With the sudden change in temperature and scorching heat, it is obvious that summer has officially started. The abrupt seasonal changes required one to hydrate incessantly to stay away from fatigue or dehydration. But everyone can agree that sipping on water throughout the day is extremely monotonous. Just like food, one also needs to drink different types of beverages from time to time to avoid making one's hydration routine boring. Drinking rejuvenating and healthy drinks is a great way to combat the summer heat.
Video Credits: YouTube
While there are a lot of conventional drinks like sharbat and shikanji, there are a multitude of other refreshing and hydrating drinks that can restore the electrolyte balance and also add a delicious punch of flavours to one's summer menu. Here are some delicious and rejuvenating drinks from West Bengal that can surely make one's summer more tolerable.
Image Credits: Unsplash
* Ghol
Ghol is a very famous beverage in West Bengal that is similar to chaas. The texture of the drink is similar to spiced buttermilk, but its taste is very different. The drink has a salty and sweet taste. It also has hints of sourness because of the lemon zest that is added to the drink.
This is an aromatic and flavourful drink that can be customised as per one's preference. It is extremely prevalent in most Bengali households because of its cooling effects on the stomach and the fact that it instantly hydrates the body. Bengali people also like to add spices like coriander seeds, cumin seeds, and fenugreek seeds to ghol.
Image Credits: Instagram
* Bael Panna
Bael fruit is a summer favourite of Indians. Most people must have already heard of the bael sharbat and the bael panna can be called a close cousin of the bael sharbat. This drink is made from the pulp of the bael fruit and is not just famous in West Bengal but also in its neighbouring states like Odisha and Bihar. The drink is pervasively made and consumed during the Baisakha month in Odisha.
The consistency of this drink is very thick and it is great for the stomach as it helps in detoxifying the body and keeping it cool. people in West Bengal and Orissa. Also, consider it an antidote against sunstrokes and stomach problems. The fibrous pulp of the fruit makes a sweet and sour panna.
Image Credits: Instagram
* Daab Sharbat
Daab Sharbat is a classic Bengali beverage that is made using tender coconuts. It is a drink that is perfect for summer and can be found being sold on the streets of Kolkata very easily. The beverage is made by pouring coconut water into a glass and then scooping out the flesh of the coconut. This coconut flesh is chopped finely and then kept aside.
In the coconut water, one has to add a mixture of lemon juice, salt, and sugar. All the ingredients must be mixed properly and left in the refrigerator for some time. Now the liquid must be poured into a glass in which the meat of the coconut can be added. The drink is generally served chilled and is the perfect replacement for any unhealthy or high-sugar drinks.
Image Credits: Unsplash
* Aam Pora Sharbat
It is impossible to not have a drink on the list that is made from mangoes. Just like other states in India, West Bengal also has a special mango drink during the summer. This drink is made by using unripe green mangoes. To make this drink, one has to burn the mangoes on coal until the outer skin starts melting. This helps in caramelising the natural sugar that is present in unripe mangoes.
Mangoes that are cooked on coals have a very smoky flavour that gives a different sort of richness to aam pana. Generally, people like to add roasted cumin powder to mango drinks to give them a rusty flavour. However, in this drink, as the mangoes are first roasted on coal, there is no need to add any extra spices. The pulp of these mangoes is made into a thick panna. Some people also like to add some green chillies to the drink.
* Gondhoraj Julep
Gondhoraj Julep is a mocktail in Bengal that is made by using mint leaves, special gondhoraj lemons, salt, sugar, and ice cubes. Gondhoraj lemon is a type of Bengali and Bangladeshi lime that is often considered a hybrid citrus. It neither has the proper taste of a lemon nor a lime. The drink has a minty and cooling flavour. The sweetness of the drink is balanced by the lime and the salt. The main ingredient of the drink is the Gondhoraj lemon, which acts as a catalyst and helps make the drink more flavourful. In Bengal, people like to use this drink as an accompaniment for different types of spirits, like whiskey.