Sea buckthorn juice
AI-drafted · awaiting admin review
A tangy orange drink made from the small wild berries of the sea buckthorn shrub that grows along Ladakh's rivers.
Region: Ladakh, especially Nubra and the Indus and Suru valleysOccasion: Autumn harvest; drunk all yearTime: 30 minServes: 4Vegan
Ingredients
- 2 cups fresh or frozen sea buckthorn berries
- 3 cups water
- 4–6 tbsp sugar, to taste
- A pinch of salt
Method
- Pick over the berries, removing stems and leaves, and wash them.
- Crush the berries with a little water and press through a fine sieve or cloth to get the juice.
- Mix the juice with the remaining water, sugar and salt and stir until dissolved.
- Chill and serve. The juice can also be boiled with sugar into a syrup and diluted later.
History
Sea buckthorn grows wild in Ladakh's river valleys, where its thorny bushes protect the soil. Locally it is sometimes called the Leh berry.
Significance
Women's self-help groups and local enterprises collect the berries in autumn and make juice, jam and other products, adding to village incomes.