The 10 Most Traditional Drinks in India

 

Anyone who believes that Lassi and Masala Chai are the only drinks available in India is mistaken. The extraordinary selection of local beverages in this Asian nation is as diverse and distinctive as its customs.

As you may expect, the majority of Indian drinks are filled with spices and are believed to boost resistance and fend off indigestion. Most are incredibly cooling, which aids in surviving the summer heat when temperatures in the nation can reach 40°C or higher.

List: 10 typical Indian drinks

Discover the main drinks that you can’t miss while exploring India’s mysteries and traditions.

Masala Chai

The custom of pairing milk with black tea is an English import, but the masala chai's signature spice flavour is an Indian one (the word masala means "spice mixture" in Hindi).

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This hot beverage is made with black tea, whole milk, sugar, and spices such cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, star anise, ginger, black pepper, and nutmeg (which may vary by area).

Filter coffee (Kaapi)

Filter coffee, also known as Filter Kaapi and Madras Coffee among other names, is a common beverage in southern India. Coffee is very gradually filtered through a special stainless steel filter before being combined with hot milk and sugar.

Curiously, chicory can be added to coffee powder before filtering to improve the beverage's flavour and aroma.

Lassi

A very famous Indian drink is Lassi, which originated in Punjab, a state in the north of the country. The base of Lassi is yoghurt and there are sweet versions (made with water, sugar, cardamom and fruits such as mango and strawberry) and savoury versions (made with salt, cumin and mint), and the ingredients vary according to the region.

Lassi is a great “tranquiliser” for spicy Indian food, as casein, a protein found in milk, binds to capsaicin, a compound responsible for the burning of peppers.

Masala Chaas

Masala Chaas uses yoghurt as its base, just like Lassi, but it has a more liquid viscosity and a hotter flavour. Masala Chaas, also known as spiced buttermilk, also includes water and a variety of spices, including cumin, salt, pepper, and ginger powder in powder form (some recipes also use coriander leaves and mint).

In the summer, especially in the western Indian states of Gujarat and Rajasthan, masala chaas is very popular.

Paneer Soda

Stay put! There is no connection between paneer cheese and paneer soda. In Tamil, one of the many languages spoken in south India, where this beverage is most popular, panner means rose water.

Simply combine rosewater (or rose essence), sugar, and soda to make Paneer Soda, which is quite simple to make (or sparkling water).

The outcome is a very cooling drink that is often sold by street sellers.

Toddy

Toddy, commonly referred to as palm wine or coconut wine, is an alcoholic beverage produced by the fermentation of palm tree sap, including coconut sap. The sap can also be ingested raw, where it is known as Neera and has great vitamin and nutritional value.

In Kerala (Southern India), where it may be purchased in "Toddy shops," small, traditional family restaurants that serve tasty and affordable meals, toddy is a popular beverage (there are more than 3,500 establishments throughout the state).

Curiosity: Other nations around the world, like the Philippines, where it is known as tuba, also consume coconut wine.

Aam Panna

Aam is Hindi for "mango." Aam Panna, also known as fresh "Kairi," employs green mangoes, in contrast to other juices and beverages, which use mature mangoes. Mangoes are boiled, beaten, then garnished with mint leaves, salt, pepper, and jeera (cumin powder).

The Aam Panna beverage, which is common in northern India, is frequently ingested in the summer as a cooling beverage and to replenish electrolytes lost through perspiration from the heat.

 

Nimbu Pani

Nimbu Pani, also known as Shikanji, is lemonade that has been "turbinated" with sugar, coarse salt, and jeera (powdered cumin).

This interesting beverage, which combines sweet and salty flavours, is frequently offered by street sellers and is frequently eaten in the summer because it is so refreshing.

 

Jaljeera

In Hindi, Jal means “water” and Jeera, “cumin”. The drink consists of lemonade with the addition of cumin seeds and Jaljeera powder, a mixture of spices that takes many ingredients such as roasted cumin powder, mint leaves, coriander leaves, ginger, pepper, black salt, powdered fruits (ex: dehydrated green mango) or even tamarind water to give a slightly tangy flavour.

Jaljeera originated in northern India and, like Nimbu Pani, is widely consumed during the summer. It can be consumed either before a meal (to whet your appetite) or after it, as cumin helps digestion.

Thandai

Thandai is a highly well-liked beverage that is typically served during the Mahashivratri holiday and the Holi Celebration, the festival of colours that celebrates the beginning of spring (a festival that honours God Shiva).

Thandai, which is translated as "cooling," signifies refreshing in Hindi. Thandai uses a number of ingredients in addition to milk and sugar, including almonds, cardamom, rose water, saffron, pepper, fennel, and watermelon seeds.

Curiosity: Bhang Thandai, a dish served at the Holi Festival, includes cannabis paste in addition to the aforementioned ingredients (the flowers and leaves of the plant are crushed in the pestle and added to the drink).