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Has the heat got you down? Sugarcane juice should be your go-to summer elixir

Has the heat got you down? Sugarcane juice should be your go-to summer elixir

Fresh sugarcane juice is not only refreshing, but also great for your liver and skin
02 May, 2016

RAWALPINDI: Enjoyed throughout the year, gunnay ka rus (sugarcane juice) stands out among fresh juices for being both healthy and refreshing.

The juice is extracted using a machine that presses fresh sugarcane, and instead of being stored in bottles, is preferred fresh.

Although the Potohar region is not among the areas where sugarcane is cultivated, sugarcane products are very popular in this part of the country.

Sugarcane is mostly brought from inner Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

There are a number of shops in the garrison city, from Murree Road to Raja Bazaar and Saddar to G.T. Road that sell sugarcane juice – most people pick up the drink during a visit to these markets as a refreshment.

“I like sugarcane juice because it is healthy and refreshing during the summer. I always prefer it to a soft drink while I’m visiting the markets,” Mohammad Suleman said during a trip to Commercial Market.

“My grandmother made rasawali kheer using sugarcane juice. Instead of milk, rice is prepared using fresh sugarcane juice. It’s different from regular kheer, and tastier,” he said.

Sugarcane juice is refreshing during the summer and can be used to protect oneself from the heat. — Photo by Tanveer Shahzad
Sugarcane juice is refreshing during the summer and can be used to protect oneself from the heat. — Photo by Tanveer Shahzad

Mohammad Sagheer said he likes to add lemon and ginger to his sugarcane juice, adding: “It makes it easier to digest.”

He called sugarcane the “national drink” of the country. “There are many shops in the city which sell hygienically produced juice.”

Noor Khan, a store owner, told Dawn: “It’s the most popular drink in the area. We have been doing this business for 70 years – we sell fresh sugarcane juice in the winter and the summer, but most people visit the shop in the summer to beat the heat.”

He said fresh sugarcane juice is also cheaper than most fresh fruit juices.

He added that no preservatives are used in sugarcane juice, and it cannot be refrigerated for even a couple of days.

He said most customers prefer a dash of lemon juice and ginger to make the juice easier to digest.

He said the crushed sugarcane is not thrown away, but instead sold to factories that make paper and chipboards at various rates per ton.

According to health professionals, sugarcane juice is good for the liver and skin, and is rich with vitamin E.

Dr Tahir Sharif, a physician and nutritionist said: “It’s healthy for the liver and skin and other ailments, but one must beware of hepatitis as cart pushers do not always care for cleanliness. Juice prepared using dirty machines can be dangerous.”

He said the drink is refreshing during the summer and can be used to protect oneself from the heat.

He added that it is easy to digest and a good alternative for energy drinks.


Originally published in Dawn, May 2nd, 2016

Comments

Maysay May 02, 2016 10:31am
Not recommended for diabetics though, I believe.
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Yusafzai May 02, 2016 11:09am
Nothing told regarding hygienic conditions of the stalls where such juice is sold!
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Ahmar Qureshi May 02, 2016 11:17am
I haven't read the whole article but this sugar cane crush is propelling my unquenchable thirst for least two or three glasses! :-p
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Mehreen May 02, 2016 11:22am
Summers in Pakistan come with a huge variety of fruits and drinks! Love them!
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Abdulla Hussain May 02, 2016 11:49am
What about diabetic peoples consuming this liquid simple sugar?
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Farhan May 02, 2016 11:53am
I had it last time in Sydney on a hot summer day. Fresh sugar cane juice, that's what you need to beat the heat
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Qazi May 02, 2016 12:06pm
Most people dont drink this because of hygine issues or else this is a great drink.
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Sarwar, USA. May 02, 2016 12:15pm
yummy... Shops looks clean and juice is great.
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Anwar May 02, 2016 12:45pm
Yes sugarcane juice is good to drink in summer instead of unhealthy soft drinks if it is squeezed after scaling off sugarcane in clean and rust free machines in hygienic way. In India no body is allowed to insert the sugar cane without scaling off sugarcane. You don't know what had happened with sugar cane dump already exposed to dirt and soil in the night any animal can pass urine or any poisonous insects might have made it dirty. So i request educated lot, doctors and civil societies to raise the voice so our sleeping government wake up to hygiene issues.
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Yawar May 02, 2016 06:34pm
“There are many shops in the city which sell hygienically produced juice.” What we need is information on what these shops do to make it hygienic and what the cart pushers are doing wrong.
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khan May 03, 2016 01:48am
one important thing people should be careful about, try not to drink juice in glasses offered by juice sellers, many doctors have been advising hepatitis patients to drink sugar cane juice regularly and therefore you don't wanna end up drinking in glass previously used by a hepatitis patient. A public service message
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Babar May 03, 2016 02:15am
@Anwar .Very good point about scaling the sugar cane but i have never see it being done even in Toronto.
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