From Ayran to Orchata: Refreshing summer drinks from different countries
Olga Lukinskaya
With the onset of hot days (hello to those who have them) First of all, I want to drink something refreshing - firstly, it is pleasant, and secondly, it helps to replenish minerals that we lose with sweat. Long before the invention of sports isotonic cocktails around the world, their recipes were ideal in the heat of drinks. They are united by the refreshing taste and the presence of a small amount of carbohydrates and salts, which help to recover faster after a walk under the sun. We learned how to quench the thirst of the people of Italy, India, Turkey and the countries of South America.
Kvass
Russia and the Baltic countries
The kvass, known to everyone since childhood, is ideally made from water, yeast and flour or rye bread, with the optional addition of honey or sweet herbs. About a thousand years ago, kvass was a very alcoholic drink - hence the word "sour" in the sense of "drunk." Kvass contains lactic and acetic acid, B vitamins, sugar and minerals. It is believed that due to acidity, kvass has some antiseptic properties and it may not deteriorate for a long time - of course, if the production complied with all sanitary standards. Unfortunately, industrially made kvass in plastic bottles often has nothing to do with a natural drink made from rye flour - it's just soda with a taste of kvass.
Sweet iced coffee
ITALY
Coffee in the summer heat seems like a strange choice, but can the people of the south of Europe refuse to drink espresso after lunch? In Sicily, in many cafes, the strongest and sweetest coffee is prepared in the morning, and then it is cooled in the refrigerator and poured into cups with ice during the day. An isotonic coffee can hardly be called, but in a cold form it invigorates no worse than in the usual hot one. This year, Nespresso even released special capsules, the taste of which is revealed on the ice.
Orchata
SPAIN
This drink in Spain is considered exclusively summer - and in specialized cafes, restaurants, in the winter they sell only ice cream. Orchata is made from ground chufa, also called peanuts, although in reality it is more a root crop with small tubers. The drink comes with sugar and without, is used icy, perfectly refreshing, and tastes like almond milk. Orchata is rich in calcium, phosphorus and vitamins - but it contains little sodium, that is, it does not harm those who are recommended to limit salt intake.
Krodino
ITALY
Krodino is a relatively new invention, a little over fifty years old, and it is being produced by the Campari concern. This is a soft drink, taste reminiscent of bitter vermouth and extremely popular as a summer aperitif. Of course, this is an industrial drink containing a decent amount of sugar - but the bottle contains only one hundred milliliters, that is, three times less than a can of cola.
Apple shorle
GERMANY and AUSTRIA
Apple juice with sparkling water is less high-calorie and sweet than pure juice, but not so boring and better thirst-quenching than just water. Mineral gas in general allows you to transform a variety of drinks, and summer is the best time to experiment; soda can be added to any juice or white wine.
Mate
Paraguay, Uruguay, Bolivia
Mate is usually perceived as something like green tea - and indeed, this drink is similar to tea, only made from a separate plant, Paraguayan holly. They drink it from a special vessel, calabash, through a tube - and they drink it all year round and day and night (in European countries, Paraguayans in public transport are easily recognized by the presence of calabash in their hands). Mate contains many vitamins and microelements, as well as caffeine - but it acts gently and does not break the sleep cycle.
Airan
Turkey, Balkans, Caucasus countries
Ayran is made from milk - most often cow milk - salt and water; it restores the electrolyte balance in the body, so that it quenches thirst perfectly. Large-scale studies are devoted to Ayran as a product to replenish fluids and minerals in the body - and its shelf life is up to a month if a certain type of bacteria was used in the manufacture. Turkish doctors propose giving medicines to children not with water, but with airan, because it is tasty and children drink it more willingly.
Sugarcane juice
Vietnam, Brazil, Cuba
In countries, including those known as rum producers, sugar cane juice is squeezed out right on the streets - if you see a device like a meat grinder and cups of light green liquid on a trip, you will immediately understand what it is. Spices, ginger, lime juice or kumquat can be added to the drink. Cane juice contains vitamins, minerals and unprocessed sugar - a good option for quenching thirst in the heat.
Lassi
INDIA
Lassi is a mixture of yogurt and water with salt, sugar, spices, fruit and ice. In composition, it is clear that this is a classic isotonic drink, containing some carbohydrates and mineral components. In principle, it can be cooked at home, and recipes are limited only to a flight of fancy: you can add mint, hot pepper, sweet fruit or cucumbers in a lassi. The main thing is high-quality yogurt and a powerful blender that can crush ice.
Coconut water
Countries of tropical latitudes
Everywhere, where coconuts grow, their contents are used to quench their thirst: pure liquid from freshly hidden coconut can be safer than ordinary water, in which bacteria grow rapidly in tropical heat. In tourist places with coconut water, cocktails are made, for example, by pouring rum directly into a coconut - and in undiluted form it is just a refreshing drink. Recently, there have been many attempts to register coconut water as a sports drink or even an antiviral agent, but the American FDA rejected them - there was no evidence of such properties.
Photo: Ali Safarov - stock.adobe.com, irinayurchenko - stock.adobe.com, dzevoniia - stock.adobe.com, dzevoniia - stock.adobe.com, Brent Hofacker - stock.adobe.com, Hetizia - stock.adobe.com