Lassi in high demand during Ramazan in twin cities
The demand for Lassi - a traditional drink made by blending yogurt with water and adding salt or sugar to it - has increased at restaurants and roadside food stalls in the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad during the holy month of Ramazan.
Rising temperatures have also led to an increase in sales of 'lassi'. This summer drink was originally salty and the sweet version was developed in the urban areas. Many areas in rural Punjab still have salted lassi.
According to the owner of a restaurant in Karachi Company, students and hostelites have made lassi a must item of iftar and sehri. "For sehri, they want lassi and paratha. But they usually do not take anything else with lassi at iftar."
Dr Iqbal Hussain, said while talking to APP that Lassi is basically a traditional Punjabi drink thath offers many health benefits. "It is rich in calories that boost energy in the human body. People, who cannot eat much in sehri, can take one or two glasses of lassi to meet the nutritional needs of their bodies," he added.
"I am a painter who has to do hard work while fasting. That's why, I drink lassi in iftar every day as it helps me restore my energies quickly," said Sajid, a resident of Ghauri Town.
A street vendor, Asif, in Sadiqabad said, "I was selling fresh fruit juice at my roadside stall in Sadiqabad, but every customer coming to my stall at night was asking for lassi. The low sales compelled me to replace juice with sweet and salty lassi. Now I am earning a sufficient amount of money by working from iftar time to sehri time."
According to nutritionist Huma Usman, lassi is a healthy summer beverage for the human digestive system. "As it is prepared from yogurt, it helps soothe the digestive tract, promotes digestive enzymes and aids in digestion," she said.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 18th, 2022.