Published:  10:55 Monday - August 01, 2016

In summer, the weather is very hot and it makes you tired. So drinks not only help people refresh themselves but also help reduce tiredness and prevent dehydration.

1. Nuoc Dua (Coconut juice)

Coconut juice is such a popular refreshment for hot summer days. People love to enjoy both the light sweet taste of coconut juice and also the coconut flesh inside. Visitors can find coconut juice in most of coffee shops in Sai Gon. Its cost is around 2 USD for each coconut. However, one of the most favourite things to Sai Gon residents is to drink coconut juice from street vendors while chatting with each other and observing the flow of people in a hurry on the streets.

The most famous place standing a lot of coconut street vendors is a small corner at the end of Pasteur road. Best selling items here are coconut juice mixed with kumquat and coconut juice mixed with pineapple jam. Both have one thing in common is sweet and cool. The price of a glass of coconut water here is very cheap, less than 1 USD to have a full of glass.

2. Nuoc Sam (Herbal tea)

Nuoc Sam or herbal tea is a very typical drink in Saigon. It is quite healthy and tonic since Nuoc Sam is made from herbal plants which help to cool down body temperature in hot weather.

Nuoc Sam is made at home easily by boiling the water with some special herbal plants bought at oriental medication shop along Hai Thuong Lan Ong Street, District 5. Just boil for a few minutes, let it cool down in open air, then put in the fridge for later use.

If you do not have time to do so, you can find some pavement stalls for Nuoc Sam on Cach Mang Thang Tam street after passing the Cong Truong Dan Chu roundabout. It has a fairly cheap price, less than 25 cents.

3. Nuoc Artiso (Artichokes Juice)

Besides coconut juice and Nuoc Sam, artichoke juice is one of favorite drinks of Saigon people.

Artichoke juice is a very good beverage for health. It is bitter for the first taste and slightly sweet on the back of tongue. Artichoke juice is made from boiling water with artichoke roots which are found to be highly beneficial in healing lethargic livers and kidney problems.

You can see a lot of pavement stalls in Sai Gon street selling artichoke juice. These shops are designed for stopping-by or take-away. Only with less than 25 cents, you have a glass of cool artichokes juice.

4. Nuoc Dang (Bitter Juice)

Like the name of the drink, Nuoc Dang is very bitter but extremely good for health. Drinking the bitter juice is not easy for those who just like sweet, but when one gets over bitterness, he/she will enjoy it because of its benefit of detoxification and cooling-down. If you cannot taste bitterness, just moderate the taste by drinking Nuoc Sam afterwards.

Nuoc Dang is available at small shops and pavement stalls in Sai Gon with a cheap price of less than 25 cents/per glass

5. Nuoc mia (Sugarcane juice)

It would be a big mistake if sugarcane juice is not listed as a popular sidewalk beverage in Saigon. A sugar cane juice shop does not take up too much space, a typical one only contains a small blending machine and some small chairs and stools where people can sit and talk with theirs friends while having drinks.

Both young teens and adults love to drink sugar cane juice since it is a stress-relieving drink that can cure thirsty and low sugar situations. A glass of sugar cane juice costs you not more than 50 cents. Ben Thanh market is an easy place to find sugar cane juice at affordable price.

In summary, it is difficult to draw a conclusion which beverage is the best in Saigon. However, 2 well-known shops where sell Nuoc Sam, Bitter Juice, Artichokes for over 10 years are located in the intersection corner between Ding Tien Hoang and Dien Bien Phu, District 3.