Amritsari Lassi is high in demand

As the mercury rises in Punjab every day, people are taking to both traditional and modern drinks to quench their thirst.

By Ravinder Singh Robin

Amritsar, May 14 : As the mercury rises in Punjab every day, people are taking to both traditional and modern drinks to quench their thirst.

The sale of beverages has reached an all time high with cola brands waging war on traditional drinks like 'Lassi'. Even though cola occupies much of the soft drink market share, lassi is the order of the day.

"Any other drink can't replace lassi. Other drinks do have side effects, but lassi doesn't have any. Once again, we are taking the same route to health, which was taken by our elders," said Surinder Kaur, a resident.

The chilled sweet buttermilk is available at Rs 14 per glass, which contains nearly 250 gm of curd, little sugar and of course a layer of butter in the case of Amritsari Lassi.

Gurinder Singh, a lassi manufacturer, said: "All Punjabis, whether living in villages or in towns, find lassi the best. It is an old traditional drink. Moreover, the cola drinks have side effects too. The cola drinks can't quench your thirst, but lassi can".

On the other hand, parents prefer to give their children traditional drinks rather than colas, which contains carbonated water, which is not good for health.

"Due to the advertisements of cola companies, our children pull towards these artificial drinks. But we still prefer traditional drinks. It's best to avoid such drinks and stick to water," Pritpal Singh, a parent said.

Favouring salted lassi over other drinks, Dr. H. P. Singh, a cardiologist at Escort Hospital, said: "Generally, doctors recommend salted lassi because of its nutritional value.

Though, the sweet lassi does have lots of carbohydrates, it is better than accredited drinks, which don't contain natural products".

Medically, lassi is very useful for health and elders say that one of the secrets of their long life is the maximum consumption of curd and Lassi.

ANI