Nannari Herbal Drink!

My friend Lakshminath once took me to house and gave me this herbal drink. I brought a bottle of Nannari and started taking it once in a while.

This is mostly found in Rayalseema region of Andhra Pradesh especially in Ananthapur and Kurnool districts.

Nannari – a wonder herb that safeguards from common summer ailmentsThe herb ‘Sarasaparilla’, better known as ‘Nannari’ is a wonder herb which would come in handy during summer, with its cooling medicinal property of protecting one from common summer ailments.Our ancestors used to drink a mixture of extracts from ‘Nannari’ roots, adding a tint of lime juice and palm sugar (panamkalkandam) to keep them cool during summer. However, the palm sugar was replaced with white sugar, and in course of time, people were drawn towards other attractive alternatives.

Being a natural coolant, ‘Nannari’ is grown in cool places. The exposed part of the root is brown in colour, while the inner part is whitish. The root has an astringent taste and a pleasant odour. The herb is found in foothills and only the roots of the herb are used for extraction. 'Nannari’ roots have the medicinal quality of providing relief from constipation, and acidity, while also purifying blood. ‘Nannari’ extract is prepared from its roots through steam distillation, after which, it is mixed with citric acid, water and sugar, in certain proportions, to constitute the ‘Nannari’ concentrate or syrup. About 50ml of this syrup is diluted with 145ml of cold water and 5 ml of fresh lime juice, to make 200 ml of delicious sherbet.‘nannari’ roots, reveals that the herbal mixture has no side-effects, as it acts as a diaphoretic. It is used as a demulcent to relieve body pain, and helps in keeping the body cool. It helps us in digestion and gastroenteritis. It is also a diuretic, and helps in toning urinary system, while also preventing stone formation. It also controls tonsillitis.