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By JANET K. KEELER
© St. Petersburg Times,
The savory Indian yogurt drink boosts his energy when heat and humidity wear him down. The salt replenishes potassium lost through perspiration, and roasted cumin seeds aid digestion, says Sharma, owner of Mahal Indian Cuisine in Clearwater. Carbohydrates in the yogurt give the system a kick. Much more nutritious than a soda, he says. Sharma grew up drinking lassis, the unofficial national drink of India, which can be sweet or savory. He's a native of New Delhi, where summertime temperatures and humidity regularly hover in the 90s. Sound familiar, Floridians? In tropical and subtropical countries all over the world, cold drinks are more than just liquid to wet the whistle. The ones that take advantage of luscious tropical fruits are snacks, too, healthier than a candy bar or bag of chips. Sip a lassi (pronounced LAH-see) in the afternoon and you'll be sated until dinner time. These drinks aren't intended to take the place of water, nature's perfect hydrator, nor are they guzzled from 64-ounce buckets. They are served in civilized portions, about 12 ounces, and many provide vitamins, fiber, minerals and protein from fruit and dairy products. The Caribbean is famous for tropical fruit punches, ginger beer and teas flavored by hibiscus and roselle blooms. Cubans drink fruit milkshakes called batidos (bah-TEE-dohs), and in Thailand, spiced ice tea slakes thirst in the midday swelter. Millions of people all over India drink lassis, the most popular variety flavored by mango. Batidos, lassis and island punches inspired the ubiquitous American smoothie. Many of these non-alcoholic drinks can be sampled at restaurants in the Tampa Bay area. We recently set out on a tropical drink tour that took us from Jamaica to Cuba, then on to India. We finished in Thailand and never left Pinellas County. Exhausted (mostly from driving on U.S. 19) and full from our world tour of libations, we were convinced that these frothy drinks do more to shore up sagging energy than diet soda or sugary juice-flavored drinks. Here's what we sampled. Jamaican punch
At the EZ Cafe in St. Petersburg, owner Eric Sutherland whips up a delicious fruit punch in minutes, including the time it takes to peel and slice a juicy mango. Into the blender go half a mango, a peeled banana, a little bottled strawberry syrup and pineapple juice from a can. Dump in a handful of ice and whirr on high. The fruity, icy drink has the power to drop internal temperatures instantly. Or maybe it's just psychologically cool. We hoist a glass to the Jamaican flag decorated with Bob Marley's image. "Yeah, mon, when it's hot you can't beat this," Sutherland says. Only a splash of rum might make it better, but it's 10:30 a.m. and we have other countries to visit. (Papaya, pineapple, watermelon and strawberries could also be added to the mix. Any fruit that's on hand, really. For a thicker drink, ease up on liquids. To make more, increase the juice.) Sutherland says the hallmark of Jamaican cuisine, drinks included, is using fresh ingredients when they are in season. "We eat healthy in Jamaica," he says. "We buy fish right on the beach; it never touches ice. Our ingredients are natural and have no chemicals." Come Christmas, Sutherland will be serving sorrel, also known as roselle, a tealike drink made from the tropical flower of the same name that blooms in the winter. Dried sorrel can be purchased year-round at Caribbean markets such as Robinson's Grocery in St. Petersburg, 3095 22nd Ave. S, (727) 328-0902; or Zapata's Grocery in Clearwater, 750 Drew St., (727) 446-2763. Sutherland prefers to use it fresh. Cinnamon and ginger mellow the sorrel, which has a slightly acidic taste. EZ Cafe, 48 31st St. N, St. Petersburg; (727) 323-5112. Milkshakes, Cuban styleCuban libations bring to mind strong coffee and equally strong rum. Go to any Cuban restaurant, especially those Tampa haunts steeped in history, and you'll find men downing stand-your-hair-up coffee from cups that clatter against saucers for punctuation. The caffeine fuels passionate discussions that usually center on politics, here and there. You can drink strong coffee on ice, lightened with cream and sweetened with sugar, to cool you down. But real relief comes from a batido, a fruit milkshake born on the island and now served at nearly every Cuban restaurant in Florida. Like the Indian lassi, the batido offers nourishment via fruit and dairy. At La Teresita, which has locations in Pinellas Park, Tampa and Town 'N Country, batidos are made with various fruits, including mangoes, papayas, peaches, guavas and mamey sapotes, starchy fruit with a taste similar to sweet potatoes. Mamey sapote, a native fruit of Central America, is shaped like a football and weighs even more, 1 to 3 pounds at maturity. Like a mango, it has an elongated pit that the red-orange flesh must be cut from. If eaten raw, it's usually sweetened with sugar. In a batido, mamey is blended with sugar, milk and ice. Mamey will not appeal to all tastes; some say it has a chalklike consistency. We like it blended with mango, banana or peach. Still, it's a taste dear to many people. Mamey sapotes, which are loaded with fiber, vitamins A and C and potassium, can be purchased at Caribbean markets occasionally fresh but usually frozen and pureed. (In our at-home experiments, we paired canned, sweetened papaya chunks and juicy mango slices for an ambrosial batido. The sweetness of the papaya alleviated the need for more sugar. Sugar substitutes, such as Splenda, Equal or Nutrasweet, can be used when sweetening is needed.) La Teresita, 7101 66th St. N, Pinellas Park, (727) 546-5785; 8218 Hanley Road, Town 'N Country, (813) 888-8988; and 3248 W Columbus Drive, Tampa, (813) 879-4909. India, sweet and savory
