bombay diary: energee

there are a few things that i just have to do every time i'm in bombay no matter how short my visit. eating pani puri at kailesh parbhat and drinking energee from an aarey milk booth are my top two.



energee is my all time favourite beverage but sadly it is available only in bombay. actually that probably makes it extra special as it is something i really look forward to when i visit. energee is produced by the maharasthra state diary products company that sells its milk and milk products under the brand aarey.it is only available at aarey milk booths scattered all over the city.

i was first introduced to this flavoured milk when my parents moved to bombay in 1987. we used to live in a building called hill park in malabar hill and there used to be an aarey milk booth not far from our building. the first flavour i tried was pineapple and i loved it instantly. the cold, sweet milk was such a great way to beat the summer heat of bombay. the chilled drink cools you instantly and the sweetness perks you up from the lethargy that can set in when it is so hot. i had a lot of difficulty getting used to the heat in bombay after a decade in bangalore which in those days used to be known as the air-conditioned city of india. energee quickly became an addiction for me and i found it hard to stop after just one bottle of milk though i always regretted buying the second one when i was half way through it and found myself about to burst at the seams!

when i was in bombay last week, i had elaichi flavoured energee. it tasted just as refreshing as always and i found a new appreciation for the original glass bottle that the milk comes in. enegree is such a part of the fabric of bombay and i'm happy to see the brand retain its simplicity and authenticity without the over-the-top commercialisation that one sees with carbonated beverages like coke and pepsi. despite the lack of advertising, aarey milk booths seem to be thriving all over the city. three cheers to that!