| Orgeat syrup | |
| Type: | Syrup |
| Flavour: | Almond |
| Ingredients: | Almonds, sugar, and rose water or orange flower water |
| Variants: | Horchata |
| Related: | Falernum |
Orgeat syrup is a sweet syrup made from almonds and sugar with a little rose water and/or orange flower water. It was originally made with a barley-almond blend. It has a pronounced almond taste and is used to flavor many cocktails. Orgeat syrup is an important ingredient in the Mai Tai and many Tiki drinks.[1] [2] [3]
An early recipe for orgeat can be found in The English and Australian Cookery Book:[4]
Bitter almonds as a general rule contain cyanide and can be lethal in large quantities.[5] For this reason modern syrups generally are produced only from sweet almonds. Such syrup products do not contain significant levels of hydrocyanic acid, so are generally considered safe for human consumption unless the person is allergic.[6]
The word orgeat is derived from the Latin Latin: hordeaceus 'made with barley' through the French, where barley is called French: orge. The Catalan word Catalan; Valencian: orxata, from which derives the Spanish Spanish; Castilian: [[horchata]], has the same origin, though today the two drinks have little else in common and neither of them uses barley.
In Tunisia and Libya, a variant is called rozata and is usually served chilled in wedding and engagement parties as a symbol of joy and purity because of its white colour and its fresh (flowery) flavor. It comes in many different flavours, such as traditional almond, banana, mango, pistachio, among others.
In Suriname, there is a drink called, which is a similar syrup made of sugar and sweet and bitter almonds.
Maltese Maltese: ruġġata is made of almond and vanilla essence and may include cinnamon and cloves.[7]
In Cyprus and on the Greek islands of Chios and Nisyros, a similar syrup is known as Greek, Modern (1453-);: soumádha (Greek, Modern (1453-);: σουμάδα). Soumada has a very ancient history at least in Cyprus, stretching back into the Roman period, and it was given as an exotic delicacy by King Peter I of Cyprus to King Casimir the Great of Poland at the Congress of Kraków, held in Poland in 1364.[8]