Sirap Bandung or Rose Milk is a deliciously sweet and creamy drink that smells of roses. Especially if that rose syrup is homemade!
Estimated reading time: 7 minutes
What is Sirap Bandung (or Rose Milk)?
Let’s do the pronunciation exercise as usual, first.
- Sirap = si – rup
- Bandung = bun – dohng (silent h, o is pronounced as in owe)
- Air = a – yayr (rose milk is also sometimes called air bandung)
Sirap is basically the Malay spelling of syrup.
And the word bandung means pairs, or to go together. So in this instance the pairing of the rose and milk, giving you rose milk.
So sirap bandung is rose syrup that’s been diluted with milk or a mix of milk and water, as you’ll see in the recipe card below.
Despite its name, sirap bandung has nothing to do with the Indonesian city of Bandung, and is not really a drink found in Indonesia.
What does sirap bandung taste like?
It’s sweet, milky and creamy and smells of roses. This rose milk has been one of my favourite drinks since I was a little kid. And it still is.
While you can get this mix of rose syrup with milk throughout the year, it’s one of those things that’s synonymous with Ramadan, the fasting month, in both Singapore and Malaysia. Imagine breaking one’s fast on hot day with a sip of this, ice cold. Just what the doctor ordered!
Homemade Sirap Bandung
Making rose milk at home is super easy. But first you need rose syrup. Now, getting your hands on rose syrup may not be the easiest thing for some of you, depending on where you live. You should definitely be able to find it in related ethnic stores. And online, of course, that goes without saying.
But the good news is, I have long had a cheat’s homemade rose syrup on LinsFood, and that is super easy to do. In fact, you’ll be pleased to know that I have recipes for the cheat rose syrup, as well as the one using real rose petals.
Click on the links below if you’d like to try your hand at them. Homemade, even the cheat one, is so much better than shop bought! To make the cheat’s version, all you need is rose water, which is widely found in baking aisles, next to the vanilla and orange flower water.
Homemade Rose Syrup – either with fresh or dried rose petals (or dried rose buds)
Cheat’s Homemade Rose Syrup – just water, sugar and rose water, I give you the recipe in the recipe card below
Sirap Bandung Recipe (Rose Milk Recipe)
So all you need is 3 ingredients:
- Rose Syrup (aka rose simple syrup)
- Water (to dilute the syrup)
- Milk
Rose Syrup is a cordial, so you treat it like one. Usually, the ratio is 1 part rose syrup to 3 parts water, to make it into a rose syrup drink.
To make air bandung (as it’s also called), we can use fresh milk, or my favourite, evaporated milk. The latter gives a creamier result. Condensed milk, in my opinion, makes the drink way too sweet.
So in the recipe card below, I’ll give you 2 versions:
- 1 with evaporated milk
- the other, with just fresh milk (or UHT)
All you need to do to make rose milk, is to dilute the rose syrup with milk or a combination of water and milk.
How to Serve Sirap Bandung?
You want to drink it cold. It’s meant to be a thirst quencher. So make it a couple of hours earlier and place it in the fridge if you like.
And when you serve it, drop a few ice cubes into chill it further.
Rose Tea or Rose Latte
You can also use this rose milk to flavour your tea and turn it into rose milk tea or rose latte. Essentially, just brew your black tea as usual, then add a little of this rose syrup, warmed up, for a rose flavoured teh susu (milky tea).
Rose Milkshake
Another wonderful use for sirap bandung? Make a delicious rose milkshake with it. Sirap bandung + ice cream, that’s all you need. Or, rose syrup + milk and ice cream.
Do you know what will take your rose milkshake or any milkshake up a level? A tablespoon or two of mascarpone.
Rose Lassi
Use your rose milk or sirap bandung to make rose lassi, that yoghurt based, South Indian drink. Or better still, make your rose lassi with your undiluted rose syrup.
Bandung Dinosaur
You either love it or hate it. Serve your sirap bandung in a tall glass with ice. Then top the whole lot with 1-2 heaped tablespoons of milo powder.
I’m not a fan but my kids love it! I mean, who doesn’t love eating milo dry?
How to Store Sirap Bandung?
The rose syrup itself has a fairly long shelf life. However, once you’ve mixed it with milk, whether that’s fresh milk, UHT milk or evaporated milk, its shelf life is shortened.
Store any leftover sirap bandung or rose milk in the fridge and consume within 2 days.
Vegan Sirap Bandung (Vegan Rose Milk)
This is easy. Instead of using a dairy based milk to make your rose milk, just use a non dairy one. So whatever your usual dairy free milk is. Almond milk, soy milk (soya milk), oat milk or rice milk will work very well.
FAQs
Do you serve rose milk hot, cold, or iced?
Rose milk or sirap bandung is best served cold, with or without ice. If using ice, don’t forget that the drink will get diluted as the ice melts. So make sure it’s not too diluted to begin with.
