Shaken and stirred, with and without ice, summer is the season to indulge in a spectrum of thirstbusters in Kerala.
Thiruvananthapuram’s special is the bonji. Sold at several tiny outlets all over the city and its suburbs, everyone has his or her favourite place for their glass of bonji to chill. Leave the district and you have to ask for naranga vellam (lemonade) to slake your thirst. Depending on your taste, vendors can flavour it with ginger, salt, cardamom, sarsaparilla, khus khus, mint and chia seeds or a slice of zesty pineapple.
Equally popular as a thirst quencher is sambharam, aka spiced buttermilk. Sold by roadside vendors and tiny stall owners, the sambharam can be a simple mix of buttermilk, salt, green chilli and curry leaves or a mocktail of pickles and greens.
