7 Organic Cool Drinks That You Can Get Only If You Are In Kerala!
There are tons of things to do in Kerala even in summer. So visitors continue to flock in, irrespective of the climate changes from the pleasant winter days to sweltering summer months. The summertime isn’t a terrible time to visit the state, but it is highly important to keep yourself properly hydrated during the peak summer months. Try to drink natural fruit juices and adequate water, dress properly and use sunscreen. Packaged drinking water is accessible everywhere throughout the state. So ensure you have no less than one litre of water with you everywhere you go.
The excellence of Kerala is that you get the opportunity to savour such huge numbers of drinks native to this part of India. Also, they’re so refreshing and delicious, that you will instantly feel fresh and energetic. Here, we have put together 6 refreshing and energetic drinks you can enjoy when in Kerala. Don’t forget to try them on your next trip to Kerala, and you’ll understand what we are talking about. The recipes of these drinks are really simple. So you can easily prepare them at your home.
1. Kulukki Sherbeth
Regardless of where you are in Kerala, you will definitely get this amazingly delicious drink at most drinks stall. The best part of this sherbeth is un-ripened lemon and basil seeds. If you want to cool your body, basil seeds are amazing. The taste depends on the manner the drink mix is shaken. Yes, you heard it right. This type of drink is shaken and not stirred. It is easy to make this drink at home if you have a cocktail shaker at home. If not, then a tall glass and a stainless-steel cup would do.
Shaken lemonade or Kulukki Sherbeth is full of anti-oxidants and extremely rich in fibre. Juice stalls selling this drink also include slashed apples or pineapples. They decorate the drink with tulsi or mint leaves which add extra flavour. For making this coolant, you require 2 to 3 lemons, some crushed ice, and one tablespoon of basil seeds, two or three cut Thai green peppers, honey, and sugar syrup. Certain stall owners add their own particular flavouring to it to make it more extraordinary and different than the others.
2. Spiced Sambharam (Buttermilk)
This is, by far, one of the most loved and oldest drinks in Southern India. A lot has changed in terms of how the drink is made but it cannot undermine the significance it has during the hot summer season. This is pure buttermilk which is seasoned with garlic, shallots, ginger, yellow chilli, green chilli, bilimbi or pulinji, coriander leaves, asafoetida powder, mint leaves, pineapple slices and mango. The main highlight of this drink is that it is sugarless, despite the mango and pineapple, so if you are watching those calories, this would be an ideal drink.
The drink cools down your system, invigorates you entirely, and provides an instantaneous energy
booster during the peak hot summer days. If you wish to reduce the intake of tea/coffee, this will be
a good and healthy choice.
3. Fresh Tender Coconut and Banana Drink
If you visit Kerala, you must try tender coconut water (elaneer juice) on your trip to Kerala. You can make a really delicious drink using the pulp of the tender coconut. Hence, if you drink coconut water next time, do not toss away the pulpy part; instead, make an amazingly energizing drink using it. Mix the pulp with some crushed ice, bananas, refrigerated milk and a bit of sugar syrup or honey. This unique drink will help immensely in restoring the vital electrolytes and balances the sugar level in the body. If you’re going to stay in a homestay, you can request your host to make this drink for you.
4. Nannari Sherbet
An exceptionally revitalizing beverage without any fake colours and flavours, Naruneendi Sherbeth or Nannari Sherbeth, is a top favourite among the visitors amid the scorching summers. The drink is made with Nannari roots, also known as Indian sarsaparilla, and serves as an instant coolant. Being an organic root, it gives a few other medical advantages as well and shields your body from the usual summer diseases. You can drink this coolant with jaggery and lemon while going by any of the roadside stalls.
5. Raw Mango Drink or Aam Panna
Otherwise called Aam Panna, the raw mango drink is a most loved drink during the sweltering summer months. This is due to the fact that the raw mango is accessible in abundance in these months. The drink would effortlessly save you from getting a heat stroke, aside from quenching your thirst and reviving you promptly. It is made using raw mangoes, crushed pepper, cumin seeds, fennels seeds, coarsely crushed dark salt and mint leaves.
6. Panakam
Panakam is prepared with lemon, dried ginger and water. It is not only a thirst-quencher but also has huge health benefits. This drink is a rave among South Indians, especially in Kerala. It is extremely refreshing and tasty, hence it is used as “prasadam†in a lot of Hindu temples in the festival time. Its pepper flavour and sweet taste have got amazing reviews from visitors who have vouched for its immediate revitalizing properties. If you feel drained after visiting a destination in Kerala during the peak hot summer months, you can easily restore the minerals lost by sweating, and combat your lethargy by drinking this elixir.
It can be made using crushed or powdered jaggery, a pinch of ground black pepper, a bit of cardamom powder and lemon. Have it chilled, and experience the cooling effects! The uncooked carbohydrates present in the drink help the electrolytes into our body cells and is certainly way better than the zero-nutrition, high-calorie drinks that are available in the market today.
Aside from the previously mentioned yummy beverages, you can also try watermelon juice, snack on fresh cucumber, enjoy salted or sweet lassi, etc. The options are endless when you are in Kerala.
Last but no means least, here comes the Iconic Drink of Kerala!
Tender Coconut
Health Benefits of Tender Coconut Water
Would you like to read more about the Never to Miss Cuisines in Kerala? Click Here.
