Cool classics: Old Dhaka's traditional drinks
Blending heritage with refreshment, the age-old drinks at Puran Dhaka come with tales of nostalgia and pride. Never failing to charm locals and visitors alike, they sweeten the culinary legacy of the area.
By M H Haider
In this era of Instagram-worthy foods, frenzied fads, foreign cuisines, and modern fusions being all the rage, the traditional drinks of Old Dhaka remain not just relevant; people consider them their cool favourites. Infused with the flavours of history, Dhaka's love affair with these delightful shorbots (drinks) knows no bounds!
In that spirit, let's venture into the narrow lanes of Puran Dhaka, exploring the plethora of shorbots it has to offer.
The comeback: New craze for old drinks
It can be argued that there has been a revival in the popularity of traditional beverages.Take Royal Restaurant in Lalbagh, for example. Established around a couple of decades ago, the eatery that serves a wide array of foods — from kachchi biriyani to kebabs — is largely responsible for re-popularising “badamer shorbot” (nut shorbot) or “dudher shorbot” (milk shorbot), to a generation that was about to forget this quintessential Dhaka drink.
By today's standards, the two drinks may be considered similar. Whatever the case may be, or call it whichever name you like, the shorbots at their core are milk-based, sweet, nutty, and with a hint of saffron.
Royal's “pesta badamer shorbot” became a huge hit. Abdul Malek, in charge of Royal Restaurant, said, "I can't recall this drink being commonly sold in eateries before Royal. Once upon a time, it was served during weddings and at homes to the guests. When Royal started its journey, we wanted to uphold this Old Dhaka classic. But at present, a lot of places are selling it."
Shahi Juice Corner, also located in Lalbagh, is a tiny and unassuming joint where this milk and nut beverage is a must-try. A large glass of almost-freezing badamer shorbot, thick with tiny bits of ice and nuts, is indeed refreshing! To me, it is a cut above the several establishments that sell this drink nowadays.
Their menu consists of a long list of drinks, including fruit-based ones, and Puran Dhaka's array of coolers includes some of these as well.
In his book “Dhakai Khabar O Khaddo Sangskriti”, Sadur Rahman, an authority on Old Dhaka cuisine, pointed out that people used to enjoy shorbots of jaggery, tokma (basil seeds), lemons, tamarind, and kalo jaam (black plum).
Continuing with the kalo jaam drink, Rahman explained in his book that back in the olden days, during summer, people used to make a formula and preserve it so that they could enjoy the shorbot for the rest of the year. The preservation technique involved creating a paste of this fruit by applying heat and mixing vinegar and sugar. Afterwards, when it was time for a drink, a tablespoon of this paste was added to a glass of water to make the shorbot.
The efforts people of yesteryears used to take to get rid of seasonality show their zeal for this drink!
On the other hand, “Dhakai Khabar”, a volume of works published by Bangladesh Asiatic Society on Old Dhaka cuisine, states that even during the Mughal era, shorbot of various kinds were sold during Ramadan and summer in Chawk Bazar.
Even today, you will come across vendors selling maatha and ghol (classic drinks based on curd) in Chawk Bazar and many other areas of Dhaka. Going off on a tangent here, borhani is another beverage of the same family, but this one is spicy and often served with main meals during weddings and other celebrations.
While all these treats survive today, a few others have not, or at least they are not easy to come by in Dhaka anymore.
Names such as “golab banat” (a tea infused with rose syrup, cinnamon, clove, etc., once served at weddings) and “namas” (a winter treat of creamy, churned sweet milk) haunt foodie and history buffs!
The OG of Old Dhaka drinks
Founded more than a century ago, Beauty Shorbot — more formally, Beauty Lacchi & Faluda —is a legendary name when it comes to falooda (a dessert), lemonade, and lassi (also a curd-based drink).Boasting a rich legacy and several outlets in Old Dhaka, a karigor (maker) named Md Rasel informed that the establishment is currently being run by the third generation.
The soothing fragrance from the lemonade, churning and tossing of lassi, syrup bottles, and a large box containing chunks of ice immediately set the mood.
Lebur shorbot (lemonade) and lassi are classics — simple, refreshing drinks that have been in Puran Dhaka for a long time — and Beauty has seen much of it, attracting locals and tourists to its outlets.
"Tourists and visitors coming to Old Dhaka make it a point to try out our lassi and falooda," Rasel shared.
So, what makes their lassi so special? What goes into it?
"Nothing different; curd, sugar, and ice — and the rest are Allah's will," Rasel, apparently a humble man of few words, declared.
Indeed, what really made Beauty Lassi endure over time?
Or rather, what has made Old Dhaka drinks timeless? Perhaps, one may say, the appeal lies not just in quenching thirst, but in connecting generations through taste.
