By the Ancient Nutra Wellness Team · June 11, 2026 · 4 minute read
- Iramusu kashayam is a traditional Sri Lankan cooling decoction: dried iramusu roots simmered in water for about 20 minutes until the liquid turns amber.
- You need 4 everyday ingredients and one saucepan. Serve it warm in the evening or chilled over ice for hot June afternoons.
- Iramusu (Hemidesmus indicus) has cooled South Asian bodies for generations, and a 2020 pharmacology review backs its antioxidant profile.
There is a drink Sri Lankan households reach for when June turns the afternoon air thick. Iramusu kashayam: dried iramusu roots simmered slowly until the water turns amber and the kitchen smells faintly of vanilla. Grandmothers served it warm after lunch and swore it cooled the body from the inside.
It still does the job, and it asks almost nothing of you. One pot, four ingredients, about twenty minutes. No caffeine, no fizz, no imported powder. If the heat has been winning lately, this is the recipe to brew once and keep in the fridge.
What you need
Everything here is available at any Sri Lankan market or spice stall. The dried roots keep for months in an airtight jar, so one purchase covers a whole season of brewing.
- 15g dried iramusu roots (a small handful), rinsed well
- 4 cups (1 liter) water
- 1 tablespoon Ancient Nutra's Coconut Sugar (or jaggery shavings)
- 2 thin slices of fresh ginger (optional, for a little warmth)
- A squeeze of lime, for the chilled version (optional)
How to make it
- Rinse the dried iramusu roots under running water, then bruise them lightly with a rolling pin or the back of a heavy knife. Cracking the root open releases more of its flavor into the water.
- Add the roots, ginger slices, and 4 cups of water to a saucepan. Bring it to a boil over medium-high heat.
- Drop the heat and simmer uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes. The liquid should reduce by about a third and turn a clear amber, like weak black tea. The smell is your cue: sweet, woody, almost vanilla.
- Strain into a jug and stir in the coconut sugar while the kashayam is still warm so it dissolves fully.
- Serve warm in the evening, or cool it to room temperature, refrigerate, and pour over ice with a squeeze of lime for the afternoon version.
Yields two tall glasses. Keeps for 2 days in the fridge, and most people think it tastes better on day two.
Why this recipe works
Iramusu, also called Sarsaparilla (Hemidesmus indicus), is one of the classic cooling roots of Sri Lankan tradition, the herb families brewed when the dry months arrived. Modern research backs more than the folklore. A 2020 review in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology catalogued the root's antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compounds, the same gentle chemistry behind its long run as a daily tonic.
The slow simmer matters too. Kashayam is a decoction, the traditional method for pulling deeper compounds out of roots and barks that a quick tea-bag steep cannot reach. Twenty minutes of low heat is what turns plain water into something worth pouring.
The coconut sugar rounds out the root's gentle bitterness without pushing the drink into dessert territory. It stays a tonic, not a treat.
Variations
No fresh ginger in the house? Open one of Ancient Nutra's Ginger capsules into the pot at step 2 and carry on. Going sugar-free? Skip the sweetener entirely and lean on the lime; the root holds its own. Brewing for the household? Double everything, refrigerate the jug, and you have two days of afternoon cooler ready to pour.
The first time a pot of kashayam showed up in the Ancient Nutra office kitchen, it was gone before it had fully cooled. It has since become the unofficial drink of the June afternoon slump: someone brews, everyone pours, and nobody reaches for a soda.
Clean, pale dried iramusu roots with a sweet, woody smell. Musty or odorless roots are old stock and will brew flat.
For the days you cannot brew, Ancient Nutra's Sarsaparilla (Iramusu) capsules carry the same root in a 60-capsule bottle. No saucepan required.
When to drink it
One glass in the mid-afternoon is the classic slot, right when the heat peaks and the energy dips. The warm version works after dinner the way a caffeine-free tea does. It pairs well after a heavy rice-and-curry lunch, less well alongside it, since the gentle bitterness gets lost next to strong food.
One honest note: this is a pleasant, cooling habit, not a heat-stroke shield. Water, shade, and rest still do the heavy lifting on 33-degree days. The kashayam just makes the afternoon kinder.
The bottom line
Iramusu kashayam is the rare traditional recipe that survives contact with a busy week: roots, water, and twenty minutes, with the sugar and lime entirely negotiable. Brew it once and the fridge does the rest.
And for the weeks when even one pot is too much to ask, Ancient Nutra's Sarsaparilla (Iramusu) capsules keep the same root in the daily routine. The tradition does not mind which form it arrives in.
The traditional Sri Lankan cooling root, in a no-brew daily capsule.
ShopSources
- Nandy S, et al. Indian Sarsaparilla (Hemidesmus indicus): Recent progress in research on ethnobotany, phytochemistry and pharmacology. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 2020.
- Further reading: Analysis of the chemical composition of root essential oil from Indian sarsaparilla (Hemidesmus indicus). Scientific Reports, 2021 (PMC).
Written by the Ancient Nutra Wellness Team. The team researches, sources, and tests every ingredient before it earns a place in an Ancient Nutra blend. Questions? Email info@ancientnutra.com or message Ancient Nutra on Instagram.
Medical disclaimer: This article is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. Ancient Nutra products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Speak with a qualified healthcare provider before starting any new supplement, especially if you take prescription medication or have a medical condition.
