On summer afternoons, queues of colorful bottles of sharbat syrup are often seen along the streets of the city, while vendors are busy mixing and serving glasses of sharbat to thirsty customers without stopping.
Near Pasumalai Arch, B Tamil Selvi and her mother have been running a small sherbet shop for about seven years. “Once summer starts, especially after March, we will be extremely busy,” she says, adding, “Although many new summer drinks come into the market, the traditional sherbet is still enjoyed by many.”
Madurai-based chef T. Gautam Venkat traces the origin of the sherbet drink to Madurai. “Many years ago, people in the Middle East introduced sherbet drink to keep themselves cool and hydrated in the hot and humid weather. This delicious drink was originally made with a mixture of rose petals and fruits like oranges and mangoes etc. along with chia seeds as the main ingredients.”
He explains how this drink has spread to different regions. “With the pace of business, sherbet has gradually found its place in India.
Tamil Selvi recalls how sharbat was made in those days, “Earlier, people used to make sharbat syrup by soaking the roots of the Nannari plant for hours, and straining it, then boiling the mixture with lemon slices and palm sugar or jaggery. After extracting the syrup, they made the drink, which was stored in earthen pots to keep it cool. At that time, to enjoy cold beverages, people would store them in earthen pots. But now we get syrup easily,” she says, smiling.
David serves refreshing watermelon sherbet at The Madura College, Madurai. | Photo courtesy: Murthy ji
Excitingly flavored sherbets are available all over the city. V David sells watermelon sherbet from a pushcart in front of Madura College, where he attracts a large crowd of young people. Here watermelon is not served in slices. Instead, enjoy it as a refreshing drink with sherbet in a glass.
David serves refreshing watermelon sherbet at The Madura College, Madurai. | Photo courtesy: Murthy ji
He explains how the drink is made: “Watermelon pieces are crushed until it becomes a semi-liquid texture. Then I add sharbat syrup to it. Finally, small pieces of fruit are added to enhance the flavour. And sabja seeds and agar-agar are soaked in it, followed by a squeeze of lemon, which adds a bit of tartness to balance the sweetness,” he says.
He prefers to go with less snow. He explains that too much of it spoils the taste. “Some customers ask for extra ice, but it still tastes better without it.”
Elenir Sharbat is also equally popular. In Ponmeni, P Isravel has been serving Elenir Sharbat for over 15 years. He says that this concept has come after seeing the preferences of the customers. “People will choose either tender coconut or sherbet. We thought – why not combine them?” He says.
Israel serves ‘Elenir Sharbat’ to thirsty customers at Ponmeni, Madurai. | Photo courtesy: Murthy ji
This famous summer drink is prepared simply by mixing coconut water with sherbet, with lemon and thin slices of coconut added in between for crunch. Vegetable seeds and agar-agar are essential. “Usually between noon and 3 p.m., when the sun is at its peak, sales are higher,” he says.
Israel serves ‘Elenir Sharbat’ to thirsty customers at Ponmeni, Madurai. | Photo courtesy: Murthy ji
“It is a unique drink, and it is interesting to have a piece of coconut with it,” says D Vineeth Raj, pausing between sips near Ponmeni. “You get a mild coconut flavor at first, and then the sweetness gradually comes in.”
Another roadside shop is seeing a steady crowd for another simple drink – Doodh Sharbat. Near Mathuthwani bus stand, V Nageshwari mixes syrup with milk, giving the drink a thick, rich flavor with sabja seeds.
“It’s my son’s idea,” she says, smiling. “They had tried a similar drink elsewhere and asked me to create it in our shop, which got a great response from customers.”
Nageshwari Matuthwani serves delicious milk sherbet near Madurai.. Photo courtesy: Murthy ji
A short distance away, M Surya, with the support of his family, has been running a sarbat shop near Lady Dock College in Madurai for the last seven months. She offers different types of sarbat.
“It started as a simple sarbath shop, but later I decided to include a range of unique flavors because today people are looking for something different,” explains Surya. She adds, “Our most popular drink is Doodh Ka Sarbath, which is thick and delicious. We offer it in different colorful flavors like strawberry and grape.”
Not only the taste attracts customers, but also the vibrant colors. Since the shop is located near a college, it has become a regular visiting spot for students.
“For many people, summer is incomplete without sherbet,” says M Vishal, an IT employee. “I have been drinking Nannari sherbet since childhood. This is the first time I am tasting milk sherbet; it tastes different and good.”
