The ‘hot’, new drink in town: Lassi is the new lime soda

With the summer nearly upon us, people are staying cool with the lassi that has been given a revamp in a variety of flavours.
The ‘hot’, new drink in town: Lassi is the new lime soda

KOCHI: Lassi is the new lime soda. With summer approaching, people are taking recourse in the curd-based drink to stay cool. The popular Punjabi drink has become a favourite with the city’s residents with various lassi outlets offering a variety of flavours.  

Suryajith Menon, a Plus Two student said every time he goes to tuition in Palarivattom, he visits the lassi shop there. “After the classes finish in the evening, my friends and I ‘chill’ with cold lassi. With it getting hotter, we go more often,” he said. He said the selling point is that the drink is delicious and not expensive.

Like ice cream, the lassi is served up in different flavours; apart from the regular, sweet lassi, made with curd with sugar, there is strawberry, chocolate, pineapple, mango, lychee, banana, black currant and dry fruits. Jayson K J, supervisor of Lassi Day shop in Panampilly Nagar, said, “Sweet lassi is the most popular with patrons and with the summer coming around, sales have increased. Rates vary from Rs 40 to 70.”

According to Jayson, the main clientele comprise youngsters and the shop sees a heavy rush after school and college hours. The shop also offers other mocktails and shakes, but lassi is the hot favourite.
There more than 10 franchises of lassi shops in different parts of the city. Kavitha S, a commuter from Vytilla to Kaloor, said most of the lassi shops are often crowded. “I had a chocolate-flavoured lassi at a shop in Kaloor and was wow-ed by the taste. The mix of chocolate syrup with sweet curd made for a novel taste,” she said, adding she goads her friends to try it. And though she has tried all the flavours, chocolate is her favourite.

Desi Cuppa, another company that runs franchises in the city, also offers a similar variety of flavours and rates starts from Rs 30 and go up to Rs 60.Hasna P K, who runs a Desi Cuppa shop in Kacheripady, said due to the less margin they take, lassi is witnessing a tremendous sale. Her shop is frequented by youngsters, but also by families. The biggest rush is during the afternoon hours.

College student Albert S said the shops - Lassi Day and Desi Cuppa - offer a nice ambience and are good hangout places. “Earlier it was cool bars or bakeries for an evening hangout, but with lassi shops located many spots in the city, it is convenient to us,” he said.

One drink,many ways
The lassi is originally from Punjab and it is made basically by watering down yoghurt. It is either flavoured with salt and some spices like cumin, or with sugar and fruits

CLassi-c health drink
‘Gut-healthy’ is the biggest food trend for 2018, and the old-fashioned lassi certainly ticks this box. The drink offers the same health benefits as yogurt, so it builds the gut with healthy bacteria, reduces acidity in the stomach, helps digestion and keeps the body cool in the summer.

It’s rare to find something healthy that is also delicious. Lassi does just that; it is full of calcium, protein, carbohydrates, Vitamin A, B and riboflavin. Even those with lactose intolerance can have this, since the lactose is converted to galactose and glucose by bacterial action

Lassi is a probiotic; the friendly bacteria helps reduce cholesterol, improves metabolism and helps your intestines absorb nutrients easily

It is a good drink for weight-watchers. A glass of lassi is healthy and will fill you up

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