It’s the holy month of Ramadhan again, a blessing during this grave period of covid-19 outbreak. At least we can all stay home and reflect on ourselves, concentrate on improving our relationship with the Almighty and close ones. We ought to use this opportunity to the best.
Ramadhan also reminds us of our kampongs. How it was so festive with neighbours thronging small suraus to perform tarawih prayers together, kids with their never ending laughter running around with sparklers in hand, having delicious iftars with traditional meals and desserts, and not forgetting the sweet and refreshing taste of `air nira’ (coconut nectar).
It is said that it keeps oneself energized and awake, `cerah mata’ (brightens the eye), as described by kampong oldies.
Coconut nectar has always been in great demand during Ramadan in the east coast. Traditionally, it is consider the preferred drink for iftar as it quenches the thirst with a sweet, slightly fizzy sensation and it cools and revitalize the body and senses. It is said that it keeps oneself energized and awake, `cerah mata’ (brightens the eye), as described by kampong oldies. Turns out, the science actually checks out.
It has been confirmed by studies that coconut nectar does provide the said benefits. It does revitalize the body and stimulate nerve senses due to the high content of electrolytes and rich in minerals, vitamins and glutamic acid. Additionally, even though it is sweet to the taste, it is considered diabetic friendly as it was categorized as a low Glycemic Index (GI) food. Research carried out by the Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI study in 2007) revealed that coconut nectar has naturally lower GI of 35 compared to that of most available commercial sugar such as table sugar’s GI index of 70, honey’s GI of 55 and cane sugars GI of 68.
As such, during this Ramadhan, A&O Nectar is proud to introduce our `air nira’ to those unfamiliar with coconut nectar drinking during iftar, thus reconnecting Kelantanese outside the east coast to their sweet tradition. It warms our heart to have been able to continue this heritage and even during this MCO period. We can’t thank you all enough for your continuous support. Enjoy the drink!