June is almost over and we’re clearly in the peak of the burning summer. And complain about it as much as you want, the summer does have its positives. And the first thing that came into my mind was beverages. The refreshing, chilled beverages that make everything from your tongue to the stomach have multiple orgasms.
Now there are a lot of options one can opt for like Rasna, Tang, cold drinks or even a chilled glass of beer, but there is one thing that truly takes you back in time. Yes the ultimate drink for legends, Rooh Afza.
It’s been a while since I’ve tasted the family favourite, but even after just a sip of Rooh Afza, I somehow forget that I am in 2018.
The mind automatically goes back to 1996, with mom making Rooh Afza for guests on a hot summer day. I am standing next to her in the kitchen, helping her dissolve the sugar with a spoon in the jug.
No, not because I am a sweet kid, but only because I want to have my glass ASAP.
I still have those blurry memories when I used to come home from school, walking in from the scorching heat. And running back home all I wanted was a full glass of Rooh Afza with two huge ice cubes in it. That was all I needed to relax, unwind and go to my day-time nap (Yes, back in the days when we could afford a nap during the day).
Whenever I have Rooh Afza, those blurry memories suddenly become surprisingly clearer. The nostalgia sure is strong with this one.
Scientists are spending so much on building a time machine, I guess they don’t know a bottle of Rooh Afza can do a much better job. Not just for me, but for a whole generation of 90s kids.
It’s not just the nostalgia, even now a glass of Rooh Afza is the ultimate nourishing summer drink. Even the name itself is testament to that. ‘Rooh’ is ‘soul’ in Urdu and ‘Afza’ means ‘nourishing’. Whattey brilliant description!
Food for thought? No, thank you.
Nourishment for the soul? Yes, please!
Rooh Afza is not just any drink, it is one of the rare things that unites the whole nation. You will find a stall in front of a Gurudwara, there will be people breaking their Roza with a glass of Rooh Afza and it is served most commonly across every household in India.
And, you know the best part about this magical rose syrup? Well, it has countless recipes.
People use it to garnish their lassi, make their cold glass of milk tastier and some also use it in their cocktails!
Times have changed, now after a hard day at work or the occasional game of cricket, I relax with a chilled beer. It indeed is a great drink but nothing is as good as good ol’ Rooh Afza.