Punch is a drink that has its origin in India. That punch drink is of Indian origin can be backed up with the fact that India is one of the most important country when it comes to spices & Indians do love their spices, which is one of the key ingredients in making an authentic punch drink.
The word “Punch” has been anglicized from the Indian Hindi word “Panch” which means “five’.
Punch is a popular Indian drink which consists of five basic ingredients; spirit (alcohol), fruit juice/fruit, water, spices & sugar. Now a days people, particular people outside India & Asian continent add more than five ingredients. Also, spirit or alcohol can be substituted for nonalcoholic beverage. Tea can also be used as a substitute for fruit juice/fruit.
The first fruits that were initially used from ancient times in making punch drink was lime,lemon & fruits in the citrus family, now almost any type of fruits can be used.
The British & some other parts of the world outside Asia became aware of punch drink during the 16th century when British sailors were sailing to far Asia in search of spices & other items from Asian countries, which included India. Punch was a favorite among sailors who popularized the drink in their home countries because punch drink contained citrus fruit (s), which helped greatly with preventing scurvy disease.
