Sweet Syrup for Middle Eastern Pastries (Sheerah) Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Gulf States The general rule for syrup is to pour hot syrup over cold (or room temperature) pastries and to serve cold syrup over hot pastries. In some areas, eating syrup and honey is superstitiously believed to ward off the djinn (evil spirits) and to make life sweeter. 3 cups sugar 1-1/2 cups water 1 lemon 1 tbsp. orange-blossom water or rosewater Boil the sugar with the water until dissolved and viscous, about 10 minutes. Stir in the remaining ingredients and remove from the heat. From "The Arabian Delights Cookbook" by Anne Marie Weiss-Armush middle eastern recipe index christina m k al-sudairy buy the book!