Mulberry Syrup

Mulberry syrup (urmu dut şurubu) is a thick, dark Gaziantep syrup made by concentrating the juice of the sour black mulberry — the glossy purple-black "urmu" mulberry of the Antep region. It is not a syrup sipped on its own but a concentrate diluted into a şerbet (a sweet fruit drink): a spoonful of the dark syrup, met with cold water, turns into a deep-red, refreshing summer drink. Because the fruit is tart, its natural acidity combines with the syrup's sweetness to give a sweet-tart, cooling character. It is a Gaziantep product registered by TÜRKPATENT as a Designation of Origin.

The identity of mulberry syrup springs from the variety it uses: the glossy purple-black, sour black mulberry. The deep-rooted mulberry culture of the Antep region holds this fruit in a special place for its juice, syrup and jam. A drink that cools in the summer heat and is traditionally valued as a strengthening tonic, mulberry şerbet is also a beloved choice on Ramadan tables for breaking the fast. It is a living part of the broad mulberry (dut) heritage of Gaziantep, a UNESCO City of Gastronomy.

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What Is Urmu Dut Şurubu (Mulberry Syrup)?

Mulberry syrup is a dark, thick fruit syrup made by pressing ripe sour black mulberries and boiling down their juice over heat until it concentrates. The registered product is a concentrate with a high fruit content; its character comes not from any additive but from the fruit's own deep colour, aroma and sweet-tart balance. It is not a drink taken as is; it is diluted with cold water and consumed as a refreshing, deep-red şerbet.

Core Components

• Sour Black Mulberry ("Urmu" Mulberry): The essence of the syrup is the concentrated juice of the sour black mulberry (the glossy purple-black, juicy fruit). This fruit gives the syrup its dark colour, deep aroma and characteristic sweet-tart taste; the name "mulberry syrup" comes from exactly this.
• Concentrated Fruit Extract: The syrup is made by boiling down mulberry juice until it thickens; the registered product rests on a high fruit content. This concentration gives the syrup its thick body and long shelf life.
• Water (at the Serving Stage): The syrup itself is thick; when drunk, it is diluted with cold water. The refreshment and drinkable consistency of the şerbet come from this final meeting with water.

What "Urmu" Means

Here, "urmu" is the regional name given in and around Antep to the sour black mulberry variety (the glossy purple-black, juicy fruit). "Urmu mulberry" is not a locality within Gaziantep, nor the white mulberry; it is the sour black mulberry variety most prized for its juice, syrup and jam. The name "urmu / urum / Rum dut" carries an older geographic echo about how the fruit was introduced to the region; today, however, the name denotes not a place but the mulberry variety itself. That is why the syrup of the sour black mulberry is naturally called "urmu dut şurubu" in Gaziantep.

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The History and Cultural Origins of Mulberry Syrup

Mulberry syrup is a product of the deep-rooted mulberry cultivation of the Antep region. In this region the mulberry is not only a fruit eaten fresh; as molasses, dried fruit, jam and syrup it is woven deeply into the kitchen. Within this culture the sour black mulberry (the urmu mulberry), with its concentrated juice and dark colour, is set apart especially for syrup and jam. The custom of boiling down and preserving the fruit's essence is a deep-rooted way of turning a summer fruit into a drink that can be enjoyed all year round.

The Name of a Variety and Its Regional Root

Behind the name "urmu" lies an older geographic trace about the fruit's arrival in the region; in popular speech it is also heard as "urum / Rum dut." Yet the name came to describe not a settlement but, over time, the sour black mulberry variety. Today in Gaziantep, "urmu mulberry" calls to mind that black mulberry whose juice is dark and whose taste is tart, known above all for its syrup. In this respect mulberry syrup is one of the most concentrated and longest-lived forms of the city's mulberry heritage.

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The Mulberry Syrup Tradition and Ritual in Gaziantep

In Gaziantep, mulberry syrup is above all the drink of summer. The period when the mulberries ripen and syrup-making intensifies falls roughly in May–June; the dark syrup prepared in this season is diluted with cold water on hot summer days and turns into a refreshing şerbet at the family table. It is traditionally regarded as a strengthening, cooling drink; during the month of Ramadan it is a beloved choice at iftar and sahur tables, for breaking the fast with a cool, sweet sip. In this respect mulberry şerbet is intertwined with the city's summer and Ramadan table culture.

How It Is Drunk

Mulberry syrup is not drunk as is; a measure of the thick syrup is diluted with a glass of cold water. When the syrup meets the water, a deep-red, sweet-tart and refreshing şerbet appears. The most prized way is to drink it well chilled, especially in the summer heat or at the iftar table; the strength is adjusted to taste by the amount of water added. The same concentrated syrup can also be used as a sweetener and colour, but its foremost form of consumption is the cold şerbet.

Why You Should Try It

A glass of cold mulberry şerbet carries Gaziantep's mulberry heritage and summer table straight to the palate: the deep colour of the sour black mulberry, its sweet-tart taste and its cooling character come together. The registered urmu dut şurubu, with its high fruit content, lets you feel that this flavour comes not from anything artificial but from the fruit itself. The truest way to taste it is on a hot Antep summer day, or at an iftar table, as a deep-red şerbet diluted with cold water. Those curious about Antep's other traditional drinks can also look at Grape Must Drink, Pekmez and Licorice Sherbet.

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Frequently Asked Questions