Anar has a particular standing in the Unani tradition: classed as mufarreh, a gladdener of the heart, and prescribed as much for the spirits as for the stomach. Laraib reduces the pressed juice of whole pomegranates down to a thick garnet concentrate that keeps the fruit’s tartness rather than burying it under sugar. Diluted in cold water it tastes like the fruit, not a squash.
What it is traditionally used for
- Taken through the summer to cool the body and drive off the effects of heat
- Drunk before meals to stimulate a sluggish or absent appetite
- Valued as a mufarreh preparation that lifts the spirits and settles restlessness
- Given in complaints of nausea and an uneasy, turning stomach
- Taken as a refreshing source of quick natural energy on a hot afternoon
How it is made
Whole pomegranates from a single growing district are pressed and the juice reduced slowly in open pans over gentle heat until it thickens to a heavy syrup, with only enough cane sugar added to hold it. Slow reduction protects the fruit’s colour and its sharp edge. No artificial colour, essence, flavouring or preservative is used at any point.
How to take it
Two tablespoons, roughly 30 ml, stirred into a tall glass of chilled water, once or twice a day through the hot months. Add ice and a squeeze of lemon if you like it sharper. For nausea, take one tablespoon in half a glass of cool water and sip it slowly. It also pours well over kulfi or plain yoghurt.
Good to know
- Generous 800 ml bottle — around twenty-six servings
- Made from 100% natural ingredients with no artificial colour or essence
- Naturally thick; shake or stir before pouring as the fruit solids settle
- Refrigerate once opened and keep the neck of the bottle clean
Rabia Bashir (verified owner) –
I was queasy through my first trimester and my mother-in-law made me this in cool water. It was the only thing that stayed down. I checked with my doctor first, and I still drink it now in Karachi.
Ayesha Awan (verified owner) –
Bought it as a sharbat and now we pour it over kulfi as well. Thick, proper concentrate — not watery like others I tried in Rahim Yar Khan. Sealed well and arrived without a single leak.
Wajahat Gillani (verified owner) –
Lovely tart flavour and a beautiful deep colour. It is on the sweeter side for me so I use one and a half spoons instead of two and add lemon. Would happily buy a low-sugar version if Laraib made one. Lahore.
Sumaira Javed (verified owner) –
My mother has trouble with her appetite in the heat. A small glass before lunch and she eats properly. The 800 ml bottle lasted our house in Bahawalpur about three weeks.
Mahnoor Pervaiz (verified owner) –
Multan in June needs no explanation. We keep a jug of this in the fridge and the children finish it faster than we can mix it. Actually tastes of anar, which is more than I can say for the shop squashes.