Naresh Sharma's beloved salty lassi is an acquired taste. The first sip of the savory lassi is all salt, about a half teaspoon per glass. As the liquid moves to the back of the mouth and down the throat, the salty taste gives way to the warmth of cumin. There is still another sensation after swallowing: satisfaction. The fullness of the drink seems strange at first. The layered flavors belong to something more substantial than a drink; indeed, it tastes like a meal. A sweet lassi, flavored with fruit, has wider appeal. Lassis are similar to Cuban batidos, with yogurt replacing the milk. Yogurt gives the drink more tang than the batido has. At Sharma's Mahal Indian Cuisine, the yogurt is homemade, which reduces sugar content and ups the freshness quotient. Some recipes call for buttermilk rather than yogurt. In India, lassis are consumed year-round, but more so in hot months when mangoes, bananas, papayas, coconuts and other tropical fruits are in season. Besides cumin, they can be flavored with fresh mint, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon or rosewater. Mahal Indian Cuisine, 25000 U.S. 19 N, Clearwater; (727) 723-1117. Thailand's sugar and spice
When the temperature in Bangkok reaches 95 and the humidity is the same, people all over the city reach for Thai iced tea to cool them down. "We don't drink much soda in Thailand," says Piboon "Boone" Kitiratanasumpun, owner of Siam Garden Thai Restaurant in St. Petersburg. Some might say Thai iced tea is just as sweet as soda. A glass while waiting for your pad Thai or Panang curry takes the edge off hunger. Ask for water if you're still thirsty. Only the most evolved palate would be able to discern the flavors in this spiced tea. Most restaurants, including Siam Garden, make the tea from a mix. The unique taste comes from the sweet licorice flavor of star anise powder and a hint of cinnamon and vanilla. The drink's orange glow is courtesy of food coloring in the tea mix. The tea itself is usually Sri Lankan or Chinese black tea. The tea is made strong and then cut with half-and-half, condensed milk or whole milk. Sugar is added and it's poured over ice. Siam Garden makes its ice tea with whole milk, so it's less sweet and thick than other versions. A more traditional version would include coconut milk. Thai tea mix can be purchased in Asian markets such as Saigon Market in St. Petersburg, 553 Dr. M.L. King (Ninth) St. N, (727) 894-1069; or Oceanic Oriental Supermarket in Tampa, 1609 N Tampa St., (813) 228-8110. Siam Garden, 3125 Dr. M.L. King (Ninth) St. N, St. Petersburg; (727) 822-0613. Thai Iced Tea
Bring water to a boil in a saucepan, add the tea leaves and remove pan from the heat. Gently stir the tea leaves to submerge them in the water. Let the tea steep for 5 minutes or until it turns a brilliant orange and has a strong taste with no bitterness. Pour the tea through a coffee filter or fine-mesh strainer into a pitcher. Add the sugar to the hot tea and stir well to dissolve completely. Set aside to cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate until ready to serve or for up to one week. To serve, fill tall glasses with crushed ice, add tea to fill about 3/4 of each glass, then pour about 1/4 cup of evaporated milk or half-and-half over the ice in each glass. Serve immediately. Makes 4 servings. Source: Food Network. Salty Lassi
Dry-roast cumin seeds by cooking them over low heat in small pan until you can smell the seasoning, 2-3 minutes. Cool and grind to a coarse consistency. In a blender blend all the ingredients. Top it up with a dollop of yogurt. Serve chilled. Makes 4 servings. Source: www.jsonline.com. Mango Lassi
Blend all of the above. Add a little water if the consistency is too thick. Keep refrigerated. Serve chilled. Makes 4 servings. Source: www.jsonline.com. Papaya-Mango Batido
In a blender, puree the milk, mango, papaya and ice until smooth. (Can substitute equal amounts of other fruits such as bananas, strawberries or peaches.) Makes 3 servings. Source: "A Taste of Cuba" by Linette Creen (Plume Publishing, 1994). Mamey Batido
Place all ingredients in a blender and process until smooth. Serve in tall, chilled glass. Makes 1 serving. Note: Mamey sapote is a tropical fruit native to Central America. Its red-orange flesh has a sweet potato-like taste. It can be purchased at Latin American markets, usually pureed. See accompanying story for sources. Source: Joyce LaFray, St. Petersburg cookbook author. Guava Punch
Boil sugar and water for about 4 minutes. Cool. Add guava juice, orange juice, lime juice, pineapple and zests and mix well. Pour over cracked ice. Garnish with mint leaves. Makes 12 servings. Source: Joyce LaFray, St. Petersburg cookbook author. Sorrel Drink
Combine the sorrel with the cinnamon sticks, ginger pieces and sugar in very large crock. Pour the boiling water over all and cool. Cover and set aside at room temperature for 2 days. Strain the liquid through cheesecloth or a fine sieve and return to the crock. Stir in ground cinnamon. Let it stand at room temperature for 2 more days. Strain again and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled. Serve in chilled glasses filled with crushed ice. Makes about 61/2 pints. Source: "Tropic Cooking" by Joyce LaFray (Ten Speed Press, 1987). Tropical Frappe
Place the first 3 ingredients into a blender with a cup of crushed ice. Blend for 5-10 seconds. Pour into a tall, chilled glass. Garnish with lime slice. (Can substitute equal amounts of other fruits such as papayas, mangoes or peaches.) Makes 1 serving. Source: "Tropic Cooking" by Joyce LaFray (Ten Speed Press, 1987).
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