India is home to many beverages that are prepared from a variety of fruits, vegetables, and herbs especially during the hot summer months. These beverages have a high-water content and inherent cooling properties that not only quench thirst but also provide sodium and potassium that help maintain the water and electrolyte balance of the body. Here are some of the traditional summer coolers that are consumed:
¦ Kokum Sharbat: This ruby red coloured beverage from the Konkan region has a cooling effect on the body protecting it from sunstroke and dehydration. Kokum contains anthocyanin pigments which give it its colour and contains acids such as citric acid, acetic acid, malic acid, ascorbic acid, hydroxycitric acid (HCA) and garcinol, all of which have been shown to have antioxidant properties.
¦ Nimbu paani and Shikanji: Nimbu paani is a popular beverage particularly in summer and is prepared from lime juice, water or soda, sugar and salt. Shikanji is a variation of nimbu pani and contains ginger juice, roasted jeera and black salt in addition to the other ingredients. Besides being great coolers and thirst quenchers, both nimbu pani and shikanji are rich in vitamin C which boosts immunity. The sugar in these drinks provides energy thereby preventing fatigue in hot sultry weather. Common salt and black salt provide sodium which helps replenish the sodium losses through sweating. Black salt also has cooling, carminative, antacid, anti-bilious, and anti –phlegmatic properties. Ginger has anti-inflammatory and expectorant properties, stimulates appetite, relieves nausea, reduces flatulence and acidity. Jeera contains compounds that have digestive and anti-flatulence properties.
¦ Aam Panna: Aam Panna is a rejuvenating and refreshing cooler prepared across India in summer. This beverage is made from raw green mango pulp, sugar or jaggery and is spiced with black salt, jeera powder and mint leaves. Raw mangoes are rich in vitamin C and contain B vitamins and pectin. Aam Panna has a cooling effect on the body and prevents dehydration.
¦ Khus ka Sharbat: This is an age-old cooling beverage from North Indiathat quenches thirst and helps prevent heat stroke and dehydration. Khus ka sharbat is a green-coloured beverage that is prepared from a distillate of the roots of khus grass (Vetiver grass) water, sugar and citric acid. According to Ayurvedic and Unani systems of medicine, khus root has numerous medicinal properties. It is a good source of antioxidants that helps boost immunity, has diuretic and cooling properties, helps reduce the redness in the eyes, burning sensation all over the body and fever caused by excess heat.
¦ Phalse ka Sharbat: Phalsa is a blackish purple berry that is available only from April to June in North India. Phalsa berries have a sweet-sour acidic flavour and are good sources of vitamin C and potassium. They possess strong antioxidant, antibacterial and antimicrobial properties thus keeping multiple infections at bay. Phalse ka Sharbat has cooling properties that help prevent dehydration and keep the stomach calm on hot summer days.
¦ Bael ka Sharbat: Bael fruit is a round yellowish or green coloured fruit with a hard peel and soft pulp inside. The ripe fruit is a good source of natural sugars, beta-carotene, riboflavin and vitamin C and has a high content of potassium which helps regulate blood pressure. Bael sharbat is a great energiser and possesses medicinal value. It helps cool down the body, soothes the stomach, prevents heat exhaustion during summer, cures ulcers, treats acidity, nausea,and cures amoebiasis.
¦ Sattu Sharbat: This is a cooling summer beverage from Bihar. Sattu Sharbat is rich in protein, fibre, B-complex vitamins and minerals like calcium and iron. This drink keeps one energetic on hot summer days and helps prevent dehydration, heat stroke and constipation. Sattu powder made from roasted black chana is the main ingredient used to make this beverage which can be either sweet or spicy. In the sweet version, the powder is dissolved in water and sweetened with sugar or jaggery. The spicy beverage is prepared by adding roasted jeera, fresh coriander leaves, green chillies and black salt instead of sugar.
¦ Imli ka Amlana: This is a lesser-known beverage from the Marwar region of Rajasthan that is prepared using chilled tamarind water flavoured with jeera, mint, black salt, chillies, cardamon& ginger. Imli ka amlana is a great summer cooler and digestive especially in the hot desert climate.
(The writer is a consultant nutritionist with 26 years of experience, practicing at Panaji.)
