"Pakistani Summer Drinks: Sharbat, Lassi and Sugarcane Juice"

The classic summer drinks in Pakistan are lassi, sugarcane juice (ganne ka ras), sharbat made with Rooh Afza or Jam-e-Shirin, falsa sharbat, sattu and shikanjvi, the spiced lemon drink. You will find them at roadside carts, old-city lassi shops and juice corners from April to September, and on every iftar table in a summer Ramazan. They cost little, but in the heat the ice and the water matter as much as the drink, so choose busy, clean stalls.

This guide covers what each drink is, where to find it, when it is in season and how to avoid an upset stomach on a hot day.

What do Pakistanis drink in summer?

Lassi

Lassi is yoghurt churned with water, served sweet (meethi) or salted (namkeen), in Punjab traditionally made from buffalo milk and served in a clay cup. Sweet lassi is a meal in itself, and in Lahore some shops float a lump of butter or cream on top. Salted lassi, sometimes with cumin, is lighter and better on a very hot day. Our guide to lassi in Lahore names the old shops; the Walled City of Lahore Authority lists Noori Lassi Wala at Yakki Gate and Jaeda Lassi in Gumti Bazaar.

Sugarcane juice

Sugarcane juice is pressed in front of you from whole canes on a cart with a roller machine, usually with lemon and ginger, sometimes mint. It is sweet, cheap and everywhere in summer, from city chowks to the GT Road. In 2019 it was declared Pakistan's national drink. It is best drunk straight away, as it darkens and sours quickly.

Rooh Afza and Jam-e-Shirin

Rooh Afza is the red, rose-flavoured herbal syrup that Hakim Hafiz Abdul Majeed launched from Old Delhi in 1906, and Hamdard Laboratories (Waqf) Pakistan makes it here. It is mixed with cold water or milk and ice, and it is a fixture of the iftar table in Ramazan. Jam-e-Shirin, made by Qarshi, is the other big red syrup, and families tend to be loyal to one or the other. Both also go into falooda.

Falsa sharbat

Falsa (phalsa) is a small purple berry with a very short season: it ripens in late May and is at its peak by mid-June. Its sharbat, pulp mixed with sugar, water and a little salt, is sour, sharp and very cooling. If you see it on a cart in June, try it, because it will be gone in a few weeks.

Sattu

Sattu is roasted, ground barley or chickpea flour mixed with cold water and shakkar (jaggery), a traditional Punjabi drink against the heat. It is thick, filling and slightly earthy, more common in villages and small towns than in city cafes.

Shikanjvi and lemon drinks

Shikanjvi is lemon juice with water, sugar, salt and roasted cumin, often sold from earthen pots or carts. Lemon soda, a fizzier version with sweet or salty masala, is sold at drink stalls in most bazaars. Both are good when you have been sweating, because of the salt.

Tukh malanga and other extras

Many sharbats come with tukh malanga, basil seeds that swell into a jelly when soaked, which add texture and are said to cool the body. You will also find mango, banana and khoya milkshakes at juice corners, and gola ganda, shaved ice with syrup, for children.

Where can you find the best summer drinks?

• Juice corners in city bazaars. In Lahore, Hafiz Juice Corner in Old Anarkali, open since 1960, is known for fruit shakes; see our Anarkali food guide.
• Old-city lassi shops, such as those inside Lahore's walled city, best in the morning.
• Sugarcane carts at chowks and on highways, especially on the GT Road and in Punjab's sugarcane belt.
• Dessert shops for falooda and kulfi; our kulfi and falooda guide covers Lahore's best.
• Iftar stalls in a summer Ramazan, when sharbat, lassi and fruit chaat sell in huge quantities; our guide to Ramadan food in Pakistan has more.

How do you drink street drinks safely?

Most stomach trouble from summer drinks comes from what is added, not the drink itself. Pakistan has also had an outbreak of extensively drug-resistant typhoid since 2016, which spreads through contaminated food and water, so it is worth taking care.

• Watch the ice. Block ice may be made with untreated water and is carried uncovered on carts. Ask for no ice (baraf ke baghair) and choose drinks already chilled, or drink from shops with a fridge.
• Choose busy stalls. Fast turnover means fresh juice and fresh yoghurt.
• Look at the sugarcane machine. The rollers, the canes and the glass should look clean, and the canes should be washed and peeled.
• Drink fresh juice at once. Pressed juice and cut fruit spoil fast in the heat.
• Carry bottled water anyway. Sweet drinks do not replace water. In a heatwave, oral rehydration salts help more than sharbat.

Our guides to street food safety and heatstroke in Pakistan cover the rest.

Which drink should you choose?

• On a scorching afternoon: salted lassi, shikanjvi or lemon soda, for the salt.
• For a quick, cheap pick-me-up: sugarcane juice with lemon and ginger.
• For breakfast or instead of lunch: sweet lassi or sattu.
• For a taste of the season: falsa sharbat in June.
• At iftar: Rooh Afza with cold milk.

If you have a sensitive stomach, children with you or a long drive ahead, stick to drinks from shops with a fridge and skip the ice, and save the carts for when you are near your hotel. For more ways to taste the country, see our experiences page.

Frequently asked questions