Cherbet is the lemonade of the Algerian Ramadan table, found on almost every iftar table as the fast is broken and refilled through the warm evenings that follow. Its name changes with the local word for lemon, so you may hear cherbet laymoun, cherbet lim or cherbet el karess, and the town of Boufarik, in the citrus country south of Algiers, claims to make the best in the land. Few people in Boufarik are inclined to argue.

Two things set it apart from ordinary lemonade. Orange blossom water gives it a floral perfume, and a few spoonfuls of milk turn it pale and cloudy and round off the acidity, an unexpected trick that makes sense the moment you taste it. It needs a few hours of chilling, which suits a race weekend perfectly: make it in the morning and it will be ready for the start.

The lemon syrup

Ingredients

• 1 unwaxed lemon
• 3/4 cup (150 g) sugar
• 2 cups (480 ml) water

The cherbet

Ingredients

• 5 lemons
• 6 cups (1.4 liters) cold water
• 3 tablespoons (45 ml) orange blossom water
• 3 tablespoons (45 ml) whole milk
• plenty ice cubes
• 1 small handful fresh mint leaves

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