Egg Cream, Rooh Afza Style

No eggs, no cream, the famous New York egg cream is already an enigma, so why not add Indian rose syrup to make the most luscious summer drink, ever?

West meets East here in a delicious and frothy pink collision that contains herbals blended to cool you down in the summer heat.  

Rooh Afza was originally created by an Indian herbal master who assembled plants known to cool—rose, coriander, borage, white lily, spinach, mint…  The taste is complex and heavenly.

Years ago when I lived in New York I had a boyfriend—also a passionate foodie—who actually forbade me to taste an egg cream, a concoction that enraged him as it didn’t live up to its name, and he thought the taste disappointing.  

Well, how could I resist that?  I loved the light and frothy drink, made from milk, syrup, club soda and ice.  Similar to an icecream soda, another of my favourites. 

Although I usually avoid making a 'false dilemma' statement, I think it may be true that the world is divided into two groups: those who enjoy club soda and those who despise it.  (Myself and the old beau would serve as examples.)

Buy this at specialty stores or online.

Once again, I’ve seriously tweaked a recipe.  No New Yorker will recognize this one.  Oh former neighbors, please forgive.

Per person

1 cup plain yogurt  (whaaaa?  Are you kidding?) 

2 teaspoons rooh afza  (whaaa?)

1 cup frozen raspberries  (where’d’ya learned to cook, in a cracker jack box?)

1 cup orange juice  (whaaaaa?)

½ can club soda  (sigh of relief)

It's still a pretty pink even after the orange juice is added.

If taking liberties with an egg cream delights you, buzz the yogurt, rooh afza syrup, raspberries and orange juice in a blender.  Pour into a tall serving glass, leaving lots of head room.  Pour a bit of the soda into the blender and swoosh it out.  Don’t buzz this, just add it to the serving glass.  

Carefully pour in more of the club soda, till it reaches the top of the glass.  The egg cream will foam up, but oh, that’s a delicious foam.  Because I love club soda, and it was a hot and sweaty day, as I kept sipping I also kept adding more club soda to my beverage, until I’d used the whole can for myself. 

What other wild west meets east concoction should I create next?  Stay tuned for my sweet parathas, a recipe I’ve adapted from Cobbs Bread’s coffee and date loaf…

Oh Rooh Afza, Oh Rooh Afza, wherefore art thou, oh Rooh Afza?  It's true.  I've fallen madly in love with this stuff