CHUSKI: A summer punch for your taste buds.

Chuski, Gola, or crushed ice ball.....what else do we call it?

During drenching summers heat, you really need something to beat the heat. Well, from the dazzling streets of incredible India, let me introduce you "GOLA" - a perfect summer punch for your taste buds.

Chuski is something that always reminds me of my childhood. It makes me rethink of the time when i was in my hometown and there used to be a vendor right outside my school whom we used to call "Gola wale Bhaiya". Every week i used to save up my pocket money just to have a Chuski along with my friends and relish this flavorful ball of crushed ice.

This summer treat as much as is relished in India, was never really our own creation.

clicked in 2018-From the streets of Amritsar

Even though there is no such identified history of 'Gola' but yet its origin is quite ancient. Some legends mention that it was first created by the Japanese and then it travelled to many other parts of the globe. It is believed to have been invented during the Heian period (794 AD-1185 AD) by the Japanese using the ice brought down from the mountains which was then stored in ice caves of Japan. As considered to be rare back then, shaved ice was only served to the royalty.

Then the Japanese migraters brought down with them this crushed ice delicacy to Hawaii which is now known as the Hawaiian shaved ice.

It originally gained popularity during the industrial revolution when vehicles carrying ice blocks moved across the USA and started to sell ice shavings to the kids. Such wagons carrying ice blocks from New York to southern United States used to pass through Baltimore.

Snow cones made their debut in 1919, when an east Dallas resident ,Samuel' began selling them at the state fair of Texas. He introduced his ice crushing machine the following year. as far as my research, by the 1950's almost one million snow cones were being sold everywhere.

As shaved ice, in its myriad forms, rose and kala khatta being the most popular, began to appear in street shops around the world including India.

As mentioned by other sources, The snow ball and snow cone in north America, raspa in Texas and Mexico, the shaved ice and a scoop of ice creams in Hawaii, ais kacang in Singapore and Malaysia are all different variations of this desi 'Baraf ka Gola'.

Well the concept in itself is quite unique. Its basically a large ice cube crushed and then clumped together to form a ball and then a stick is inserted to secure and form a structure and then dipped in colorful flavored syrups as requested by the consumer. The traditional way in India is to rub the big block of ice against a blade that has been set or fixed on a wooden structure like a tool. then the crushed ice is put in glass and pressed to clump, a stick to hold is inserted and then dipped in a syrup made using liquified sugar and the flavor of choice along with some masala and freshly squeezed lemon juice.

Find yourself having a Gola while strolling down the mesmerizingly chaotic streets of India.

It is usually sold by vendors with small stalls on the roadside. You might notice glass bottles filled with syrups and other such elements and ingredients. lemons used as adornments. The good thing about these vendors is that Gola is made in front of the customers to see exactly how they are being prepared and are easy to customize as well, which clearly makes it transparent for the consumers to see what is being sold to them. the product is often very cheap and always a delight to tastebuds.

This seasonal favorite is India's most loved summer treat with an irresistible taste and coolness during the scorching heat.

A tangy but true reminder of childhood and simple joys of life. no matter how old you are, this delight can never disappoint you.