Ayran

Ayran ( ) is a cold savory yogurt-based beverage that is consumed across Central Asia, and the Balkans, in Turkey and Iran. The principal ingredients are yogurt, water and salt. Herbs such as mint may be optionally added. Some varieties are carbonated. It is a national drink of Turkey.

Etymology

''Ayran'' (cf. '' airag'' in Mongolian: ' mare milk', ' () in Chuvash: 'buttermilk') is mentioned in Mahmud al-Kashgari's 11th century '' Dīwān Lughāt al-Turk'', although he did not give any information how ayran was made.
The word is derived from the Old Turkic root ("to separate"), cf. Turkish ("to separate").

Preparation

Ayran is served chilled and often as an accompaniment to grilled meat, bread or rice, especially during summer. It is made by mixing yogurt with chilled or iced water and is sometimes carbonated and seasoned with mint. It has been variously described as "diluted yogurt" and "a most refreshing drink made by mixing yogurt with iced water".

The traditional method of preparing this drink among various Iranic peoples involves pouring yogurt into a waterskin—known as mashk (مشک) in Luri, Kurdish, and Persian, and maskah (مسکه) in Afghanistan —and vigorously shaking it to separate the butter from the liquid. The process takes a considerable amount of time and effort and is often made easier by suspending the waterskin from a wooden frame called ''malār'' (ملار) using woolen ropes, allowing it to swing freely. Once the butter is extracted, the remaining liquid, called doogh, is collected and consumed as a refreshing beverage. In India and Pakistan, ayran is sometimes called ''Namkeen Lassi'' ().

History

Ayran and its types were first developed in Central Asia by Turkic tribes. A c. 1000 CE Turkic dictionary, '' Dīwān ul-Lughat al-Turk'', defines ''ayran'' as a "drink made out of milk".

Ayran is similar to '' doogh'' (دوغ), an Iranian fermented drink that has long been popular in ancient Iran (Persia). Described by an 1886 source as a cold drink of curdled milk and water seasoned with mint, its name (Doogh) derives from the Persian word for milking, ''dooshidan''.

Other similar drinks include ''t’an'' () in Armenia and ''lassi'' in the Indian subcontinent; however, they can differ from ''doogh''.

Regional names of the drink and its variations are: ; ''šinīna'' or ''eayran''; ; ; ; ''shlombey''; ; ''daughe''; ''xinogala'' or αριάνι ''ariani''; Pontic Greek: αΐραν ''ayran''; .

Variations

Salt, black pepper, dried mint, and lime juice can be mixed in. Diced cucumber, there are three types registered well known ayran variations one of them is ''Susurluk Ayranı.'' In this version ayran is drawn from the vat and rapidly poured back into it through a narrow pipe from above. During this circulation process, the fat in the ayran creates a foam on its surface.

In some eastern parts of Turkey, ayran is made using a mixing method, which results in a very frothy drink which known as ''Yayık Ayranı.'' In Malatya region there is a form of spicy ayran known as ''Malatya Spicy Ayran''. It has gained a registration and patent in 11.04.2022.

In Afghanistan, ayran (known as ''doogh'' or ''shromba'') is a summer beverage. It is made with yogurt, salt, mint, diced cucumbers, lime, and is sometimes carbonated. It is enjoyed alongside bolani, Afghan flatbread, and other picnic foods.

In Albania, ayran is known as ''dhallë'' and is made exclusively with yogurt, salt and water and it is served cold. The name 'dhallë' comes from mixed and shaken.

In Southern Cyprus ''ayrani'' (αϊρανι) is made with sour sheep yogurt, water, salt and mint.

In Russia and some other Slavic countries, the local variant is called kefir which houses a similar taste but is instead made using fermented milk from kefir grains.

Turkish national drink status

Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, a Turkish politician who has held the posts of President and Prime Minister, has promoted ''ayran'' as a national drink. Speaking at a 2013 WHO Global Alcohol Policy Conference held by simar in Istanbul, Erdoğan contrasted ''ayran'' with beer, which he claimed was a recent introduction to Turkey.

Nevertheless, sales of ''ayran'' in Turkey lag behind other non-alcoholic beverages. According to a 2015 joint statement from the Soft Drink Producers Association, the Sparkling Water Producers Association, and the Milk Producers and Exporters Union of Turkey, ''ayran'' consumption during Ramadan had declined every year for the years 2010 to 2015.

In 2015, Turkey's Ministry of Customs and Trade imposed a 220,000 TL fine (approximately $70,000) on state-owned Çaykur manufacturers, stating that ''ayran'' had been "insulted without reason" in one of their advertisements for iced tea, in which the rapper Ceza rapped that ''ayran'' makes him sleepy; the ministry halted advertisements of Çaykur's competing iced tea product.

Gallery

File:Ayran - Ankara.jpg, ''Ayran'' served in traditional way with copper cup (''maşrapa)''
File:Ayran in a big glass.jpg, ''Ayran'' served in a glass in Ankara, Turkey
File:Ayran, Istanbul, Turkey.JPG, ''Ayran'' served in a fast-food restaurant in İstanbul
File:Sise ayran.jpg, ''Ayran'' in a bottle
ابشار دوغ در جاده بانه - panoramio.jpg, Buttermilk waterfall on Bane road

See also

* Yayık ayranı, Turkish soured and churned yogurt-based drink

Notes

References

External links

FAO international standards

{{Yogurts
Afghan cuisine
Armenian drinks
Central Asian cuisine
Greek cuisine
Iraqi cuisine
Israeli drinks
Palestinian drinks
Lebanese cuisine
Assyrian cuisine
Jordanian cuisine
Kurdish cuisine
Pashtun cuisine
Syrian cuisine
Uyghur cuisine
Turkish drinks
Cypriot cuisine
Yogurt-based drinks
Fermented dairy products
Fermented drinks
Sour foods
Albanian drinks
Bulgarian drinks
Pakistani drinks