Shahtoot ka Sherbet or mulberry squash is a fruit sherbet known for its cooling properties. Mulberries are freshly available at the onset of the hot summer in India and the sherbet made from it is rich in natural minerals required by the body to replenish water content and minerals lost due to sweating in the severe hot summer months.

Black Mulberry or Morus nigra are thought to have originated in the mountainous areas of Mesopotamia and Persia and are now widespread throughout Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran, India, Pakistan, Syria, and Turkey, where the tree and the fruit are known by the Persian-derived names toot or shahtoot  (king’s or “superior” mulberry). Jams and sherbets are often made from the fruit in this region. ~ Wikipedia

There are many Shahtoot trees growing all along the roads in north India as the tree and its foliage gives shade to rest under in the summer months. The berries mature from pale pink to deep red, darkening upon ripening to black.

The ripe fruit of Shahtoot or Indian Mulberry is edible and is widely used in pies, tarts, wines, cordials and tea. Mulberries are a good source of raw food protein, a rarity in the fruit kingdom. They are also a good source of magnesium, potassium, riboflavin, iron, calcium, vitamin C, and fiber. One of the mulberry’s greatest health assets is its high concentration of resveratrol, an antioxidant currently being studied for its effects on heart health. An ancient fruit of Asia, the mulberry is touted in medicinal folklore as a remedy for ringworm, insomnia, arthritis, and tapeworm.

Home-made sherbets from seasonal local indian fruits is a specialty of Nirupama Khunnah. She learnt her recipes for her sherbets from her maternal Aunts, who would make them using fresh local produce for the large joint families they lived in. This is before the era of bottled drinks and juices. Family and guests were served these delicious, healthy drinks in the summer months. Not only were they tasty but had medicinal and preventive properties to offset the effects of the hot summer winds and high temperatures in times before air-conditioning.

Now lazy evenings are enjoyed by all who visit her in her cool garden, sipping these home-made drinks, enjoying the breeze of a large old-fashioned garden pedestal fan.

She keeps the recipe simple, using just the fruit and lemon juice. Gently straining the muddled mixture is a must to get a clear sherbet. Rock salt maintains the body salt levels as we sweat in the hot summers.

Shahtoot ka Sherbet

Ingredients ~

1/2kg Shahtoot/Indian mulberry
3 tbsp sugar
3 lemons, juice
Salt to taste (rock salt if you prefer)
1 lt water

Method ~

1. Remove the stems from the Shahtoot and wash gently.
2. Place the berries and sugar in a blender.
3. Add 1 glass of water and blend till fine. Thin the paste with more water.
4. Strain through a fine sieve.
5. Add the remaining water, salt and lemon juice to taste.
6. Serve with lots of ice.

Have fresh or refrigerate for a day.