From expressing their love with a rose or decorating a kheer bowl with rose petals, Indians are fascinated with roses. One such familiar rose concoction is Rooh Afza Syrup, which is 116 years old! It is one of the most versatile drinks that can be washed down with cream and faloodas, yogurt, milkshakes, etc.
The Man Behind This Concoction
Rooh Afza, a rose syrup concentration (concentrated squash), formulated by the founder of Hamdard, Hakim Hafiz Abdul Majeed.
In 1906, he wanted to create a mixture of herbs that would keep the people of Delhi cool in the summer. He chose herbs and syrups from traditional Unani medicine and created a drink. A drink helps fight heatstroke and also prevents dehydration in humans. An artist, Mirza Noor Ahmad, designed the label for it with multiple colors in 1910. The process of developing and perfecting the original recipe continued until the final drink appeared.
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Although Hakim Hafiz Abdul’s Rooh Afza became more popular, the partition in 1947 split his family on both sides of the border. While the eldest son, Hakim Abdul Hameed, remained in India; the younger son, Hakim Mohammad Said, immigrated to Pakistan on 9 January 1948. Hakim Mohammad Said started a separate Hamdard company.
Also read: Delhi couple distributes free rose sharbat to passersby to beat the scorching heat
Benefits Of Rooh Afza
- It contains essential minerals such as sodium, calcium, magnesium, potassium, sulfur, and phosphorus, which help fight dehydration.
- The primary and well-known advantage of Rooh Afza is its cooling effect. It helps to relax on hot summer days by cooling your body and you feel comfortable and relaxed in a warm environment.
- Rooh Afza improves the hemoglobin content in the blood.
- It promotes nitrogen stability in the body which can help in gaining weight.
Also read: Delhi food blogger tries roohafza chai and we don’t know what to say
Cover image courtesy: pixabay