Panakam, also spelled Panaka and Panagam, (; lit. 'sweet drink') is a traditional beverage originating in

South India South India, also known as Dakshina Bharata or Peninsular India, consists of the peninsular southern part of India. It encompasses the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana, as well as the union territo ...

. According to Madhur Jaffrey it was known circa 1000 BCE; in 2014 she wrote that she has not seen it served but only mentioned in ancient texts. The drink is traditionally made on

Rama Navami Rama Navami () is a Hindu festival that celebrates the birthday of Rama, the seventh avatar of the deity Vishnu. people from different parts of Jharkhand attended the world famous international Hazaribagh procession organized in the city every ...

, though it is commonly offered as a beverage during Hindu festivals, and as a prasadam after religious ceremonies, especially during the summer months. ''The Times of India'' called it "synonymous with Sri Ramnavami". In some parts of India, it is a traditional part of wedding preparations. According to Jaffrey the base of the drink is

jaggery Jaggery is a traditional non-centrifugal cane sugar consumed in the Indian Subcontinent, Southeast Asia, and Africa. It is a concentrated product of cane juice and often date or palm sap without separation of the molasses and crystals, and can ...

. It also typically includes some combination of lemon juice,

cardamom Cardamom (), sometimes cardamon or cardamum, is a spice made from the seeds of several plants in the genera ''Elettaria'' and ''Amomum'' in the family Zingiberaceae. Both genera are native to the Indian subcontinent and Indonesia. They are rec ...

ginger Ginger (''Zingiber officinale'') is a flowering plant whose rhizome, ginger root or ginger, is widely used as a spice A spice is a seed, fruit, root, bark, or other plant substance primarily used for flavoring or coloring food. Spices ...

, all of which are usually mixed with cold water. In her 2014 ''World Vegetarian'', Jaffrey calls for it to be served hot. Jaffrey's version to be served cold includes lemon juice, while her hot version does not.

References

Indian cuisine Hindu culture Indian drinks {{Drink-stub