Arabic recipesDrinks
Erqsous: Chilled Damascene & Egyptian Licorice Root Drink
Erqsous is a centuries-old Ramadan sunset beverage from Damascus and Cairo brewed cold from shredded natural licorice root without a single grain of added sugar. Dampened briefly with a pinch of baking soda to unlock its dark mahogany colour, then steeped inside a muslin pouch in ice water, it pours with a velvety white foam.
Also known as:Arabic licorice root tea cold-brewedSyrian and Egyptian erk sousIrq sus Ramadan drink
Servings8
Prep time20 min
Cook timeNo cooking
Ingredients
Add ingredients to cart- 100 g shredded natural licorice root fibres for brewing (erqsous)
- 1/2 level tsp baking soda
- Around 50 ml lukewarm water for dampening the root
- 1.5 litres cold water for steeping
- A few drops of orange blossom water (optional Damascene finish) and plenty of ice cubes
Preparation Steps
- 1Toss the shredded licorice root and baking soda in a bowl, sprinkling in just enough lukewarm water while rubbing by hand until the fibres feel evenly damp like moist tea leaves without pooling liquid.
- 2Cover with a cloth and rest in a warm spot or sunny windowsill for 90 to 120 minutes until the fibres darken deeply and smell rich and woody.
- 3Bundle the darkened licorice root tightly inside a double layer of clean cheesecloth or muslin and tie securely into a pouch.
- 4Submerge the cloth pouch in a pitcher holding 1.5 litres cold water and steep in the refrigerator for 2 hours, pressing the pouch gently every so often until deep dark amber.
- 5Remove the pouch, add a few drops of orange blossom water if liked, and pour from a slight height over ice cubes to raise its classic frothy cap.