Imagine a refreshing drink with a beautiful deep-red colour, a pleasant tangy taste, and a flavour that instantly reminds you of summer. That is the experience many people associate with kokum sharbat, a traditional drink enjoyed in Maharashtra and the Konkan region. Kokum syrup is a convenient way to prepare this much-loved beverage at home.

Imagine a traditional Malvani fish curry with its rich spices, a bowl of sol kadhi with its beautiful pink colour, or a refreshing glass of kokum sharbat on a hot summer afternoon. What connects these familiar flavours of the Konkan region? One special ingredient: kokum. Kokum has been part of coastal Indian cooking for generations,