Need a refreshing, sugar-free drink? Look no further than the container of natural yogurt in your fridge.
Known as aryan in Turkey and drunk plain, the cooling, soothing yogurt-based drink is popular all over the Middle East. Syrians and Lebanese call it laban ayran. In Iraq and Jordan it’s called shenina.
Traditional Middle Eastern recipes transform yogurt into labneh, a creamy, semi-solid cheese as well (and here’s our labneh recipe). In its turn, labneh is combined with vegetables like our eggplant with tahini and labneh dish. But the start is always yogurt.
Rather than fill up on drinks sweetened with sugar or aspartame, go for something cool and salty. The salt is part of what makes aryan so refreshing. As we endure the summer heat, we need to replace some of the minerals lost through perspiration, and aryan is a pleasant way to do it.
Aryan, Turkish Yogurt Drink
1 serving
1/3 glass yogurt (natural)
1/3 glass water
1/3 teaspoon of salt
1/3 glass of crushed ice
1. Combine all the above except the ice and beat well.
2. Put the ice into a tall glass and pour the blended yogurt in.
That’s it. Try using soda water for a change, or add a little crushed mint to the glass. Then you’ll have doogh, the Iranian version of aryan.
Enjoy!
More lip-smacking Middle-Eastern recipes on Green Prophet:
Photo of aryan by Mavigogun via Wikipedia
Miriam also writes a food blog.
hi dear thanks for your site and your guiding,but in my country iran we must pasteurize this drinking.but we like the taste and aroma like dried yogurt how we can?
sincerely you saadat saghafi.
You’re very welcome, Gegg.
I have spent about 9 years in the Mideast and fell in love with this drink. Now you gave me the directions. Thanks