“Beat the Heat with a Cool Treat” is a well-known catchphrase but when it comes to beating the heat, no one does it better than the Keralites. Being a tropical paradise, the summers are often hot and humid in Kerala. So, Malayalis – the people of this beautiful land naturally understand the importance of staying hydrated to beat the humid summer heat. Malayalis also know the secret of how to stay cool and believe me when I say this, staying cool is integrated into the very culture of this beautiful GOD’s Own Country. For example, even their Air-Conditioned buses that run from Thiruvananthapuram to Cochin are not called AC or Air-Conditioned Buses, they are officially known as Chill Bus – the name itself is cool and refreshing. They even have a plethora of shops dedicated to serving cool beverages and milkshakes that serve as the perfect remedy to all the hotness and humidity. These shops are often called “Cool Drinks Shop/Bar” or “Juice Bar”.
Be it Soda, Fruit Juice, Milkshake, Faloodas, Health Drinks, or Mocktails these shops always have something to help everyone beat the heat with the drink of their choice. One of the pioneers of opening such Cool Bars was Mr. Kalanthan Koya who hailed from the wonderland of every food lover, Kozhikode, previously known as Calicut. But, it was not until the fiery Summer of the 1980s that the world of Milkshakes was about to witness the birth of what was soon to become the most famous Milkshakes in all of Kerala. It all started at Mananchira in Calicut when a new drink forged by the hands of the legendary, Kalanthan Koya became the One Summer Shake to rule them all – The Sharjah Shake. Just a sip of this invigorating beverage and you will know why it has earned its well-deserved title of being called the King Of Summer Shakes.
Initially, EP Kalanthan Koya started his Cool bar by serving Sarbaths – a syrupy mix, and slowly but tastefully graduated to shakes and fruit cocktails. Eventually, he opened Calicut’s first-ever Cool Drink Bar called Ameen Juice Shop. He followed this up by opening the legendary EPK Fruit and Cool Bar in Mananchira in 1979, the Sharjah Shake birthplace. Mr. Kalanthan Koya was a man of many firsts like the first-ever juice bars, the first-ever person to use Electric Mixers at shops and he was the first-ever fruit cocktail innovator in all of Calicut. One fine day, a group of people in the neighboring shop were engrossed watching the wonderful Sharjah Cup, an international Cricket tournament held in Sharjah, UAE. As the intensity of the game increased, the love and passion for cricket kept all the fans glued to one television. But the soaring summer temperatures accompanied by the coastal humidity made it difficult for these cricket lovers to continue enjoying their game coolly.
Meanwhile, in the Cool Bar next door our Mocktail Alchemist, Kalanthan Koya chanced upon some Njaalipoovan, a type of banana commonly found in Kerala. Right at that moment, the fans decided to order a mocktail to calm down their summer nerves. So, of the over 150+ varieties of bananas, Mr. Koya decided to take this common and yet tastiest, Njalipoovan banana and sliced it into his Electric Mixer along with some Sugar and Frozen Milk. As he swirled all these ingredients together, it soon transformed into one enlivening beverage. Mr. Koya immediately served this drink to his next-door cricket fans, who were busy battling the heat of the game as well as the heat of their surroundings. But when they had their very first sip, all that heat seemed to suddenly blow away and a cool refreshing wave of energy surged through their entire being. They instantly fell in love with it and enquired of Mr. Kalanthan Koya, the name of his delicious creation. Mr. Kalanthan Koya hastily named his invention, Sharjah Shake and in doing this, he unknowingly sealed this beverage’s glorious trysts with one of cricket’s famous tournaments.
Now for more than 30 years, Sharjah Shake has been enjoyed globally, especially by the Malayalis. Today, the Sharjah Shake has several variations but Mr. Kalanthan Koya’s original shop still serves the best Sharjah Shake in its true authentic form. As for me, a glass of this renowned milkshake completely rejuvenated my body, spirit, and mind, leaving me in a state of Cool Bliss. Don’t miss experiencing this King of Summer Shakes during your next visit to Kerala and do try the Njalipoovan separately too, as it is one of the main secret ingredients of this Summer King, Sharjah Shake.
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