With a legacy that spans over 40 years, Ravan’s Inji Sarbath is located in a corner of Mattancherry and is a relic of the town’s local food culture hidden in plain sight.
Published Oct 08, 2023 | 10:00 AM ⚊ Updated Oct 08, 2023 | 10:00 AM
In 1970, Ravanan bought a small corner shop at Cherlai, Mattancherry, and introduced the town to a homemade concoction of inji (ginger) and lime, mixed with soda, syrup, and a sprinkle of salt. (Joshua Eugine/South First)
Mattancherry, Kochi, has history tucked in every corner. The Dutch Palace, built here by the Portuguese empire, has told its story since 1545, and the Jewish synagogue attracts swarms of visitors every day. But if you look a little closer, you may discover seemingly ordinary shops hiding magnificent stories.
On a hot afternoon, I stumbled upon a cool bar in a corner of Cherlai, Mattancherry. Little did I know that I had found refuge in one of Kochi’s oldest sarbath shops.
In 1970, Ravanan bought a small corner shop at Cherlai, Mattancherry, and introduced the town to a homemade concoction of inji (ginger) and lime, mixed with soda, syrup, and a sprinkle of salt.
Ravanan’s Inji Sarbath Shop (Joshua Eugine/South First)
Forty years later, the shop stands tall as a neighbourhood icon, as Ravanan’s delicacy settled into the status of a household name. Ravanan’s son, Vineeth, currently runs the shop to honour the legacy his father left behind.
“My father’s life is my motivation,” he told South First, remembering how dearly the late Ravanan looked after the corner shop and how much it was adored by the local community.
“Also, whenever I step out of the house, people ask me if I’m going to open the shop,” he adds.
Working a day job at a Dubai-based company, the sarbath shop is also a “stress-buster” for Vineeth. “I enjoy running the shop because it’s an opportunity to interact with people from all walks of life,” he says, mentioning how refreshing the work is compared to his nine-to-five.
Every day, before pulling the shutters up, Vineeth always lends a prayer to the portraits of deities and the picture of his father that adorn the legendary shop.
Ravanan built his entire life owing to the success of his inji sarbath shop. While Vineeth uses 5 kg of lime over a few days, Ravanan once squeezed through 50 kg in almost 24 hours.
“You couldn’t come near the shop because of how crowded it was at one point in time!” a veteran customer of the sarbath shop chimes in, reliving the glorious days.
“The speed at which Ravanan used to mix and pour his inji sarbath was a sight to behold” another adds, without dismissing Vineeth’s own progress in his sarbath-making journey.
Ravanan’s Inji Sarbath remains a monument to a delectable drink and the legacy left behind by its maker. (Joshua Eugine/South First)
“My father got my sister and me educated, paid for my mother’s hospital bills, and conducted my sister’s wedding, all with his earnings from the sarbath shop,” Vineeth shares.
After he discontinued his studies in the fourth grade, Ravanan’s knowledge and wisdom came from his lived experiences and his love for movies, particularly those of Sivaji Ganesan.
“My father never forced me to help out in the shop,” Vineeth shares, “but whenever I volunteered, he’d share important rules with me.”
With meaning behind each process, Ravan’s inji sarbath consciously maintains the quality that keeps customers coming back for more. Unlike normal sarbath shops that give the soda bottle with the sarbath, Ravanan taught Vineeth to mix the whole drink together in a steel tumbler first.
The tumbler is then given to the customer so that the drink is never diluted with too much soda and retains its complete flavour profile. Even the skin of the used lime is given to neighbours and others who wish to make lime pickles out of it.
However, Ravanan’s generosity didn’t stop at that. Since his was one of the first sarbath shops to open in the area, he even shared the recipe of his concoction with the shop’s contemporary competitor, when he heard that they were struggling to make ends meet.
Ravanan’s inji sarbath soon inspired others to follow suit and open their own ‘cool drinks’ stores.
“Mattancherry is a place unlike no other,” Vineeth shares, revealing the rich diversity of the community. Muslims, Tamil-Brahmins, Jains, Gujaratis, Konkanis, and other communities share the town as their home, decorating it with their cultural tokens.
A portrait of Ravanan. (Joshua Eugine/Supplied)
Food, being an important part of cultural identity, dominates the area, expanding the community’s cuisine.
“I know where to get the best uzhunnu vada or the best biryani in town because every community over here specializes in a different dish,” Vineeth proudly shares.
As one of those connoisseurs, Ravanan’s Inji Sarbath humbly shares the honour of ‘Mattancherry’s Best’ alongside other legends like Kayikka’s Biriyani and Shantilal Mithaiwala’s Gujarati sweets.
“During my father’s funeral, so many people from all these different communities came and paid their respects,” remembers Vineeth. Still standing, without even a signboard to its name, Ravan’s Inji Sarbath is a permanent resident at the heart of Mattancherry.
With a simple mixture of sincerity and commitment, it remains a monument to a delectable drink and the legacy left behind by its maker.
