Goa Trip - Kokum Juice - One Of the Must-Drink Juices In Goa

In December 2018 we went on a trip to Goa for a short stay. We took the early morning flight from Hyderabad and landed in Goa by 7.40 a.m. We took the Kadamba Transport bus from Goa Airport which starts at 10.20 a.m, to Calangute. From here we took auto to Candolim where we booked an accommodation in one of the ITC hotels.

Goa is a coastal state in the western edge of India and the mostly the climate is warm. It was around 11 a.m by the time we reached our hotel in a warm day in December. The moment we stepped into the hotel and were completing check-in formalities, we were greeting with a welcome juice that was reddish in color.

I thought it was pomegranate juice or red grapes juice, on the very first sip I felt very cool and refreshing. My inquisitive mind woke up with the very first sip as I could make out that it was something new which I had never tasted before. On inquiring the waiter about the drink, I was told that it is known as kokum juice, the local drink of Goa and the Konkan region.

As I did not know about this juice, I inquired further about the juice and came to know that the concentrated juice / syrup is extracted from kokum fruits and canned for commercial purpose.

About Kokum

Kokum fruit is actually a tiny fruit / a berry and is the native of the Konkan / Malabar region in the Western Ghats. It's botanical name is Garcinia india. The fruit has a typical sour and acidic taste. Sherbet made of this fruit is very popular in the Konkan region and is used as a refreshing drink. Kokum sherbet is an energy booster.

The key nutrients of the fruit are citric acid, acetic acid, ascorbic acid, malic acid, hydrocitric acid and garcinol which give the fruit a unique sour / tangy taste.

The fruit is rich in medicinal values and its health benefits are many. It is well recognised by Ayurveda.

Kokum sherbet / juice is scarlet in color and is rich in anti-oxidants. This is a non-alcoholic drink which is special of Goa. The juice has also healing power and this is is an essential component of the Konkan / Goan food culture.

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