Jal-jeera is an Indian beverage. It is flavored with a spice mix known as jal-jeera powder. In

Hindi Modern Standard Hindi (, ), commonly referred to as Hindi, is the Standard language, standardised variety of the Hindustani language written in the Devanagari script. It is an official language of India, official language of the Government ...

, "jal" means water and "jeera" means

cumin Cumin (, ; ; ''Cuminum cyminum'') is a flowering plant in the family Apiaceae, native to the Irano-Turanian Region. Its seeds – each one contained within a fruit, which is dried – are used in the cuisines of many cultures in both whole ...

. The beverage base is either

lemonade Lemonade is a sweetened lemon-flavored drink. There are many varieties of lemonade found throughout the world. In some parts of the world, lemonade refers to an un-carbonated, traditionally, homemade drink, using lemon juice, water, and a sw ...

or similar tangy drinks and jaljira spices, and is a popular summer drink in India. It is sometimes served as an appetizer, as it is intended to "startle" the taste buds. Jaljira spices generally consist of cumin, ginger, black pepper, mint, black salt, some fruit powder (usually either mango, or some kind of citrus zest), and chili or hot pepper powder.

History and culture

Jaljeera has a very long history, originating on the banks of the

Ganges river The Ganges ( ; in India: Ganga, ; in Bangladesh: Padma, ). "The Ganges Basin, known in India as the Ganga and in Bangladesh as the Padma, is an international which goes through India, Bangladesh, Nepal and China." is a trans-boundary rive ...

. At one time, the powder was ground on stone slabs, and stored in clay pots. The

is a medicinal ingredient which aids digestion. The

mint Mint or The Mint may refer to: Plants * Lamiaceae, the mint family ** ''Mentha'', the genus of plants commonly known as "mint" Coins and collectibles * Mint (facility), a facility for manufacturing coins * Mint condition, a state of like-new ...

has a cooling effect. Black salt or rock salt acts as a digestive. Jaljeera is popular in northern India because it is thought to have cooling properties, against the temperature of the region.

References

{{reflist Indian drinks Traditional medicine in India

History and culture

See also

References