In tropical countries, fluid intake is as important as nutrition and there are many hot and cold drinks which expatriates and visitors alike remember with great fondness. They may be based on buttermilk or coconut water, fruit juice or purée, scented syrups or fruit cordials and, of course, ice.

There are countless hot drinks served for refreshment and hospitality. See TEA for more about these. Most of the drinks served are not merely an indulgence: they have a specific effect, such as 'cooling the system', 'purifying the blood' or 'helping the digestion'.

Some well-known drinks you may encounter in Asian travels or upon inspection of the refrigerator section of your local Asian grocer include:

Avocado sherbet (sinh to bo): A filling and soothing drink which only needs half an avocado per serve, and is a popular drink from Vietnam to Indonesia. Blended with ice, sugar syrup and a little condensed milk, the result is smooth and so thick you nearly need to spoon it from the glass. If you've only ever tasted avocados in a savoury context, try them this way at least once.

Chrysanthemum tea: Sold in cans, this sweetened beverage is an acquired taste.

Coconut juice: A cooling drink sold in cans or frozen in plastic tube containers. The canned drink usually has a lot of sugar added. The flavour of frozen coconut juice is superior and the pieces of coconut flesh floating in it younger and sweeter. If you're lucky, you'll find one with soft, jelly-like pieces of young coconut meat inside. This light and refreshing drink is made from the clean-tasting 'water' inside a fresh coconut.

Durian sherbet: Made with fresh, frozen or canned durian, the forthright flavour of the fruit is somewhat muted by puréeing with ice, sugar syrup and condensed milk. Probably a good entry level for those who have never tried durian before. See also DURIAN.

Falooda: An exotic Indian milk-based drink flavoured with rose syrup (sharbat gulab) and named for the strands of cornflour vermicelli that float in it. The vermicelli are not easy to make at home. An acceptable substitute is agar-agar jelly, flavoured with rose and coloured green or red. See also FALOODA.

Ginger tea (salabat): A traditional Filipino hot beverage brewed with fresh ginger, brown sugar and water.

Grass jelly drink: A sweet, almost malty tasting beverage that looks like flat cola. Some brands include soft jelly-like bits made by thickening the grass liquor with cornflour.

Jakfruit sherbet (sinh to mit): Fresh is best, but canned jackfruit is not bad in this drink. Made with ice and sugar syrup, and a little condensed milk which rounds out the flavour. See also JAKFRUIT.

Kyauk kyaw: The main ingredients of this popular drink are canned grass jelly cut into thin slivers and a syrup sweetened with palm or slab sugar, flavoured with a dash of rose essence. Served in a glass filled with crushed ice, it is truly cooling on a hot day. Agar-agar jelly may be substituted for grass jelly.

Lassi: There are sweet and salty versions of this Indian drink based on soured milk. Made with buttermilk or yoghurt diluted with iced water, it can be plain; savoury, seasoned simply with salt, pepper and roasted cumin; or sweet, flavoured with rose water, cardamom, pistachio nuts and even mango.

Lime juice: A refreshing 'limeade' is made in Asia. Called soda chanh in Vietnam and nimboo pani (literally lime water) in India, it is simply made with fresh lime juice, sugar or sugar syrup, soda (or water) and ice cubes. If you prefer a frappe, process briefly in an electric blender.

Mattha: A buttermilk or yogurt-based drink flavoured with mint and roasted, ground cumin.

Moh-let-saung: A cooling Burmese beverage of iced coconut milk and sago sweetened with palm sugar. In these days of calorie counting and cholesterol consciousness, it makes sense to dilute the coconut milk with water or use a low-fat cow's milk and only flavour it with a small quantity of coconut milk. (See also TAPIOCA.)

Panchamrita: A nectar made with yoghurt, cardamom and honey.

Pennywort drink (rau ma): A bold green, frothy beverage served at Vietnamese food stalls or cafés made from fresh pennywort leaves, sugar syrup, water and ice liquefied in a blender. (In cans, it is a bitter disappointment, literally.) It is said to have the added advantage of relieving the pain of arthritis. See also PENNYWORT.

Persimmon tea (soo jeung kwa): A traditional Korean drink made from dried persimmon, ginger root, cinnamon, sugar and water. Served ice cold.

Soursop sherbet (sinh to mang cau): A number of Vietnamese eateries make this and other delectable fruit-based smoothies, which are both refreshing and thirst-quenching. The main ingredients are fruit pulp (fresh, canned or frozen) and ice with a slurp of condensed milk to sweeten.

Soy drink: Numerous sweetened soy milk drinks are available, mostly in cartons, from your Asian food stockist.

Tea: General term for a hot, brewed beverage which may not necessarily use the 'two leaves and a bud' of Camelia sinensis.

Thandai: A popular, refreshing summer drink based on ground almonds, sunflower or pumpkin seeds (optional), sugar, spices and water or milk. See also ALMONDS.