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Sip into Summer: 5 Traditional Odisha Drinks to Beat the Heat
The scorching Indian summer can be brutal. The relentless sun and rising temperatures leave us craving something cool and hydrating to combat the heat. Thankfully, Odisha boasts a rich tradition of delightful summer drinks that are not only refreshing but also bursting with flavour and health benefits.
Odisha, as we are aware, is a spectacular blend of cultures and traditions, and each culture has its speciality. This speciality is quite evident in their eating and drinking habits as well. Additionally, each one has its very own story to say, a story of exceptionally old culture and cherished memories. Traditional coolers are the ideal method for beating the heat on sizzling summer days. Since summers are the best opportunity to explore various beverages.
Apart from its temples, heritage and divine culture, Odisha is also widely known for its cool drinks and beverages that are not only tasty and lip smacking but are also very healthy and nutritious as they are prepared through the pure gifts of mother nature like fruit pulps, milk, mishri, etc. These drinks really act as a coolant for the people whenever they feel thirsty or dehydrated. The most amazing fact is that these drinks can be prepared very easily at home using almost 3-4 ingredients.
Tanka Torani (Spiced Rice Water)
A popular rice-based refreshing drink from the holy land of Jagannath puri, Odisha. “Arnna”, the plain rice item of 56 bhog (Lord Jaganath’s Mahaprasad) is first fermented in plenty of water. Then the rice is mashed along with some amount of curd (Dahi). After that, some simple ingredients available in the temple enhance the flavour of the whole liquid mixture.
This Tanka Torani is a staple drink, usually served in earthen pots inside the temple and also outside of it in small stalls to relieve the devotees standing in the long queues. But all the time, in our households we cannot get the Arnna of Mahaprasad. At that time, any raw rice can opt.
This drink is super refreshing as well as an absolute summer quencher. Since fermented, this Tanka Torani has lots of medicinal properties. It easily cools our belly, so it is a gut-healing drink.
For an Odia, no drink in the world can ever replace this divine drink Tanka Torani!
Bela Pana (Bael Drink with Milk and Spices)
Bela Pana is offered to Lord Jagganath as prasad or summer juice in Odisha and it acts as an antidote for sun stroke also. This is one of the healthy and natural juices which would keep our stomach cool and filled, and guard us against the summer heat.
To identify whether the ‘Bael/Bela’ is ripe or not, first smell the fruit if it smells sweet then snap the stem off the pit and if the pit is orange it's ready and ripe, but if it's yellowish it’s still under done.
A ripe wood apple or Bael has laxative properties and is considered very good for digestion. Bael fruit juice is the best remedy to reduce constipation and stomach pain. This contains laxative properties to clean and tone the intestines. Drinking this regularly for 2-3 months will reduce sub-chronic constipation. You can drink twice a day to ease stomach pain for kids. Add some black pepper and salt to the juice to remove toxins from the intestines.
Bela Pana is one of the healthy and natural juices which acts as an antidote for sun stroke. It is an excellent cooler for the stomach during summers and can be consumed to get rid of heat or Loo. It is easy to make and requires very simple ingredients. You can make it sweet and salty. It depends on your taste and taste.
It's a cooling elixir perfect for the scorching summer. Every sip of the drink brings back festive memories.
Amba Pana (Mango Juice)
One of the advantages of living in a state like Odisha is the amazing chance to enjoy mango-based summer drinks. The flavour-stuffed Amba Pana without a doubt has the broadest appeal. The beverage that tastes of memories. It assists us to protect against heatstroke.
This refreshing summer drink is prepared by mixing up raw mangoes, fresh mint, sugar, salt, roasted cumin powder and black pepper, and it’s the go-to option for majority of people Of Odisha. Ripe mangoes can also be used mixed with milk or yogurt. This drink is specially prepared at the time of Dola Yatra or Holi when small processions of devotees move from house to house carrying Radhakrishna idols. To them Amba Pana is offered as a prasad.
Mango juice is available at many places in the Odisha capital. Mango is a seasonal fruit and consuming it in summer is a healthy option.
Kajhuri Mishri Sarbat (Date Sugar Juice)
Extremely popular in Odisha during the hot summer months because of its sweet taste and cooling effect, khajuri mishri sharbat is a mixture of dates and mishri, a form of unprocessed sugar.
Khajuri mishri sharbat has a scrumptious flavour and numerous useful medicinal properties. Dates are beneficial to heart health because they include a number of vitamins and minerals, including potassium and magnesium. Mishri, also known as unrefined sugar, is a far better choice than refined sugar since it retains some of the minerals originally present in the plant and has a lower glycaemic index, which means it does not induce a sharp increase in blood sugar.
This drink is the best example of a tasty and healthy drink that is often prepared in almost all the Odia families. Khajuri or crystallized palm sugar is mixed with lime water and served which makes your body supercool when your body would be feeling excess heat. Sabja seeds and ice cubes are often used to garnish the drink. Date palm sugar is good for diabetic patients and helps control blood pressure.
Lembu Pani (Lemon Water)
And here comes the most loved drink all around India. It is very refreshing to drink which provides us instant energy. It is usually stored in red pots in the Odia families to keep it cool. Lemon mixed with ginger powder, coriander leaves, chili powder, garam masala and salt. These ingredients when mixed with the lime water acts as a magic to the taste. You must have it on a regular basis during summers.
Lemon is easily available at affordable rates. Though lemon juice can be made at home easily during summer, it is also available in the market.
The diverse array of summer drinks from Odisha offers a tantalizing journey for the taste buds, with each beverage bringing its own unique flavour profile and health benefits to the table. Whether you’re craving the sweetness of Amba Pana or the nourishing goodness of Bela Pana, there’s something for everyone to enjoy in Odisha’s summer drink repertoire.
So that was all about the top 5 famous drinks and beverages of Odisha you must try if you want to serve your body with ultimate cool and pleasure. During summers, our body frequently gets dehydrated but with these amazing drinks, not only your body but also your mind will thank you. All these drinks are any day better than aerated and packed drinks that have a lot of preservatives in them and are not good for health.
