Madurai has the famous Meenakshi Temple and if someone asks me what else is famous in madurai, this drink is definitely on my list. It might have a strange name JigarThanda which is a combination of two hindi words Jigar (Heart) and Thanda(cold), so it roughly translates into heart cooler. I have no idea whether it actually does it but it does taste great.There are several places in the city where you can buy this drink but if you want the authentic and want to try the original recipe, head for 3rd or 4th shop on Manjanakkara Street, Madurai and ask someone for the old Jigarthanda shop and they would point you to a one room shop which sells this delicacy. This shop is run by a family member whose family has been traditionally selling this drink for generations. Be aware of the fake imitations which sell the same drink on push-carts on the road.
So what is this drink actually made of, none i have met so far knows the original recipe, but it is a mixture of edible sea algae, cold milk, Sarsaparilla syrup or nannari syrup, and ice cream made of boiled milk in a clay-charcoal oven. This is sure favorite among the people of madurai during summer, when the temperature is scorching and this what you need to cool you down. If you are in madurai and if you get a chance, don't miss Jigarthanda.
2 comments:
While no one I know seems to have even heard of jigirthanda, it was refreshing to see your write up. The furry little things that float are, I believe, called thakka maria in Hindi. I have seen these black seeds resembling onion seeds in Indian some Indian grocery stores in USA. Can you confirm if the sea weed and thakka maria are the same? Thanks for your info about the Madurai drink place.
gs,
I will confirm it soon. Thanks for reading the blog.
Cheers
/\/ishanth
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