Tunisians transform peeled almonds into Rozata, a delicious cold milky drink. Almonds that are imperfect and overly dry are frequently soaked in hot milk in order to enhance the creaminess and delicateness of the Rozata. This drink is best made a day in advance.
Rozata is a sweet, creamy and opalescent Tunisian juice. It was originally made with barley, but eventually, people discovered that almonds lent more flavor than the grain, so barley was abandoned.
Precise proportions vary by the maker, but the typical Rosata recipe includes almonds, sugar, water and orange flower water.
Ingredients
- 1.5kg of sugar
- 250g sweet almonds
- 60g bitter almonds
- 825 ml of water
- 100 ml orange blossom water
- The zest of lemons
Preparation
- Peel the almonds in boiling water, then immerse them in cold water
- Remove the skins and pound in a mortar with the lemon zest, while adding a little water (to prevent the almonds from making oil)
- When the almonds are finely ground, add half of the rest of the water, then dilute
- Pass this mixture through a clean cloth, grind the paste again and add the remaining water.
- Express again, wringing the laundry tightly, then mix
- Incorporate the sugar and orange blossom water, cook over low heat to melt the sugar, while remaining below 40°C
- If the temperature were to be too high, the syrup could coagulate
- Pour into a container, taking care to stir from time to time
- When the syrup has cooled, filter and bottle
- This fresh syrup can be stored in the refrigerator
Check out more Tunisian Recipes.
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