Syrupy Sweet

The summer heat has finally arrived here in Zurich and with an average temperature of 26 degrees inside our apartment, a big glass with plenty of ice cubes has pretty much been glued to my hand for the last few days. A big glass of what, exactly? Sometimes watermelon lemonade, sometimes iced tea made out of my balcony mint plant, and sometimes sirup. Also known as sirop in French and cordial or squash in the UK, I never really figured out why it isn't popular in the States.

There's nothing complicated about it - it's just a concentrated sweetened syrup made of out fruits or herbs and then diluted into water to drink, usually one part to five parts water, but adjustable to individual taste. It's a great way to stay hydrated without just having to drink liters of plain water or super-sugary commercial drinks, but the really fun part is just how many kinds there are and all the things you can do with them!

In Switzerland sirup, especially raspberry, is often considered a children's drink and given to kids instead of soda. Maybe I'm just a big kid, but I love the raspberry! My grandparents used to make their own from the berry bushes behind the house, and when I became a teenager my grandfather would give me a wink and add a little splash of kirsch to my glass, making an "omnibus." A refreshing grown-up treat on a sweltering day!

Of course there are a lot more flavors than raspberry - pretty much anything you can imagine. Le Sirupier de Berne makes some particularly special creations with blends of flavors and fun names. For example, Blüemli is made of the essences of mountain flowers, and Elfen is flavored with fennel, anis, lemon grass, and lemon balm.

Here's what's currently in my stash. (I backlit the picture on purpose so you can see the pretty colors - consequently the labels didn't come out so well. If you click on the pic to enlarge they're more legible.)

From left to right: Organic Lemon Balm from Coop, Sour Cherry from Coop Fine Food, Strawberry from Coop, Blueberry-Poppy from L'Epicerie de Provence (purchased at Interio), Orange Flower from Le Sirupier de Berne (purchased at Schwarzenbach), Linden Flower from Vevey market, Melon-Lemon from Vevey market.

Coming up on Saturday, just in time for National Day: one of my favorite Swiss desserts using sirup!