Beat the heat with lassi, lemonade

Mohit Khanna

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 16

The rising mercury has jacked up the sale of lassi, lemonade, green coconut and cane juice. Milkshakes and watermelon are also in great demand as the day temperature has been shooting up.

These roadside outlets are also witnessing brisk business with a large number of people making a beeline to these stalls to quench their thirst and beat the heat.

Sunny, who has put up a stall near a shopping mall in the Industrial Area here, said: “Running a lemonade stall does not require a lot of investment. I have brought camper in which I have stored some ice and water. I have kept sugar, black salt and lemon. During weekdays, I make around Rs 500, while during weekends the sale goes up to Rs 1,000”.

Bhollu, who offers a glass full of cane juice for Rs 20, said though he earns a lot of profit, extracting cane juice manually requires a lot of labour and takes a toll during the rising mercury.

Green coconut sellers are making a killing in this summer. A coconut is being sold for Rs 40 apiece. Many stalls of green coconuts are dotting in Mohali and Panchkula.

Sonu, who sells green coconut outside a public park in Mohali, said he makes brisk business during the morning and evening hours.

In the Sector 26 market, lassi and milkshake sellers give hygiene a go-by. At the Sector 26 vegetable market, peeled mangoes were kept in the open and flies were hovering over it. Similarly, vendors selling lassi had kept the curd in unhygienic conditions.“These stalls have to maintain proper hygiene. Water that they use to make juices should be pure and clean,” said Dr RP Jain.

He said: “We need both sugar and salt to beat the heat. There is sweetness in all juices, but we should add salt to it.”

“We should keep our body hydrated in the summer with Indian drinks such as butter milk, lassi, lemon juice, aam panna and coconut water,” he advised. Antioxidants and vitamin are available in the juices, he said.