Those born in the 70s would be the last generation of Belgaumites who could recall the traditional sugarcane centers in Shahapur and Tilakwadi area. Spread across a large plot, they ran a wooden crusher drawn by Bullocks, making a screeching sound as they endlessly revolved. With hay spread everywhere, the center sold juice by the brass pitcher, coming for Rs. 5 and served at least 2 people. The only problem was the mosquitoes that harassed once sundown happened.
Yesterday was a revelation for me as I stopped by a new center that I’d being seeing for a while now. Cane Point is your new age sugarcane center, located opposite Bank of India on Mahatma Phule Road, Shahapur.
What attracts you at first sight is its fresh, modern signage with colors resembling their juice and clean ambiance. Started a month ago by the Samaji brothers from Halaga, they serve organic sugarcane juice, crushed from cane grown at their own farms in Halaga. The sugarcane appears spotless and pale in color and the juice, served in tall glasses, tastes good enough to order a repeat serving. Though less sweet than the other centers, this juice is quite fulfilling and devoid of any residue. They have used a special sugarcane strain that has more juice than sugar and have bought a latest steel machine that crushes juice in seconds. Apparently, the machine itself cost them Rs. 1.80 lakhs.
We could not see any flies or mosquitoes, even in the midst of a thick evening. One of the Samaji lads running this center is an MSc in Physics while the other is a Commerce graduate and manage the affairs full time with their uncle. Cane point also serves Alepak, an accompaniment without which Sugarcane juice feels orphaned!
A tall glass of juice costs Rs. 20. One can try it if you look forward to hygiene, value organic foods, need parking space and want your evening to feel like an experience.
I recall the sugarcane centre besides Prakash Talkies was a major crowd puller. Allipak and cane sugar juice combo relished on the hay covered ground was totally satisfying.
Some serve
“pineapple -cane juice ”
They add artificial pineapple essence..
Instead add pineapple and keep it natural..
I req plz dnt add artificial essence
The one at khanapur road near arun theater is the best and clean
Sheetal rasvanti gruha at khanapur road near arun theater
It’s a natural juice from sugar cane and its sweetness varies over months. The right yield time for sugar cane is Jan – April where it tastes to its maximum sweetness.
Among all the Alipak and sugarcane juice centres in belagavi, I find only the Sheetal Rasvanti Grah on Congress Road is clean and hygienic.
I have even checked that they using juicing mechanism including rollers are food grade stainless steel. And for years together their taste of Alipak is same and they serve fresh.
As experienced is sugar industry , I don’t feel sweetnes comes down with organic sugar cane.
Sweetness property remains the same.
Sweetness varied with age of cane .
Lower the age less sweet.
When u visit any rasvant grah pls ensure he is using matured cane.
I tasted best alipak and sugar cane juice at tilakwadi near arun gold gym.
When it comes to freshness CanePoint don’t only serve fresh filter juice but they also take care the actual sugar cane used to extract juice is also fresh. If you stock the sugar cane in shop for days that’s really not a fresh juice. Only crushing in front of the customer dose not really make it a fresh. CanePoint has their own sugar cane farm and get sugar cane to their shop on daily basis. They yield sugar cane from last 50+ years in a very large quantity. They yield around 1000 tonnes every year that is spread across 15 acres of land, usually send to Sugar Factories.
But sugarcane juice centres are most likely to be affected by Jerms and infections it’s like panipuri delicious with dangerous infections