 A lemonade seller with Banta soda bottles,Rishikesh, India. | |
| Course | Beverage |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | Indian subcontinent |
| Associatedcuisine | Indian |
| Serving temperature | Chilled |
| Main ingredients | Soda |
Banta Soda, orBanta (Hindi: बंटा), alsoGoli Soda orGoti Soda andFotash Jawl, is a popularcarbonated lemon or orange-flavouredsoft drink sold inIndia since the late 19th century in a distinctly shaped iconicCodd-neck bottle. Thepressure created by the carbonated liquid seals the bottle by forcing a glass marble up into the neck of the bottle where it snugly locks into a rubbergasket. Opening the bottle by pressing on the marble thus releasing the pressurised gas is seen to be a fun experience.[1][2][3] The drink is easily available at street-sellers, known asbantawallahs, at prices ranging from₹5 (5.9¢ US) –₹30 (35¢ US).[obsolete source][1] The drink is sold in glass tumblers and plastic cups,[3] and used to be served inkulhars.[1]
Due to the continued popularity, the bottle and drink have become part ofIndian popular culture.[1] The drink, which is highly in demand during April–May summer months, is often sold mixed with lemon juice, crushed ice,chaat masala andkala namak (black salt) as a carbonated variant of populartraditionallemonadesshikanjvi orjal-jeera.[2] TheBanta Soda is popular inDelhi,Punjab andUttar Pradesh; and its variation thePanneer Soda, which is mixed withrose water, is popular inTamil Nadu andAndhra Pradesh.[a][1] In Delhi it is known as "Delhi's local drink", where it remains popular, especially inOld Delhi and theDelhi University college campuses.[3][4][1]
Due to its popularity, it is also available in "fancy" bars,[5] and commercially mass-manufactured versions in several flavours are also available.[3]
The drink gets its name from themarble in the Codd-neck bottle. The marble inHindi andPunjabi is known as the banta, goli, goti, kancha, etc., hence the names,Banta Soda andGoti Soda – as the drink is known inNorth India, and theGoli Soda – as the drink is known inSouth India.[1][2][3] In Delhi, it is also called thekanchay waali drink ornimbu soda.[3][6]Fotash Jawl is theBengali name for this drink.[5]
The Codd-neck bottle, named after its inventorHiram Codd who patented it in 1872, was specially designed for lemonade and fizzy beverages. The bottles, which soon became popular throughout theBritish Empire, are nowadays still in production for two countries exclusively: in India for banta and in Japan forramune. Since children often smashed the bottles to get to the marble inside, old Codd-neck bottles are cherished collector's items. Until the 1900s, when the manufacturing of these bottles started in India, the bottles were imported from Britain. Prior toIndia's independence in 1947, the bottles were banned in several cities during theIndian independence movement as the Indian freedom fighters addedchuna (calcium hydroxide) to the soda bottles for making improvised mini cannons.[1]
In 1950s, banta soda was sold on horse-drawn carts which also carried the soda-making equipment.[3]
Ingredients such as salt and water are mixed with the flavours using either the fresh fruit juice or commercial flavours, which is then poured into a Codd-neck bottle using afunnel until the bottle is full. The bottle is placed into the soda-making machine, which grips the bottle firmly in a container, and a nozzle from the machine snugly closes the mouth of the bottle and infuses it with carbon dioxide, after which the container which holds the bottle is rotated two or three times to further diffuse the carbon dioxide which pushes the marble up the neck of bottle against the gasket at the top, thus sealing the bottle.[3] Bottles are reusable[3] and are collected by the bottlers to be cleaned, washed, steamed or sanitised, and then refilled[5]
Likeramune, a drink available in Japan,[1] banta soda in India is also available in a Codd-neck bottle, a heavy glass bottle whose mouth is sealed by a round marble (instead of a cap) thanks to the pressure of the carbonated contents. The distinctive bottle has led to the drink also being calledgoli soda in South India.[3]
Prior to India's independence the Codd-neck bottles were imported from England. However, post-independence local manufacturers came up, including many factories inAhmedabad, all of which have now stopped making Codd-neck bottles. Presently, Khandelwal Glass Works, who has been making these bottles since 1981 atSasni inUttar Pradesh, is the sole manufacturer of Codd-neck bottles in India after their competitor Mahalakshmi Glass Works in Hyderabad closed down a few years ago. Before the re-entry of popular soft drinks, such asPepsi andCoca-Cola in 1993, the sale of Banta reached its peak in the early 1990s, selling 100,000 bags per annum, with each bag containing 75 bottles. By 2010, however, the sales had dropped by nearly half.[1][7]
During the bottling process, a chemical flavouring agent known as Lemon No. 1 byInternational Flavors & Fragrances (IFF) is added. The agent is also used in ice cream and by the pharmaceutical industry.[1]
The banta soda bottles are largelybottled by unorganized manufacturers, who sell bottles for as little as₹2 (2.4¢ US).[2] In 2017, Delhi had over 100 single-room bottling units.[2] In 1970s, Chennai had 150 goli soda bottling units in the unorganised sector which had dropped to 50 by 2018.[4]
Chennai-based Kozzmo Beverages, which started its operations in 2018, has started making commercial pre-packaged hygienic goli soda using a manufacturing unit certified by theFood Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). It sells 6 flavours – paneer soda, nimbumasala, lemon, orange, grape, and pineapple.[4]
Spark Premium Codd Soda introduced the first premium brandedgoli soda in Telangana. Mohammed Abdul Khader, who started manufacturing Spark Goli Soda in 2019 says it took him two years to get into selling business-to-business. On the disappearance ofgoli soda, he says, "One factor was the traditional filling system. It was cumbersome and needed a lot of manpower. The expensive production method contributed to its disappearance. After the development of new semi-automatic filling machines with modern technology. it made a comeback."[8]
