Yogurt drink (Ayran)

July 12, 2014  •  Category:

I posted this image on the blog’s Facebook page, just to see how many people would respond to it. Initially I thought it was only an Eastern Mediterranean (Turkey) and  Middle-Eastern drink; turns out it is popular in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, even in parts of China.

In Lebanon, it is called ayran and most people  buy it at the neighborhood market already made. In the US, it is sold in Arab or ethnic groceries. Yet preparing it at home is easy and the great thing about it is that it is unsweetened, very refreshing  and has protein and calcium from the yogurt. It is excellent with kebabs or grain-based dishes.


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Above machine was photographed in a Beirut (Hamra) restaurant serving Aleppian cuisine. The machine keeps the ayran cold and smooth.

I am sharing a recipe from my friend and master chef Asma, who is of Kurdish heritage (it is called daw in Kurdish/Kurmanj). 

INGREDIENTS: for one serving

1/2 cup yogurt, plain

1/2 cup water

pinch of salt, optional

1. Mix the yogurt and water till smooth. Add a sprinkle of mint if you like or drink it plain.

3 generations of Kurdish ladies-2

Three generations of Kurdish ladies, Asma (middle) and her sister Fikriyeh (right) are both Master Chefs.

Comments

14 Comments  •  Comments Feed

  1. Iraqi says:

    My family is from Baghdad and we drank yoghurt with club soda. I have seen a similar drink in 2 liter bottles in Middle Eastern markets here in California. Can’t recall the brand, though.

    • Joumana says:

      @Iraqi: Forgot to mention this too! Thanks! I will ask my Iraqi friends, they are here from Baghdad for a respite from the scorching heat.

  2. Kathy says:

    This sounds refreshing and perfect for a quick pick-me-up. Thanks for sharing.

  3. Sue says:

    This is so simple — and I’m always looking for ways to use my homemade yogurt!

  4. leaf says:

    I had Ayran recently and really enjoyed it. Love the unsweetened taste which allows the good quality tangy yoghurt to shine.

  5. Ozlem's Turkish Tabl says:

    Simplicity at its best; love a good frothy ayran – and this one looks so inviting 🙂

  6. Susan says:

    I’ll bet it would taste refreshing and delicious whirred in a blender with the mint leaves and some ice chips too.

  7. Oui, Chef says:

    I LOVED drinking ayran while in Turkey last year, who knew it would be so easy to make at home, thanks for this one, Joumana!

  8. VEB says:

    J’en goûterai volontiers tellement ça à l’air bien bon et ça me rappelle le laben. Mais je pense que ça n’a rien à voir.

  9. james says:

    easy to make but tasty and it makes you sleepy

  10. Abdul Waheed says:

    I must say that it is quite interesting recipe and a thirst quenching drink. Thanks for sharing such a nice piece of content about my favorite yogurt drink Ayran.

  11. bellezza says:

    Hi, of course this paragraph is genuinely good and I have learned
    lot of things from it concerning blogging. thanks.

  12. Richard Baker says:

    Great article! Thank you for providing valuable information.

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