BERHAMPUR: Rising temperatures and desi drinks are like Siamese twins. Summer is usually associated with soft drinks which though high on calories are a hit among the youth. These summer sippers bring with them the risk of weight gain and diabetes. The Silk City, however, prefers to go traditional when it comes to beating the heat.Drinks like green coconut water, sugarcane juice are already selling like hot cakes while summer fruits _ watermelon and cucumber besides bela _ are high on demand. People munching on large chunks of these fruits are a common sight in every nook and cranny of the city. Health experts too advocate fruits claiming that these fruits, besides quenching the thirst are also good for health. These help control dehydration and fill the stomach. A senior physician Dr RK Nayak said watermelon and green coconut not only provide carbohydrates but also control the body temperature during the scorching summer. Particularly, gastric patients should prefer these to the aerated drinks, he added. Giving the traditional drinks a competition is the watered rice or Pakhala. Pakhala, the identity of Odias, got a facelift here and has gone beyond the four walls of homes. A dish which was until a few years back cherished by only the middle class and the poor, is now a part of the menu in several hotels. Many hotels have already started dishing out pakhala and the demand has only been rising as does the temperature, said a hotelier. According to Surendra Choudhury, pakhala eliminates heat in the day and provides sound sleep in the night. Cool off this summer the desi way with a toast to good health.
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