Chaas ( gu:છાશ ''chhash'', hi:छाछ ''chhachh'') is a

curd Curd is obtained by coagulating milk in a sequential process called curdling. It can be a final dairy product or the first stage in cheesemaking. The coagulation can be caused by adding rennet or any edible acidic substance such as lemon ...

-based drink popular across the

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. In

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it is called ''ghol,'' in

Odia Odia, also spelled Oriya or Odiya, may refer to: * Odia people in Odisha, India * Odia language, an Indian language, belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European language family * Odia alphabet, a writing system used for the Odia languag ...

it is called ''Ghol/Chaash,'' ''moru'' in

Tamil Tamil may refer to: * Tamils, an ethnic group native to India and some other parts of Asia **Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka also called ilankai tamils **Tamil Malaysians, Tamil people native to Malaysia * Tamil language, nativ ...

and

Malayalam Malayalam (; , ) is a Dravidian language spoken in the Indian state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry (Mahé district) by the Malayali people. It is one of 22 scheduled languages of India. Malayalam was des ...

, ''taak'' in

Marathi Marathi may refer to: *Marathi people, an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group of Maharashtra, India *Marathi language, the Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Marathi people *Palaiosouda, also known as Marathi, a small island in Greece See also * * ...

, ''majjiga'' in

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, ''majjige'' in

Kannada Kannada (; ಕನ್ನಡ, ), originally romanised Canarese, is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by the people of Karnataka in southwestern India, with minorities in all neighbouring states. It has around 47 million native s ...

, ''ale'' (pronounced a-lay) in Tulu and ''ghol'' in

Bengali Bengali or Bengalee, or Bengalese may refer to: *something of, from, or related to Bengal, a large region in South Asia * Bengalis, an ethnic and linguistic group of the region * Bengali language, the language they speak ** Bengali alphabet, the w ...

. In

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, it is often referred to as

buttermilk Buttermilk is a fermented dairy drink. Traditionally, it was the liquid left behind after churning butter out of cultured cream. As most modern butter in western countries is not made with cultured cream but uncultured sweet cream, most mod ...

Etymology

The name ''Chaas'' or ''Chaach'' is derived from Sanskrit word ''Chacchika'' (छच्छिका), meaning churned yogurt from which butter has been removed.

Preparation and variations

Chaas is made by churning yogurt (curds/dahi) and cold water together in a pot, using a hand-held instrument called ''madhani'' (whipper). This can be consumed plain or seasoned with a variety of spices or made sweet (and then known as ''Meethi Chaas''). Chaas can be made from fresh yogurt, and the natural flavour of such chaas is mildly sweet.

Seasoning and flavours

Chaas can be consumed plain, but a little salt is usually added. This is the most common seasoning for chaas. Numerous other seasonings and spices can be added to salted chaas, either singly or in combination with each other. These spices are usually roasted in a

wok A wok (; Pinyin: ; Cantonese ) is a deep round-bottomed cooking pan from China. It is believed to be derived from the South Asian karahi. It is common in China and similar pans are found in parts of East, South and Southeast Asia, as well as ...

, using a spoonful of cooking oil, before being added to the Chaas. The spices which can be added thus are: Coarsely ground and roasted

cumin Cumin ( or , or Article title
) (''Cuminum cyminum'') is a

asafoetida Asafoetida (; also spelled asafetida) is the dried latex ( gum oleoresin) exuded from the rhizome or tap root of several species of ''Ferula'', perennial herbs growing tall. They are part of the celery family, Umbelliferae. Asafoetida is thou ...

, grated ginger, very finely diced green chillies and

Mustard seed Mustard seeds are the small round seeds of various mustard plants. The seeds are usually about in diameter and may be colored from yellowish white to black. They are an important spice in many regional foods and may come from one of three diff ...

s. Sugar can also be added to chaas, but if sugar is added, then neither salt nor spice is usually used. Vendors have come up with several proprietary products and standardized flavours of chaas which are produced on an industrial scale and sold as bottled drinks. The best-seller among such brands is

Amul Anand Milk Union Limited (AMUL) is an Indian dairy state government cooperative society, based in Anand, Gujarat. Formed in 1946, it is a cooperative brand managed by Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation Ltd. (GCMMF), which today i ...

's ''Masala Chaas,'' which has standardized several traditional flavours for the mass bottled-drink market. Other popular modern flavours available as bottled drinks include rose-flavoured ''Chaas Gulabi'' and mint-flavoured ''Mint Chaas''.

Consumption

In the rural areas of India, the consumption of chaas has cultural resonances and associations which are not found in the context of other beverages like tea, coffee or lassi. An earthen pot is used to prepare chaas and store it for a few hours before consumption. The use of an earthen pot makes the chaas cool even in summer. In the extremely hot desert areas of

Gujarat Gujarat (, ) is a state along the western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the fifth-largest Indian state by area, covering some ; and the ninth ...

and

Rajasthan Rajasthan (; lit. 'Land of Kings') is a state in northern India. It covers or 10.4 per cent of India's total geographical area. It is the largest Indian state by area and the seventh largest by population. It is on India's northwestern si ...

, people consume chaas with salt after getting exposed to the sun because this may aid rehydration. Chaas or Moru is consumed more in Southern India as it rehydrates the body from the hot climate. Chaas is consumed all year round. It is usually taken immediately after meals, but is also consumed on its own as a beverage. People also consume chaas for its health benefits. The condiments in chaas, especially pepper and ginger, help reduce the burning sensation felt with acidity. Those spices also help improve digestion. Chaas is also packed with electrolytes and water, helping the body recover from dehydration.

References

External links

Chass recipe by Tarla Dalal
{{Yogurts Fermented dairy products Non-alcoholic drinks Indian drinks Yogurt-based drinks Indian dairy products