Jallab

Grape molasses, date molasses, and rose water over ice — Levantine Ramadan iftar drink drawing on grape cultivation dating to 6000 BCE and date palms to 4000 BCE.

Jallab is a traditional Levantine sweet beverage consumed across Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, and Palestine, prepared from a combination of grape molasses (dibs al-inab), date molasses (dibs tamar), and rose water, diluted with water and chilled, then garnished with pine nuts, raisins, and sometimes a sprig of fresh mint. The two molasses provide the drink's distinctive deep purple-brown color and its layered sweetness: grape molasses contributes the tartness and fruit depth of concentrated red grape juice reduced over heat, while date molasses provides a darker, more caramelized sweetness from the date palm fruit. Both are ancient Levantine products — grape cultivation in the region dates to at least 6000 BCE and date palm cultivation to at least 4000 BCE — making jallab a preparation that draws on the region's oldest agricultural traditions. Rose water, produced by the steam distillation of Rosa damascena petals from the Damascus rose cultivated historically in Syria and now primarily in Bulgaria, Turkey, and Morocco, adds the floral dimension that distinguishes jallab from simpler fruit syrups. The drink is particularly associated with Ramadan in the Levant, where it is served at iftar (the meal breaking the daily fast) alongside dates and fresh fruit as a traditional, sweet, non-alcoholic celebration. Commercial jallab is widely available across the Middle East and in Lebanese diaspora communities globally.