Pathimugham Pink Water, the Kerala Way
A few shavings of sappanwood simmered in water until pale pink and sipped through the day. Not for those on blood thinners or in pregnancy.
Important: this remedy is only a supportive home measure. Keep taking any medicine your doctor has prescribed, monitor your readings, and consult your doctor before adding anything new.
Kerala's pale pink drinking water
In Kerala, pathimugham, the heartwood of sappan (Biancaea sappan), is simmered in water to make a pale pink drink served in homes and restaurants. It is valued as a lightly flavoured, cooling-looking water, and some people say it aids digestion or cools the body, but these claims are not well proven. It is a drink and not a treatment for any condition.
Use only a small pinch of shavings, about a gram, in a litre of water, and boil it for ten minutes until pale pink. Drink it as ordinary water during the day. Skip it in pregnancy, when breastfeeding, if you take blood thinners, or have a bleeding problem, since sappan is traditionally used to influence blood flow. Stop if it upsets your stomach.
Ingredients
- 1 small pinch pathimugham shavings (about 1 g)
- 1 litre water
- Clean steel vessel
How to prepare
- Rinse the shavings and add to the water.
- Boil for about ten minutes until it turns pale pink.
How to use
- Strain and drink as ordinary water through the day.
- Make a fresh batch each day.
Helpful habits
- Do not make it deep red; it should be very pale.
- Store covered in a clean vessel and use the same day.
Precautions
- Skip it in pregnancy, breastfeeding, with blood thinners or any bleeding problem.
- Stop if it upsets your stomach.
- A drink, not a treatment for any condition.
Frequently asked questions
Is pathimugham water a medicine?
- No. It is a traditional drinking water, not a treatment.
Why is it pink?
- Natural pigments in the wood colour the water.
Can I drink it daily?
- Ask your doctor if you take medicines or have a bleeding problem.
