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Iranian

Sekanjabin (Persian mint vinegar drink)

Vegetarian

سکنجبین · sekanjabin

An ancient Persian syrup of sugar, vinegar and fresh mint, stirred into iced water with grated cucumber — sweet, sour and intensely cooling.

Sekanjabin (Persian mint vinegar drink) is an Iranian cold drink, ready in about 1 hour 30 minutes and made with sugar, white vinegar and mint. It serves 6 and is rated easy to cook.

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Prep
5 min
Cook
25 min
Rest
1 h
Total
1 h 30 min
Serves
6
Level
Easy
Calories
102

Ingredients

6 glasses

For the syrup

To serve

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Warm the sugar (opens in a new tab) and 100 ml water in a small pan over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves, then bring to a simmer.

    Food safety: Hot sugar syrup can burn badly; keep children away from the pan.

  2. Step 2

    Add the vinegar and simmer gently for 20 minutes until slightly thickened, like thin honey.

    • 20 min
    • low heat

  3. Step 3

    Take off the heat, push the mint (opens in a new tab) sprigs into the syrup and leave until completely cool, about 1 hour, so the mint infuses. Strain into a clean jar.

    Liquid being strained through a sieve
    How it looks · Photo: Katerina Holmes on Pexels

  4. Step 4

    For each glass, stir 2–3 tbsp syrup into about 200 ml iced water with a spoonful of grated cucumber (opens in a new tab) and ice. Garnish with mint (opens in a new tab).

    Fresh herbs scattered over a finished dish
    How it looks · Photo: Klaus Nielsen on Pexels

About this dish

Origin
Iran · Well documentedOne of the oldest recorded Persian drinks; the syrup is also eaten as a dip for crisp lettuce leaves.Also popular in AfghanistanMore food from Iran
Dish
Snack · Lunch · Cold drinks
Cooking method
Simmered
Taste
sweet & sour, herby, refreshing
Diet
Vegan · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients
All labelsVegan · Plant-based · Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Lacto-vegetarian · Ovo-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Low-fat · Low-sodium · DASH-style
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Make-ahead · Budget-friendly
Cook more with
Sugar · White vinegar · Mint · Cucumber
Techniques
Simmering

Allergens

None of the 14 major allergens appear in the listed ingredients.

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

102 kcal per serving

Estimated

1 serving ≈ 325 g · recipe makes 6

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 1%
  • Carbohydrate 99%
  • Fat 0%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy102 kcal31 kcal
Protein0.2 g0 g
Carbohydrate25.9 g8 g
Net carbohydrate25.8 g7.9 g
Sugars25.4 g7.8 g
Added sugars25 g7.7 g
Fibre0.1 g0 g
Fat0 g0 g
Saturated fat0 g0 g
Trans fat——
Cholesterol0 mg0 mg
Sodium6 mg2 mg
Salt equivalent0 g0 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
37 mg
Calcium
31 mg
Iron
0.1 mg
Magnesium
9 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
1 µg
Vitamin C
1 mg
Vitamin D
0 µg
Vitamin B12
0 µg
Folate (DFE)
2 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • Optional ingredients are not included: mint.
  • Ice: Frozen water; same composition as water.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • Adding the mint off the heat keeps it fresh and green-tasting rather than cooked.

Common mistakes

  • Boiling the syrup too long — it sets hard and candied in the fridge; stop when it coats a spoon like thin honey.

Serve with

  • Serve the undiluted syrup in a bowl with crisp romaine leaves for dipping, a classic Persian summer snack.

Food safety

  • Store the syrup in a sterilised jar; discard if mould appears.

Storage

  • The syrup keeps for 2–3 months in a sterilised jar in the fridge.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Customise in Sip & Blend

Built from the recipe’s own sections. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

The body of the dish

For the syrup

Used in steps 1, 2, 3, 4

Less sweet, dairy-free, caffeine-free or for more people — the original stays as it is.

Customise in Sip & Blend

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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