Mixed with iced water it makes a refreshing drink in the heat. Dried and salted it becomes almost the only Syrian cheese. Preserved fruit All kinds of fruit , just about all the year round . This could be a Syrian slogan. Oranges, grapefruit, pears, apricots, figs, olives, plums, greengages, grapes, pistachios, walnuts, hazelnuts, and fresh or dried almonds - they are offered for sale at the roadside, heaped up on the greengrocers carts, a feature of every table.
Melons are also eaten - big watermelons and the smaller yellow ones.
Each region has its specialty in cakes. They are light, contain few mineral salts and are a pleasant-tasting aid to digestion. Each province has at least one sulphurous spring. Arak , an aniseed-flavored brandy, comes from the same districts. The national brand of beer is not without flavor, although it is non-alcoholic.