Sorbet

A mixture of fruit juice, crushed ice and sugar. The word is derived, through the Italian Sorbetto and French Sorbet, from the Persian word sharbat, which also gives us sherbert (or sherbet, depending on which continent you inhabit). This ultimately comes from the Arabic word Sarba, meaning drink.

Various nations claim to have invented sorbet, including those masters of the gelateria, the Italians. Emperor Nero is said to have whipped teams of runners into bringing snow from the Appian mountains to his dining hall, where it was mixed with wine and honey and served to his suitably awed guests. More likely, it was the Chinese, since they seem to have invented everything before anyone else. Certainly a sharbat was a popular drink in the Middle East from antiquity - usually made from fruit juice and often chilled with mountain snow.

Those annoying French, who seem to care so much more about their food than anyone else (certainly than the majority of us fast-food junkie British), developed the idea of serving a sorbet between courses of a meal, particularly between the starter and main course, as a way of cleansing the palate.

And that's precisely what I'm doing at the moment.

The battle with Benfro book two has been a long (longer than anticipated) struggle, and I need something to cleanse my palate before I dive back into the world of The Ffrydd, The Twin Kingdoms, Llanwennog and other such made up nonsense. So I am currently working my way through old manuscripts and preparing them to send to my agent.

The cynical amongst you might suggest this is work avoidance. You're probably right. Others might suggest I do something new, like a few more Inspector McLean shorties. You're probably right too.

But by a curious coincidence I happen to have in the freezer some very nice blackcurrant sorbet, made from our own home-grown blackcurrants. I shall away now and partake of a spoonful.


Comments

Sandra Ruttan said…
It's too cold to eat something like that! What are you - reptilian? Cleanse your palate with a great big mug of cinnamon hot chocolate!

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