Sekanjabin (Persian Mint Vinegar Syrup Drink)
Jun 09, 2026
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Every summer in Iran, maman would make a big batch of sekanjabin syrup and keep it in the fridge for the hot days ahead. When the heat became unbearable, she would mix the syrup into ice-cold water, grate a cucumber right into the glass, and hand it to us. That was it, no elaborate preparation, no fuss, just one of the most refreshing things you could drink on a sweltering afternoon. This is that drink, and I know you will love it as much a I do.
Sekanjabin is a sweet-and-sour Persian syrup made from sugar, water, vinegar, and fresh mint. The name itself tells you everything: it comes from two Persian words, serkeh (سرکه), meaning vinegar, and angabin (انگبین), meaning honey, which was the original sweetener before sugar took over in modern recipes. You make the syrup once, store it in the fridge for up to a month, and use it all summer long. It takes about 20 minutes to make and the result is something that tastes unmistakably Persian, bright, herby, a little tangy, and completely unlike anything you can buy.
An Unconventional Drink That Earns Its Place
If you have ever tried ayran, the salty Turkish yogurt drink (also known as doogh in Farsi) that sounds strange to anyone who didn’t grow up with it, you already know that the most unexpected flavor combinations often become the ones you crave most. Sekanjabin is the same story. Vinegar in a drink? Cucumber grated into a glass of water? It sounds odd until you try it, and then it makes complete sense. The vinegar adds a bright, clean tang rather than anything sharp or acidic. The cucumber dissolves into the icy water and makes the whole thing taste impossibly refreshing. It is one of those recipes that earns its place the first time you make it.
If you are the kind of person who keeps a pitcher of watermelon juice in the fridge all summer, sekanjabin syrup belongs right next to it. Make a batch on Sunday and you have a week’s worth of effortless drinks on hand.
How To Make Sekanjabin
Start by combining sugar and water in a saucepan over medium-high heat.
Once it comes to a boil, let it cook for 15 minutes.
Grate the cucumbers in a large bowl.
Strain the mint and vinegar syrup into the same bowl.
Add ice and water to the bowl. Stir to combine.
Divide between glasses and serve immediately.
How Sweet Do You Want It?
This is where sekanjabin gets personal. My family likes drinks on the less sweet side, so we use 1 to 2 tablespoons of syrup per large glass of water and ice. That gives you something refreshing and lightly flavored rather than heavy and sugar loaded. The syrup is concentrated, so a little goes a long way, and you can always add more.
The grated cucumber is not optional in my house. One medium cucumber, grated straight into the glass, transforms the drink entirely. It melts into the icy water and adds a clean, cool freshness that makes sekanjabin taste like a proper summer drink rather than just a flavored syrup.
Two Ways to Serve Sekanjabin
The drink is the most common way to enjoy sekanjabin outside of Iran, but there is another traditional serving method that surprises people the first time they hear it: pour the syrup into a small bowl and dip crisp romaine lettuce leaves into it. The combination of the crisp lettuce and the sweet-sour syrup is one of those things that sounds strange but tastes exactly right. It is served at Persian gatherings as a light snack.
To serve as a drink, grate a cucumber per glass (if using), stir in 1 to 2 tablespoons of syrup and top with ice and water. To serve as a dip, pour the syrup into a wide shallow bowl and surround it with whole leaves of romaine or butter lettuce.
Other Persian Drinks to Try
Sekanjabin is Iran’s answer to summer refreshment, but it is not the only one. Persian tea is the drink that holds the rest of the year together, the one that is always on, always ready, the first thing offered to any guest no matter the hour or the weather. And if you want something indulgent, the Persian saffron milkshake tastes exactly like traditional Iranian ice cream in a glass.
Storage
Because of the vinegar, sekanjabin keeps beautifully. Store it in a sealed jar in the refrigerator for up to a month. Maman always made a large batch at the beginning of summer and we worked through it slowly. The flavor actually deepens a little as it sits.
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Sekanjabin Recipe
Ingredients
For the syrup:
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 cups water
- ½ cup distilled white vinegar
- 1 cup fresh mint, loosely packed
To serve per glass:
- 1-2 tbsp sekanjabin syrup, adjust to taste
- 1 large glass cold water and ice
- 1 medium cucumber, grated (optional but highly recommended)
To serve as a dip:
- Romaine or butter lettuce leaves
Instructions
- Combine the sugar and water in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Turn off the heat. Add the vinegar and mint. Cover the pan and let everything cool completely at room temperature, at least 1 hour.
- Strain and store. Strain through a fine mesh strainer to remove the mint, then transfer to a sealed jar. Refrigerate for up to one month.
To serve as a drink:
- Grate one medium cucumber directly into the glass and stir 1 to 2 tablespoons of syrup into the same glass with ice and water. Taste and add more syrup if you prefer it sweeter.
To serve as a dip:
- Pour the syrup into a small wide bowl and serve with whole romaine or butter lettuce leaves for dipping.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
