Fresh Lime Soda

C ool, refreshing and incredibly simple to create, Fresh Lime Soda is the ubiquitous Indian drink sold at every street corner, restaurant and cafe all year round. Whether you’re looking to replenish yourself after a hard day at work or quench your thirst after a spicy meal, this simple concoction of lime juice, soda water, sugar and salt, is the perfect choice of beverage.

While the origin of this drink is uncertain, it is believed to have been created by Ayurvedic practitioners as a medicinal drink for its various health benefits, including aiding digestion, preventing scurvy, and boosting immunity.

However, the drink saw a resurgence of patronage during the British Raj. The British had brought with them a love for gin and tonic, which they would mix with lime and soda water to make it more refreshing. However, the Indians, who were not allowed to consume alcohol, started making a non-alcoholic version of the drink using lime juice, sugar, salt, and soda water. The drink was an instant hit and soon became a popular alternative to alcoholic beverages. In fact, according to culinary historian KT Achaya, Fresh Lime Soda earned the moniker of "the supreme quencher of colonial thirst" in the country. In the early 20th century, the beverage became more widely available with street vendors and small shops starting to sell it.

Fresh Lime Soda has also gained popularity outside of India. It is a widely consumed drink in Southeast Asia, particularly in Thailand, where it is known as Nam Manao. In the United States, it is often served at Indian restaurants as part of their meal.

SOME MORE HISTORY

Fizzy lemon or lime-based drinks have found favour in many parts of the world over time. Drinks historian Anistatia Renard Miller, for instance, writes about "limonade", a 16th century French beverage that mainly comprised sweetened lemon juice and water. But the ever-chic Parisiennes added their twist to the drink in the form of sparkling spring water, which made it among the trendiest of drinks to have in the summer of 1630.

Miller further cites a guild formed in 1676 by vendors who sold the drink, called "Compagnie de Limonadiers". Licensed sellers had limonadieres, a dispenser strapped to their backs, that they served their customers refreshing drinks from.

However, it was an English invention in the 1700s that truly made sparkling/fizzy lemonade into a global favourite: artificially carbonated water.