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Across South Asia, this sweet drink is synonymous with summertime refreshment

Invented in 1907 to beat the effects of extreme heat, Rooh Afza — a ruby-red, plant-based concentrate — is diluted with water, milk or ice and is a summertime favorite in India, Pakistan and beyond.
A vendor in Old Delhi mixes a pink beverage of Rooh Afza diluted with milk.

DELHI — On a hot, humid afternoon in Old Delhi, Abdul Wahid hacks at a big block of ice with a knife. The ice sits in a large pool of a deep, ruby-red liquid. As chunks break off, Wahid pours the icy liquid into plastic glasses and serves it up to eager customers. A Hindi ad blaring from a speaker calls the drink "the life and pride of the summers."

The drink is cool and refreshing, with sweet, floral notes. It's called Rooh Afza, Urdu for "soul rejuvenator," and it has been South Asia's go-to summer beverage for over a century.

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