Purple basil has a particularly visible connection to Malatya. Arapgir Mor Reyhanı has held a Turkish geographical indication as a designation of origin since 8 December 2017, and a 2025 Turkish Cuisine Week programme in Malatya included a public Reyhan Şerbeti demonstration. This home recipe does not claim the protected Arapgir name unless that specific basil is used; it follows the wider Turkish practice of making the drink with fresh purple basil, hot water, sugar and lemon.
Reyhan Şerbeti — Recipe Card
Turkish purple basil sherbet infused with lemon
Makes 6 servings · Makes about 1.25 litres (5 cups)US cup = 240 ml · tablespoon = 15 ml · teaspoon = 5 ml. Cup and weight conversions are approximate. Australian cooks: use a 15 ml measuring tablespoon.
Ingredient quantities and servings are scaled. Cooking times, pan sizes, frying oil depth, and temperatures stay the same; cook larger batches as needed.
Ingredients
How to make Reyhan Şerbeti
Wash the basil
Pick over the 50 g (1 large bunch) purple basil and discard bruised or slimy leaves. Rinse the leaves and tender stems thoroughly under cool running water, then drain well. Leave the basil whole; chopping can make the infusion taste grassy.
Start the infusion
Place the basil in a large heatproof glass or ceramic bowl. Pour over the 1.2 litres (5 cups) boiling water and use a clean spoon to press the leaves just below the surface. Do not put the basil on the stove.
Steep until aromatic
Leave the bowl uncovered for 25–30 minutes, until the liquid is warm rather than hot and has turned blue-purple. Stir once halfway through so the leaves infuse evenly.
Strain and balance
Strain the infusion through a fine sieve into a clean heatproof pitcher. Press the basil gently once, without wringing it. While the liquid is still warm, stir in the 150 g (3/4 cup) sugar until completely dissolved, then add the 60 ml (1/4 cup) lemon juice. The colour should brighten toward ruby-magenta.
Chill promptly
Let the pitcher shed its strongest heat, then cover and refrigerate within 2 hours. Chill for at least 2 hours, until the sherbet is thoroughly cold at 4°C (40°F) or below.
Serve cold
Stir the chilled sherbet and pour it into small clear glasses. Serve it cold; if using ice, add it to individual glasses so the whole pitcher is not diluted.
Bring this recipe to your kitchen with a printable copy.
Print recipeRecipe from MyTurkishRecipes · https://myturkishrecipes.com/turkish-purple-basil-sherbet-reyhan-serbeti. Quantities reflect your selected serving scale. Cooking times are estimates; follow the doneness cues.
A few helpful kitchen notes
Choose purple basil
Use fragrant purple-leaved basil rather than ordinary green sweet basil. Green basil can make an aromatic drink, but it will not produce the characteristic purple-to-ruby colour.
Colour cue
The infusion may look dark blue or violet before the lemon is added. Its natural plant pigments respond to acidity, so lemon makes the drink appear redder without food colouring.
Adjusting sweetness
For a less sweet drink, reduce the sugar to 100 g (1/2 cup). Keep the lemon amount unchanged and follow the same refrigerated storage limit; sugar at either quantity does not make this recipe shelf-stable.
Dietary note
The listed ingredients are vegan and vegetarian and contain no gluten ingredients. Suitability for coeliac diets still depends on avoiding cross-contact in the kitchen.
How to store and reheat Reyhan Şerbeti
Transfer the sherbet to a clean covered pitcher or bottle and refrigerate within 2 hours at 4°C (40°F) or below. Use within 3–4 days and discard it sooner if it develops fizz, cloudiness, mould or an off smell. This fresh infusion has not been tested for room-temperature bottling or canning and should not be stored in a sealed bottle outside the refrigerator.
Reyhan Şerbeti: questions and answers
Why is my Reyhan Şerbeti not bright red?
Purple basil varieties differ in pigment. Make sure the leaves are deeply purple, use just-boiled water, steep for the full 25–30 minutes and add the measured lemon juice only after straining.
Can I boil the basil in the water?
It is better to steep it off the heat. Boiling the leaves can flatten their fresh aroma, draw out harsher flavours and darken the finished drink.
Can I make Reyhan Şerbeti without sugar?
You can omit the sugar, but the result will be tart and strongly herbal rather than a traditional sweet sherbet. Refrigeration and the 3–4 day storage limit still apply.
