As summer continues more people are cooling down with delicious Asianinspired cool beverages. Mixologists in cities all over the world are creating fun new drinks with Asian twists. Traditional ingredients like lychee, berries, lemongrass, yogurt, and green tea get updated in these creative cool drinks. Quench your thirst and freshen your palate with these delicious nonalcoholic summer drinks. You can cool your body in a more healthy way and reduce your impact by whipping up your own summer drinks at home. Lassi – The most refreshing utterly delicious drink on earth beating even a cold beer with a curry. You can have it sweet or salty, spiced, fruity or plain but it is refreshing and tasty in any and every form. The yoghurt drink is popular throughout the Indian subcontinent, “In summer, when the heat is intense, many Indians enjoy a good lassi instead of a meal” says Ken a British writer based in New Delhi. I like it the creamier the yoghurt, the better”.
Bandung – This bright pink Malaysian drink is made from evaporated milk, rose water, and plenty of sugar. It is candy-sweet and served over ice. An adaptation of an Indian drink called rose milk or ‘gulab jal’, it actually tastes remarkably similar to kheer, the Indian rice pudding typically flavored with rose water and pistachios. If you like to take your desserts in a glass, then bandung might be the drink for you.
Lemonade – A great source of vitamin C and filled with tangy goodness lemonades are quite popular in whole of Asia. It is also full of iron, magnesium, calcium, and antioxidants. Despite being acidic, lemon alkalizes your body and helps restore its pH balance. From glowing skin and shiner hair to improved digestion, lemonade has a wealth of benefits. It’s very easy to make, and when you use your imagination, you can make a variety of lemonades. Adding herbs such as mint leaves or oregano make them even more delicious, refreshing and healthy.
Raw Juice (Aam Panna)
A green-mango drink widely consumed in northern India during summer months is extremely delicious. Apart from being delicious and refreshing, aam panna is believed to have several health benefits. It is known for its heat resistant properties. It is a healthy beverage to fight against the intense summer heat. It also looks good due to its refreshing yellow /light green colour. Green Mango is a rich source of pectin, which gradually diminishes after the formation of the stone. Unripe mango is sour in taste because of the presence of oxalic, citric and malic acids. Using raw mangoes, sugar and an assortment of spices aam panna is an effective remedy for heat exhaustion and heat stroke. It also quenches thirst and prevents the excessive loss of sodium chloride and iron during summer due to excessive sweating.
Coconut Water – Just sip some coconut water on a hot sweaty summer noon and you will feel the coolness instantly. Besides quenching your thirst coconut water is loaded with nutrients and therefore has lots of health benefits. It’s rich in electrolytes and potassium, minerals like zinc, magnesium, calcium, potassium, sodium etc. which makes it perfect for replenishing your body after exposure to the summer heat. Unlike its richer cousin coconut milk, coconut water is low in fat and calories. Those who are conscious about calorie intake can happily rely on coconut water. You can drink your coconut water chilled on its own or add a squeeze of lime to brighten it up. It’s also great for adding a tropical twist to your morning smoothie!
Thandai – This North-Indian drink is great, tasty and a refreshing drink for a hot summer day. It prevents you from dehydration, keeping you active for longer hours. During dry summer winds, Thandai made with refreshing milk and almond paste makes you feel cooler and have many other health benefits as well. It also serves an instant energizer in the scorching summer heat.
Almonds are loaded with healthy fats. They are also a rich source of vitamin E and are known for their antioxidant effects.
Cream of coconut is the most common non-alcoholic mixer that adds the luscious flavor of coconut to mixed drinks. It’s preferred because it is sweeter and thicker than coconut milk. This drink is made from the flesh of young coconut having a completely natural taste without any of the artificial flavor. Old coconut (the brown fibrous kind you see in many western supermarkets) doesn’t work for this. You can just scoop out the meat from the coconut with a spoon to make it, you can also drink the water inside which is delicious itself.
Sangria – It’s in Spain where it sangria is considered traditional. But even if you are not in Spain, you can taste the refreshing and a perfect-summertimefun sangria. This fruity drink is perfect as the warm weather sets in and the flavor variations are practically endless. Sangria recipes are sure to have you thirsting for more. Synonymous with celebration and joy sangria is plain fun to drink and very easy to make with or without alcohol with just fruits, sugar and red wine.
Iced Tea – Tea goes hand in hand with images of Asia. After water, tea is the most frequently consumed beverage in whole of Asia and now the West h as also caught the addiction. Iced tea provides more than just a refreshing boost – from soothing stress to providing weird minerals you need. Tea can reduce the risk of heart disease, and possibly even help prevent a number of others. In warmer weather, having your tea iced is a great way to reap the benefits all year. Whether black, green, white or oolong – all of which come from the same plant, just processed differently – all teas do a body good. An 8-ounce glass of brewed black iced tea provides 520 micrograms of manganese, which is 35 per cent of the recommended daily intake for women and 23 per cent for men. Manganese promotes healthy wound healing, helps maintain the strength of your bones and supports your metabolism. You can make iced tea by brewing tea traditionally and then adding ice or allowing it to cool or you can make sun tea. You can use any type of true tea – or herb tea. You can toss in citrus, fruits, herbs or spices when you steep it for additional flavor.
