Cherbet Meliana (Algerian Cherry Beverage)
Cherbet Meliana is a cherry syrup from the Algerian town of Meliana, in Aïn Defla Province, diluted with water for a cold drink. The recipe uses a small amount of broken cherry pits, which go into the pot with the juice and add a faint almond-like edge. The syrup is boiled until it runs in a thin stream, then bottled, so one batch keeps for many glasses. Few people make it now, since the region grows far fewer cherries.
Instructions
Put the sugar cubes in a large pot with the warm water and stir them together. Pour in the cherry juice and add the broken cherry pits.
Set the pot over high heat and bring it to a boil. Skim off the foam as it rises, and keep boiling until the syrup falls from a spoon in a thin stream.
Take the pot off the heat and strain the syrup to remove the pits. Pour it into bottles.
To serve, dilute the syrup with sparkling or still water to taste.
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