Can I make this recipe with rose water?
Yes, it’s how we make our rose simple syrup to begin with. That’s what I call my cheat’s rose syrup, as it doesn’t use real roses. Click here for the recipe. After making your rose flavoured simple syrup, you mix it with milk to get rose milk.
What is rose milk made of?
Rose syrup, milk and/or water. See recipe below.
Is rose milk made of roses?
This rather depends on what the rose syrup is made of. Most rose syrups or rose simple syrups tend to be made of just rose flavouring (can be artificial), sugar and water.
Is rose water the same as rose essence?
To some extent. Many retailers label or call their rose water rose essence, because that is exactly what it is, the essence of a rose distilled into water.
However, what’s sold as rose essence is usually not as pure as rose water. It always contains some sort of a preservative, and heaven forbid, artificial rose flavour.
Which is better, rose water or rose essence?
Definitely rose water, but of good quality. All you need to make rose water is roses and water. While rose essence may be slightly stronger in aroma, that aroma isn’t pure. Trust this lifelong user of both.
And that’s it, shall we go take a look at the recipes?
Images by LinsFoodies
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Lin xx
Sirap Bandung Recipe (Rose Milk)
Equipment
- a glass
Ingredients
Sirap Bandung with Evaporated Milk
- 75 ml rose syrup 1 part
- 150 ml water 2 parts
- 75 ml evaporated milk, semi skimmed works well too 1 part
Sirap Bandung with Fresh or UHT Milk
- 75 ml rose syrup
- 225 ml fresh or UHT milk 3 parts (OR 2 parts milk + 1 part water, see Notes)
Quick and Easy Rose Syrup Recipe
- 250 ml water
- 500 g white sugar
- 3 Tbsp of rose water
- tiny amount of concentrated red food colouring
Instructions
Sirap Bandung with Evaporated Milk
- Dilute the rose syrup with the water, and stir to mix.
- Add the evaporated milk, stir and enjoy. You could add an ice cube or two, if you fancy. Of course, you can just add all the ingredients together and stir, but there is something so mesmerising about adding milk to the pink drink, that I've always done it this way!
Sirap Bandung with Fresh or UHT Milk
- Add the milk to the rose syrup to dilute and turn it into sirap bandung. If this is too milky for you, reduce the milk by 1 part and top with water. Again, add ice cubes if you like.
Quick and Easy Rose Syrup Recipe
- Add the sugar and water into a saucepan on medium heat and bring to a gentle boil, stirring a couple of times.
- Reduce the heat to very low and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Turn the heat off, take off the hot hob and stir in the red food colour. How concentrated you want it to be, is up to you. You want red food colouring, because when you add milk to it it will be a beautiful pink.
- Leave to cool for 10 minutes, then stir in the rose water.
- Pour into a sterilised bottle or jar and can be stored at room temperature for about a month although I prefer to keep mine in the fridge and it has gone for as long as 2 months.
- To serve, dilute like a cordial, at a ratio of 1 part syrup to 4 parts water or 1:3, depending on how sweet you like your drinks.
I stumbled upon the recipe for sirap banding from searching something else entirely, and it’d been on my culinary wishlist ever since I sucked one down in a nightmarket in Kota Kinabalu. I actually had no idea the flavor was ‘rose’, I just recalled this tasty, sweet pink drink with the Indonesian city name haha. I learned later about what it was, but the syrup isn’t accessible to me- until I saw the link to make it myself here. Thank you so much that I could recreate this.
I’m so pleased that you’re finally able to make this at home! And it’s my pleasure!
What a delightful drink this is. Thank you for introducing it to us. We managed to find a bottle of rose syrup online and were tickled pink with the combination!
I see what you did there – tickled pink! My pleasure, Rita, pleased to hear you enjoyed it.
I’ve never had anything like this before. It was so delicious, I couldn’t stop drinking it!
Haha, now that I can totally identify with. I’m pleased you loved it, Mary.
Can I use organic rose buds/petals found in bulk stores that are usually used for steeping tea if I’m unable to find fresh organic rose petals?
Hi Jaclyn, dried roses and petals won’t work for making rose syrup, I’m afraid. The fragrance and flavour isn’t quite the same. You are definitely better off using rose water to add the rose flavour and aroma. In fact, it’s better than using fresh roses, inm my opinion. Rose water should be easily available next to the vanilla in baking aisles. Otherwise, Amazon definitely stocks it, as will Ebay sellers, depending on where you are.
Thanks for the advice. I got the rose water yesterday. for the food colouring, do you think I can use beetroot or pomegranate juice?
I think beetroot will be strong a flavour, it will completely mask the subtle rose. You’re probably better off using raspberries, I think.
This was great for Iftar yesterday! We made it with fresh milk and going to try the evaporated milk today. Thank you Azlin.
A pleasure, I’m pleased you like it.