Sugar Cane Juice

Or where I come to the realization that I'm going to have to give up any concerns I may have about what I am putting into my digestive system this weekend.

So we finally hit the road for my weekend in the country - Rajesh, the driver, and Brahm Datt whose family I would be staying with and me. Although it looked like it might rain in the morning, it was another hot, sunny day by the time we left Delhi at around 3 in the afternoon.

We were finally free, headed into the bucolic Indian countryside. On the road outside Delhi we stopped at a large white temple. We went inside to check it out but unfortunately the actual temple part was closed so we just walked around the courtyard. Wheat was spread on the white marble to dry in the sun and the whole courtyard smelled like warm grain.

Outside the temple there was a guy selling fresh squeezed sugar cane juice. He runs the sugar cane through a crusher several times and collects the juice. On the last run-through some limes are added and crushed with the cane. Rajesh and Brahm Datt asked me if I wanted to try some.

I took one look at the flies swarming over the ancient metal rollers, the grubby glasses upside down in an even grubbier old wooden rack and, putting my faith in the preventive dose of Immodium that I had taken before leaving, said "sure why not?".

A small crowd gathered to watch me, I got my camera out and took a picture of the setup, Brahm Datt (always thinking of my well-being) admonished the guy to give me a clean glass and he promptly rinsed a glass in a bucket of not-so-clean-looking water before filling it with the sugar cane juice that had collected below the crusher/press.

I tasted the frothy, slightly sweet, slightly milky liquid and liked it which made them all very happy. The lime added a nice touch of acidity which balanced the sweetness and the juice had a faint grassy, herbaceous taste. Some mint would have been nice also and chilled with a dash of rum it would make a pretty good cocktail!