After a lengthy discussion with friends last night about the craziness of prices in the country, courtesy of recent oil subsidy disappearances, we decided there was a need to do something inexpensive just to feel that the world still made sense. Hence we drove down to the balad in search of qasab sukar (sugar cane drink) at 12am. For those who are unfamiliar with it, qasab is a very common drink in the balad. Made purely out of sugar cane and water, qasab is akin to a liquid glucose injection and is famously cheap. While it’s in season these days and still incredibly tasty, it was unfortunately not immune to inflation and price hikes. It has gone up from roughly 25 piasters to 40 piasters in a span of one year.
Whoever said “the best things in life are free” was not Jordanian.
“qasab sukar (sugar cane drink)”.. hmmmm, I’ve never heard of such drink but sounds tasty from the way you describe it.
“qasab is a very common drink in the balad.”
I guess this is not really accurate, its not very common that much, there’s only TWO places you found it there , and not all time of the year , the one u went to and the other in the other side of Balad , near Gold market
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“It has gone up from roughly 25 piasters to 40 piasters in a span of one year.”
its Yummy , i used to go there a lot , but u know something that price 40 piasters its like that long time a go ,or me 5arooof who always pay 40 since 3 years if not more , just same as carrot juice its like that 40 ..
(world still made sense),:) will It seems to me these words dont fit with prices any more , If I want to get qasab I need 3 dinars ,count the the drink price the total is 3.40 Dinras , you forgot the transportation :))))
I’ve never tried that in my life. I’m such a loser. I need to move out of my comfort zone.
Too bad with the amount of gas you spent to get there, it may have been cheaper to get a drink in a coffee shop in Abdoun!
What a bunch of spoil sports. You obviously enjoyed your excursion and your sugary drink. It doesn’t seem like prices are going to go down instead of up, so we better all suck up and just deal with it. We don’t live in a society where people strike or make a fuss except for complaining out of the side of their mouth, so we have to just put up with it. Unless everyone is going to pick up and move out, then this is our lot. Enjoy the time you have and make the most of your life. Alhamdulillah we are living in peace.
Your last sentence is a killer.
I never tried it, and I do not think I will ever try it. I think it would be too sweet for my liking :\
“I guess this is not really accurate, its not very common that much, there’s only TWO places you found it there”
actually i think there’s a third one, and at least one of them is open 24/7. so when i said “common” i meant in the “popular” sense of the word, rather than “availability”.
“you forgot the transportation”
i live close by 🙂
“I need to move out of my comfort zone.”
loool 😀
“You obviously enjoyed your excursion and your sugary drink.”
i dont understand…are we spoiled because we enjoyed it? should we have instead spat it out and thrown the cup to the floor in displeasure? anyways, as for striking, i wish the country was unionized in the traditional sense of the term. and i think that might be something that will soon emerge. it’s inevitable.
That juice looks gross. If they are charging 40 they should work on the presentation 😛
“popularâ€
i meant that too 🙂
7aki: lol presentation isnt their forte 😀
qabbani: alright, so what’s the problem here, the fact that we disagree whether its popular or not or whether you feel that you’re right and i’m wrong, end of story?
NO, you didn’t understand me. I was saying that all the guys responding to your post were spoil sports. Not you. Ahhhh. I can’t believe you didn’t get that. SubhanAllah. They were giving you a hard time for enjoying it! I am telling them they are ruining your pleasure groaning about the prices.
I’m a sahlab fan, myself. I used to buy it for 10 piasters but I have not priced it in the balad lately, since I make it at home now. I must try qasab–this is an unknown to me! I must know about these balad experiences…am one of the women (non-tourist backpacker/Birkie wearer) who actually will sit down at eat at Hashem’s, too. (Umm Zaid, you’re not alone!)
Some of my nicest memories living in Jordan have been downing a carrot juice across the street from Masjid al-Husseini in the hot summer heat; conversely, downing a sahlab near the souk ad-dhahab in the freezing winter wind. Lots of zanjabeel, cinnamon…YUM. Love those balad wares, love the ‘heartbeat’ of this city. Let’s not let it become a distant memory!
Um Omar: lol apologies for the misunderstanding.
UmmFarouq: i had sahlab recently but i’ve forgotten the price. i think it was double that (depending on the cup)