Rooh Afza is often touted as a cool and refreshing drink that can nourish your body in the sweltering summer heat. The incredibly fragrant drink is notable for its striking red colour and the sweet aroma of the fresh rose petals. Besides, you would even get hints of orange, lemon, pineapple, mint, strawberry, raspberry, grapes, lotus, coriander and carrot flavours too. It is a complete drink that excites your palette and refreshes the body.
The word Roof Afza means ‘Soul Refresher’.
Even though the Rooh Afza is incredibly popular in the Middle East, the drink has its origins in India. The flavoursome syrup doesn’t have any alcohol content in it. Drinks and mojitos made using Rooh Afza syrup is indispensable for the Iftar parties in the Gulf and North India.
Just like the famous Karachi Biscuit, Roof Afza has grown to become a unique brand. It is produced by Hamdard Laboratories based in Delhi. The Roof Afza syrup was made, in 1906, by Unani practitioner Hakkim Hafiz Abdul Majeed who was the founder of the Hamdard Laboratories. After the partition, his children had migrated to Pakistan, opening branches there too.
The exotic taste of the Rooh Afza has been mentioned in the literature of many languages. From the Hindustani verses to the ‘Ministry of Utmost Happiness’, the latest novel by Booker Prize winner Arundhati Roy, the reader could feel the splendid taste and fragrance of the refreshing Rooh Afza.
The Rooh Afza syrup blends well with plain water or milk. The simple Rooh Afza sherbet could be made by mixing a few spoons of Rooh Afza syrup in ice cold water. You could also make Rooh Afza shake by adding cold milk. Ice creams, kulfi and falooda too could be given the refreshing flavour of the Rooh Afza. Even though the drink isn’t too popular in Kerala, it could be purchased from online shopping sites.
