Traditional Indian Drinks
HEALTHOLOGICAL
What did we drink before we were introduced to foreign drinks, colas, energy drinks etc? Tea and coffee are also foreign as they were introduced to Indians by foreigners, though they have become part of our routines. Earlier we drank milk, buttermilk, aam panna, kanji, sattu, jaljeera, thandai, khus-khus, coconut water and many more which I may not even know or remember. They are season-based drinks, healthy, full of antioxidants, minerals and very refreshing and yummy. Still, some of them got lost in the modern-day life as we moved to consuming more packaged stuff.
Kanji was one drink which was a common sight at my home every winter and I loved it and still do. Since, kanji was not made at my friends’ home so I used to take kanji in my school bottle for them and they also used to love it. As a child I saw my grandmother and mother making kanji, rather I was after their life to make it as soon as the black carrots were available in the market. Black carrots are usually available for a narrow window of 1-2 months in winters. I retained this practice and introduced kanji to my kids who relish it and now they are after my life to make it every winter multiple times, so life comes full circle 😊. Rules were simple, drink it in the afternoon and not more than a glass, I followed that and further inculcated the same.
Even in my office I used to take kanji for my colleagues and some of them had not even tasted it before and one of them was surprised that there is something like black carrots. A very simple drink to make, hardly any ingredients required, just black carrots, water, salt, chilly and ‘rai’ and few days of bright winter sunlight, that’s it! It is so simple. The only caution is that your hands will turn purple / violet while peeling and cutting the black carrots.
We offered kanji to our neighbours and they liked it and asked the recipe and I happily shared it and now I see that every winter kanji jar is lying in their balcony too. At times in winters if I have not been to go the market, I get a clue that black carrots have arrived in the market after seeing their jar! This winter just try this simple drink or whichever drink is common in your region. India has lot of variety when it comes to food & drinks. We are so eager to try avocado, dragon fruits, olives etc., so why not our traditional, local, desi dishes and drinks?
Our elders didn’t follow any trend, they just knew it is seasonal and healthy so it was a common practice, simply logical. Also they were not used to rushing to market or ordering everything. Similarly in summers a refreshing glass of aam panna, or buttermilk or jaljeera can beat any cold drink. But nowadays things become popular once they become trends, followed by celebrities or recommended by their trainers and dieticians but why do we have to just follow the trend and why do we undermine our household wisdom passed on from generation to the next. No google, no youtube videos, no trend to follow just simple common sense and I guess that is why that generation was healthier, simple food, simple wisdom!
Let us bring back some simple magic and wisdom of our mothers and grandmothers into our kitchens! I am trying not because of any trends but simply I love traditional food and drinks and try to ensure to share some of those to people around me, whatever little I know. Let’s CHEERS with kanji, aam panna or whatever traditional healthy desi drink you like!
Cheers!!