What's "squash," the drink?

[Allura]

I run a mailing list where we're currently talking about drinking enough water (it's a health support group), and one of the ladies from the UK mentioned that she likes "sugar free squash." We're all completely puzzled on how to translate that from English to American. I can find references online to it being served at schools, which makes me think it's a mixed fruit drink, but she implied it's a clear concentrate, and most American fruit punches are brightly colored. So now I'm just confused. Can anyone help?

[GTO]

Allura - You're absolute spot on, it's a concentrated, mixed fruit drink, which almost every child in the UK has drank at some point.

It's the same thing as Cordial (Elderflower etc...), however "Squash" refers to the brightly coloured, usually artificially flavoured one, drank almost exclusively by children, because they don't know any better.

As you can tell, it's not my cup of tea and I can see no reason, (other than perhaps at children's parties where large quantities are needed) why you would buy it.

Robinson's fruit Squash

[SBonner]

Squash is pretty popular in the U.K and the Commonwealth. They are fruit concentrates that you usually add water or soda to to get a refreshing summer drink. They are in the most part very sweet and loaded with sugar. I've seen the coloured and clear in the U.K. The most common flavours are lemon and orange.

Stephen Bonner

Vancouver

[Allura]

Thanks, I have a better idea of it now. I love multi-cultural forums.

[danf]

My first grocery shopping experience when I was studying in London was to a tiny Sainsbury down the street from my dorm. I bought regular groceries and was so intrigued by the brightly colored squashes and cordials that I couldn't help buying one (lemon I think). After getting back the dorm I unloaded my groceries put the squash in the fridge and a little bit later started drinking it straight out of the bottle. It was so awful that I spit it into the sink. Luckily no Britishers saw me. It wasn't until later that I saw the directions on the bottle to add water.

[GTO]

danf - I defy you to find me a British person, who hasn't tried Squash straight, jut to see what it was like.

[Simon_S]

danf - I defy you to find me a British person, who hasn't tried Squash straight, jut to see what it was like.

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...or tried freezing it to make an ice-pop.

Si

[GTO]

I've not tried that, Simon. It's not at all tempting either!

[Simon_S]

I've not tried that, Simon. It's not at all tempting either!

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You haven't lived.

Don't tell me you could actually *afford* to buy ice-pops during the summer? Back in my day we were lucky to have the black paint to draw the shoes on our feet, this was all fields, etc.

Actually, joking aside, at various points my brother and I tried to freeze pretty much everything. If you think frozen concentrated orange squash is a bad idea, you wouldn't have been impressed with frozen soda stream mixes such as "Dracula's Blood" and "Witches Brew".

Si

[GTO]

Soda stream! My mum took ours away, because my brother and I always over-gassed our drinks, to the point that the Soda stream would make a high-pitched hissing noise.

Do you remember Sun Lollies? They came in a little triangular cardboard box, which you froze.

[Dave Hatfield]

Thanks, I have a better idea of it now. I love multi-cultural forums.

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Here's another bit of culture for you. Fruit concentrates loaded with sugar are very popular in France. You can buy them very inexpensively in any supermarket.

Go to any cafe and ask for a Diabla. This is fruit concentrate, usually peach for some reason, mixed with fizzy lemonade & ice. Delicious and very refreshing.

During the summer I keep the ingredients in our fridge and show all visiting children how to make a Diabla. They especially like using the ice maker in the fridge door since American style fridges are still not too common here.

Voila! The French equivalent to British Squash.