Ava sûsê, one of the most consumed beverages in Kurdistan during the summer, comes to the aid of people in scorching temperatures.

In many provinces of Kurdistan, ava sûsê is the top drink consumed in summer season. It is consumed cold in summer and experts say is good for kidney and stomach problems, especially frequent in scorching temperatures.

It is possible to find the drink, which is obtained from the liquorice plant, in every street of Amed.

There are dozens of people selling ava sûsê, carrying it on their back and so earning a bit of money, as well as refreshing people.

Cemil Batıbay (69) has been selling ava sûsê for many years in Sur district. He said that he started to do this job when he was 20 years old and and has been going street after street selling the refreshing beverage. 

Batıbay said that this job is actually in the family: "My elder brother made it for 50 years, he handed over the job to the other brother and he sold the beverage for 40 years. Now I am earning a living with job for 40 years”.

Batıbay stated that he did not have a refrigerator and other drinks in the first years of his work and he said he sold 6 sets a day. 

Mehmet Everek (33), who produces and sells ava sûsê, said that the beverage is a natural drink.

Everek, who gets up at about 4 o'clock in the morning to prepare the drink from the roots of the plant, said: "We bring the stem roots we gathered, clean them and thoroughly wash them. Then we crush them and add water and leave it settle. We replace the water in half an hour and repeat this process several times. Then, after thoroughly filtering, we fill the thermos and add ice on top to bring it to the bazaar and sell it. We are gathering these roots from the edge of the Tigris River."

Everek admits that “with this job I do not meet our financial needs but there is no other job opportunities. So I do this."

Everek listed the benefits of ava sûsê saying it is good for many diseases. “It stimulates the appetite, helps breathing, helps with asthma and bronchitis, it is useful for stomach problems, and for the kidneys as it helps to reduce sand and stones. It is also a natural expectorant."