Rooh Afza?

Purslane seeds, chicory, grapes, coriander, and other various herbs with sweet-scented flowers make up the famous rose drink called Sharbat Rooh Afza, which is found in traditional blends. Introduced during the time of British colonial rule, Hakeem Abdul Majeed founded Hamdard, a Unani medicine business in Old Delhi, in 1906. Rooh Afza has a history marked by partition; Hakeem's elder son stayed in Delhi, while his younger son migrated to Pakistan and started the Hamdard business there.

When Rooh Afza was originally introduced, there was no standard packaging method. According to the Hamdard website, the initial syrup bottling story began with used wine bottles of every available size, color, and shape. Rooh Afza is the first sharbat for which white bottles of uniform size (750 ml) and almost the same shape, called "rod bottles," were used. The price for these bottles was very high and they had to be collected in the off-season. Rooh Afza is the very first sharbat to be presented in a beautifully printed butter paper wrapper.

According to the Hamdard website, the name Rooh Afza was derived from a character in the book Masnavi Gulzar-e-Nasim by Pandit Deya Shankar Nasim and was first published in 1254. According to the author, Rooh Afza was the daughter of the King of Firdaus (Heaven).

In the Arabic language, "rooh" means "soul" and "afza" means "that which nourishes the soul" or "uplifts/enhances the spirit." So the term Rooh Afza literally translates to "the one who nourishes and strengthens the soul," and it truly lives up to its name.

Sharbat Rooh Afza and more

Sharbat Rooh Afza is not just a drink, but a tradition for us Indians. I grew up drinking this beverage in the summer, and I can tell you that no other drink refreshes the soul like this one. It is a staple in most Indian households.

In addition to this Sharbat Rooh Afza recipe, there are many other ways to enjoy this soul-soothing syrup. For example, you can use Rooh Afza in Chabeel, Royal Rose Falooda, Thandai or Rose Lassi and more.

Apart from being super refreshing and cooling for the body, the sweet herbal flavor of Rooh Afza gives any drink or dessert in which it is used a special taste. You can also enjoy it by simply mixing it into cold water or soda and adding sugar if needed.

Sabja seeds or sweet basil seeds also have a cooling effect on the body and are also good for digestion. To use them, you need to soak the seeds for half an hour and then add them to your drinks.

I usually also use Sabja seeds in Nimbu Shikanji (spiced Indian lemonade). The seeds give this simple, quick, and soothing summer drink a certain texture or bite.

Ingredients for 4 servings

• 4.5 cups water – cold or at room temperature
• 5 to 6 tbsp Rooh Afza syrup or add as needed
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• ¾ tbsp Sabja seeds (sweet basil seeds) or chia seeds
• 5 to 6 ice cubes – optional
• 1 to 2 pinches of dried mint for garnish, optional
   

Instructions

Soak the sabja seeds (sweet basil seeds) in ¾ cup water for half an hour.

When the seeds swell and become plump, drain the water using a fine sieve and set the soaked sabja seeds aside.

Add 4.5 cups of water and lemon juice to a glass container or bowl.

Füge dann die eingeweichten Sabja-Samen hinzu. Rooh Afza-Sirup in das Wasser geben. Füge nach Bedarf weniger oder mehr hinzu, je nachdem, welche Süße du bevorzugst.

Alles gut umrühren und vermischen.Du kannst das Getränk sofort trinken oder im Kühlschrank aufbewahren und nach ein paar Stunden genießen.

Sprinkle dried mint on top and serve cold.

Tips

• You can also add Rooh Afza syrup to smoothies, milkshakes, ice cream, or kulfi.
• Instead of sabja seeds (sweet basil seeds), you can also use chia seeds.
• Do not add sugar, as Rooh Afza itself has an extremely sweet taste.
• If you don't have dried mint on hand, add fresh mint or simply leave it out.
• Add the ice cubes if you want to serve it cold.
• The Rooh Afza syrup bottle should not be stored in the refrigerator or freezer, as the sugar in the syrup will crystallize.

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