It was few days before new year 2019 and the sun was burning over 40 degrees Celsius at Kochi, Kerala. Even ten steps out of the room for a cup of tea would make me drenched in sweat. But the sun alone was not enough to stop me from going out for a walk especially a person like me who likes to explore places on foot.
One such afternoon I was walking along the chinese fishing point beach of Kochi and I found that many people were sipping on coloured drinks and the crowd along these carts were pretty impressive. At first I tried to figure out what that might be, it definitely looked fancy and cold. The drinks were of different colors like that of a rainbow. But what is this drink?
I definitely wanted to try this drink but what is it called? What would I ask the shopkeeper for? It definitely has many flavors and varieties. I had to find out otherwise I would feel embarrased to just walk to the cart and say " can you get me that drink that all the others are having?"
I was walking around the cart for nearly 40 minutes and the shopkeeper with his experience definitely noticed this and he smiled at me and welcomed me to his shop. I felt relieved, this was exactly what I was waiting for, he pointed towards a plastic stool for me to sit. Then it became easy for me I asked him what that drink was that everyone is having around here? And can I have one?.
It was the kulkki sarbath. It comes in different flavors and varieties. Its basically a cool drink made of sabja seeds, sugar syrup and few other mints to help the human body fight the heat from the sun.
I was not sure about which flavour to ask for so I let the shopkeeper surprise me. He offered me 2 drinks back to back and the way he made it was very impressive. The ease and speed with which his hands worked around the different bottles on the cart and the efficiency with which he served all the customers around him was definitely top class and made me crave for more.
I apparently had a kulukki sarbath every day for a week before I left Kochi. At which point me and the shopkeeper had become friends and I was treated to every flavour that the cart offered.
I would very confidently say that a trip to Kochi would not be complete without a kulkki sarbath.
