Strawberry, Bergamot and Rose Kompot

A Sweet and Citrusy Twist on a Eastern European Classic - Extra Food Chat with Kath

Welcome to another edition of Extra Food Chat with Kath!

This week I am sharing a recipe heavily inspired by wanting to use in season bergamots in almost anything. This recipe is also heavily inspired by

Anastasia Zolotarev

’s new book Sour Cherries and Sunflowers and the Ukrainian kompot recipes in there.

I have found so much inspiration from this book recently (as some of my recent recipes show!), and I have not only tried so many new things, but have found a few new favourite recipes I am making all the time. I highly recommend adding Sour Cherries and Sunflowers to your cookbook collection. And then make this kompot and another from the book!

Kompot is a sweet drink, similar to a homemade cordial but much less sugary and concentrated. I have been making an apple and blackcurrant version based on Anastasia’s book and suggestions she has kindly given me, and it got me thinking about what else I could use to make a kompot.

Bergamot came to mind very quickly, as not only do I love it, but we currently have lots! I thought strawberries would be a good sweet contrast to the acidic hit of bergamot, and would give the drink a nice pink colour too.

The addition of rosewater adds a subtle floral hint, and honey is the preferred sweetener I have been using for all the kompot I have been making so I kept it the same for this recipe too.

You could use lemon or orange in place of the bergamot, and leave out the rosewater if you don’t have any or don’t like it. Apart from the water, the quantities of the recipe are fairly flexible, so you could increase or decrease any of the flavours to suit your tastes.

Even though we are in Winter, I am really enjoying drinking a cold glass of kompot most days, though it could be served warm as well. I can see myself making drinks like this all year round, just changing the fruit used based on the seasons or what I have at home already. I also really like that this is a really simple recipe, I can make it even when time or energy doesn’t allow me to make anything much else, but there is a delicious drink to enjoy after only a short amount of time. I find it lasts well in a glass bottle in the fridge for a couple of weeks.

The edited and tested recipe for this Strawberry Bergamot and Rose Kompot is below for paid subscribers.

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