There is one thing very amazing about Pune .You cannot estimate the variety of drinks available on the street Hygine ,notwithstanding,the variety is mindblowing !The list of drinks(I mean ‘soft drinks’)is unfathomable!
To start, ‘Kokam sherbat’-the tangy tamarind flavour-it somehow starts from the mouth scintillates in the entire throat and then finally reverberates in the stomach as a pleasant,cool sensation Any Poonaite is familiar with this flavour
When it comes to summer drink ,there is nothing which can beat the good old ‘nimbu paani’The juice of the ‘nimbu ‘or the lemon –you dissolve it in chilled water ,add sugar and a little bit of black salt and the sugar or rather the sugar solution-Yes! If there is heaven on earth ,it is this ,it is this,it is this !
The famous ‘naarial paani’ has maintained its ground in Pune for innumerable years If you ask my opinion ,I love the flesh more than the coconut water ,the soft cool mellowing texture of the ‘malai’is a treat in itself
When you talk about summer you cannot beat the ‘lassi’ that Poona offers you and the amazing variety of this drink that you get here will bowl you overIf you visit the ‘tulsi baug’ area ,you get lassi in mouth watering,lip smacking flavours like pine-apple,strawberry,’shahi lassi’ and so on and The best part of the lassi of this area is that it is deliciously thick You have to literally ‘ eat’ it with a spoon!!
And yes ,I cannot forget the sugarcane juice, popularly known as ‘rasvanti’ in the local language Well if you ask me to describe the taste ,I would ask you ,’Have you ever tasted sweetness in its ‘ rawest’ form ?’Have the ‘rasvanti’ It is ambrosia !
There is also the ‘neera’which is suppose to have medicinal properties Then there are innumerable varieties of fruit juices available –the thick delicious mango or rather the ‘haafus’ mango juice – it is really sweeeee..t! It will sweeten your entire system (not recommended by doctors to weight watchers and diabetics !) You can also savour the pine-apple , orange and the mousumbi juice ,don’t add the extra sugar if you are a weight watcher These citrus juices are also recommended by doctors to people who want to stay fit and maintain healthy skin as well because of the vitamin C that they contain
So this summer ,don’t escape to the hill station,your very natural ‘coolers’ are here and are here to stay
