Jeddah, March 21 -- For over a century, people in India and Pakistan have relished Rooh Afza, a cooling squash with rose fragrance and crimson shade. The syrup was developed by Hakeem Hafeez Abdul Majeed, a unani or traditional medicine practitioner, in scorching 1907 summers by combing various fruits, medicinal herbs, flowers, and condiments to create a medicinal beverage to hydrate and cool the body.

It's name, Rooh Afza, in Urdu means "soul rejuvenator", and it transcended India-Pakistan borders even after partition. It has been the South Asia's go-to summer beverage for over a century.

Over the years, it became a part of iftar delicacies during Ramzan. People enjoy the drink alongside dates, pakoda, and fruits - preferably watermelo...