🥤 Lassi
Also known as: mango lassi
An Indian drink made from dahi (soured milk).
Lassi is a cooling South Asian drink based on dahi (local yogurt). The dahi is whisked or stirred with a little water and then sweetened or salted. Sweet lassi is sometimes flavoured with cardamom, rose water or saffron, salty lassi with roasted cumin; a mango version is popular too.
The drink is especially typical of the northern parts of the subcontinent — Punjab and Haryana. It is drunk chilled, mostly in hot weather and after meals. In India, industrial aseptically packed long-life lassi is also produced. The word “lassi” comes from Hindi; its earlier origin is unknown.
Lassi differs from ayran above all in taste: ayran is almost always salty and thin, while lassi can be sweet as well and is thicker. It differs from chaas (South Asian “buttermilk”) in density: chaas is diluted with more water. Lassi is served with spicy dishes, as its tangy dairy taste softens the heat.
How it connects to milk
Links
- Made from
- 🥣 Yogurt
- Where it is traditional
- 🌍 South Asia
- Which peoples make it
- 🧑🤝🧑 Punjabis
- Product type
- 🏺 Traditional dairy products
- Part of
- 🥣 Fermented milk products
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between lassi and ayran?
Ayran is a thin, salty drink of Turkic and Balkan cuisine, while lassi can be sweet or salty and is usually thicker. Lassi is made with dahi and often flavoured with spices or fruit.
What is lassi made of?
Dahi (yogurt), water and sugar or salt; sometimes fruit, cardamom or cumin are added.
Similar
🥣 Dahi · 🫙 Labneh · ⚪ Jameed · 🥣 Kashk · 🧀 Varenets · 🧀 Soured milk
ℹ️ Dairy products contain lactose and milk proteins: if you are lactose intolerant or allergic to milk protein, ask a doctor.
Sources
- FAO — The technology of traditional milk products in developing countries (Animal Production and Health Paper 85), раздел 5.6.3 Lassi
- Wikipedia — Lassi