Meet the man behind the kulukki wave in Kochi
Kulukki sarbath, the most talked about drink in Kochi, is on the menu at almost all the outlets in the city. However, the one near the High Court junction deserves a special mention - Shajikka’s Kulukki Sarbath. For over 12 years, thousands have thronged the place to sip the beloved drink. Unlike other shops in the city, a glass of kulukki costs only Rs 10 at Shajikka’s.
Before he took Kochi by storm, “For me, it’s not merely a matter of financial gain. The true joy lies in serving my customers; their satisfaction and happiness truly matter to me,” says Shaji. Shajikka’s dedication to his craft and the quality of his drinks have made his shop a go-to spot for locals and visitors. Shajikka has also garnered a fan base for his healthy ‘aval milk’.
Chill with goli soda
For over a century, the KKV Cool Drinks in Pachalam has been a beloved purveyor of refreshing beverages. Keerampilly Pavithran, who currently runs the shop, claims the venture is over a hundred years old. “It was begun by my great-grandfather, Kunjan Keeranpalli.”
The drinks are made using natural soda, blended with Nannari syrup. Ginger sarbath is the most sought-after drink here.The kachi soda bottle used in the store has a history dating back 100 years. It is estimated that it was made during the time of the British. The shop still uses the same old stocks of bottles as they are unavailable in the market.
A pitstop for milk sarbath
Naruneendi Sarbath in Thoppumpady, helmed by Jibin P G from Thrissur and Malappuram native Abdul Lathif, is an iconic establishment that provides appetising naruneendi milk sarbath. Naruneendi, or Indian sarsaparilla, is one of the ideal drinks to gulp down in the summer as it cools down the body heat.Liji Antony, a co-worker of the shop, explains the recipe, “It is made by extracting juice from the roots of naruneendi. It carefully mixed with cashew nuts, pomegranate juice and milk.”It’s been two years since the shop introduced milk sarbath. The shop also has outlets in Palarivattom and Banerjee Road.
Fusion is the future
As the heat wave becomes intolerable, a chilled glass of mocktails from Fusion Soda is all you need. The mocktail bar has two outlets - in Kakkanad and Kadavanthra. Of the several drinks, the perennial star is the old-fashioned cola served chilled with fresh mint leaves. Apart from that, there are special carrot mocktails, pineapple lime, varieties of mojitos, Mannila - a mango bar dipped in saffron milk, and much-loved popsicle drinks in Kala Khatta, Cola and citrus blue flavours. Check them out on Instagram: @fusionsoda.
Joint that made lassi a hit
It was the Rawal Lassi Joint that first introduced Kochi to the luscious lassis. The Gujarati family from Mattancherry has been introducing varied flavours in their small take-out counter set-up 30 years ago. Right under the brand name, goes the tagline, ‘Beat the Heat, Drink Lassi.’ The ‘Sada’ lassi is prepared using purified milk, curd, water, and sugar, and ‘special lassi’, a thick drink with mild cardamom flavour and a dash of powdered dry fruit. Mango and strawberry lassi is served during weekends.
Compiled by Sandra Shinto with inputs from Aishwarya Prabhakaran