thirst quenching drink

[paulz]

Ages ago, while on hols in the Indian Ocean, I was shown how to make a really refreshing drink. It consisted of tiny black seeds [about pin head size] that were soaked in water, after a while they softened and the solution looked like frogs spawn [in miniature] each seed had a clear jelly like coating around it. After a while this solution is diluted rather like the way you'd make up orange squash. The thirst quenching ability of this is nothing like I've ever had before or since. Any ideas what the seeds could be & where can I buy them?

[m81]

i haven't had this drink myself, but the seeds definitely sound like that of a passion fruit.

[paulz]

Thanks m81 - def not passion fruit, the seeds are black and very tiny. I'll just keep looking.

[FTVS]

what did it taste like?

[LeMarchand]

I did a search (had time to kill), and I reckon it could be Basil seeds. You can get them "dry" and make up the drink: "Chin-Chin of Taiwan produces Basil Seed Drink with Honey. Apparently, ordinary little black basil seeds develop a slippery coating when they are soaked in water ' they look an awful lot like frog spawn, but hey, people eat caviar without batting an eye." See also here: http://www.exoticsoda.com/basil.html

[Mortartube]

Possibly Pomegranate

[woofgang]

Paulz, I'm not sure, but I found this link on jeeves to a site about baobab trees, the fruit from which makes a refreshing tart drink... .http://www.golfsatours.co.za/TA/baobab.htm

[mc1961]

I think the answer to your question is sago fruit. yuk! you can't possibly like it.

[aloha]

It IS basil seeds. An asian variety that comes in packets in asian groceries. I buy it to sprinkle in my garden and get a sort of lemony [but to me culinarily useless]pretty border. I think that I really buy it, however, because the frog spawn look so cool. The commercial canned drink that we get here is delicious, albeit a bit sweet.