Basil and Cucumber Water

Source

Scents and Flavors: A Syrian Cookbook, edited and translated by Charles Perry, recipe 10.30.

Question

What does a recipe promising the smell of cucumber and basil out of season actually produce?

Materials

• Fresh basil
• Thin-skinned cucumbers
• Damask rose water
• Distilled water

Method

• Grew basil and cucumbers, then supplemented with store-bought material when the garden did not produce enough.
• Washed and prepared basil leaves, chopped cucumbers, and sprayed the basil with rose water.
• Distilled the mixture in a modern pot still with a thumper setup.
• Collected a primary run for 30 minutes after boiling and a weaker secondary run afterward.

Observations

• The primary run had the strongest aromatic character.
• The secondary run was much weaker, which suggests repeat distillation may matter if a stronger scent is desired.
• The result leaned more cucumber-forward than expected.

Result

• The primary distillate was pleasant, fresh, and a bit too cucumber-forward.
• The secondary run was weaker but still useful information rather than a failure.

Uncertainty

• The source gives limited procedural detail.
• A modern still stands in for a period copper al-anbiq.
• Leaf processing and rose-water quantity may change the result.

References

• Perry, Charles, ed. and trans. Scents and Flavors: A Syrian Cookbook.

Next

• Repeat with a copper alembic and better plant processing.

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