Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

‘Shakes’ are here to rule

In demand: Name the fruit and the shake is ready.

Thiruvananthapuram: The abundant summer rain has not quenched the thirst of the city folk for the exotically-named and colourful milk-and-fruit concoctions served at up-market fruit juice stalls in the city.

Traders from Kozhikode have set up classy fruit juice stalls in posh residential areas in the city. It is mostly the urban youth who patronise these “cool” fruit juice joints where they find it pleasurable to “chill-out” with their friends at night. Families also patronise these joints on balmy summer evenings. It has almost become fashionable to socialise over a ‘Kashmiri’ milk-shake or a mixed-fruit juice. Some milk-shakes, for instance the one made by whipping fresh strawberries in cold milk, are very expensive. The vendors source such expensive fruits found in temperate climes from super markets in the city.

The milk-shakes and fruit juice recipes that have won over the city residents were first brought to the city in the early 1990s by some enterprising youths from Kozhikode. The recipes of ‘Sharjah’ and ‘Kashmiri’ are originally from the Gulf.

The ‘Kashmiri’ is badam and black currents whipped in milk and served chilled with chopped ice. The ‘chikku-shake,’ another favourite, is sappotta whipped in sweetened milk and served chilled in beer mugs. There are also pappaya, apple, mango, badam and mosambi milk-shakes.

The preferred drink this season seems to be the ice-cream milk shakes which come in various psychedelic hues. The chilled milk is poured on crushed ice and topped with a dollop of ice-cream. For the calorie conscious, there is the fiery ‘cucumber masala’ juice. Crunchy salad cucumber is whipped with spices, mainly ginger and clove, and served in a tall glass. Buttermilk and lassi are all time favourites of customers, says a vendor.

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