Ayran
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| Alternative names | Doogh, Tan |
|---|---|
| Type | Dairy product |
| Course | Beverage |
| Region or state | Asia |
| Serving temperature | Cold |
| Main ingredients | Yogurt, water, salt |
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Ayran, doogh or tan (Albanian: Dhallë, Persian: دوغ, Azerbaijani: ayran, Armenian: թան tan, Arabic: شنينة shinēna Turkish: ayran, Hellenic: αριάνι) is a cold yogurt beverage mixed with salt. It is popular in Iran,Turkey,Azerbaijan, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgystan, North Caucasus, the Balkans, Afghanistan (by the Kirghiz) and Lebanon. Its primary ingredients are water and yogurt, and ayran has been variously described as "diluted yogurt" and "a most refreshing drink made by mixing yogurt with iced water".
Ayran is served chilled and often as an accompaniment to grilled meat or rice especially during summer.
Yogurt drinks are popular beyond the Middle East region—ayran has been likened by some to the South Asian lassi.
According to Shirin Simmons, doogh has long been a popular drink and was consumed in ancient Persia (modern-day Iran). Described by an 1886 source as a cold drink of curdled milk and water seasoned with mint, its name derives from the Persian word for milking, dooshidan.
According to Nevin Halıcı, ayran is a traditional Turkish drink and was consumed by nomadic Turks prior to 1000 CE. According to Celalettin Koçak and Yahya Kemal Avşar (Professor of Food Engineering at Mustafa Kemal University), ayran was first developed thousands of years ago by the Göktürks, who would dilute bitter yogurt with water in an attempt to improve its flavor.
A c. 1000 CE Turkish dictionary, Dīwān ul-Lughat al-Turk, defines ayran as a "drink made out of milk."
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Wikipedia