Lassi

Fat-free lassi from Mumbai, India
Origin
Place of origin	India/Pakistan/Nepal
Region or state	Punjab/Tanahun
Dish details
Main ingredient(s)	Yoghurt, cream

Lassi is a popular and traditional yogurt-based drink which originated in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent.^[1][2] It is made by blending yoghurt with water, salt, pepper, ice and Indian spices.^[3] Traditional lassi is sometimes flavored with ground roasted cumin. Sweet lassi, blended with sugar instead of spices, is also very popular.^[4]

In Dharmic religions, yoghurt sweetened with honey is used while performing religious rituals. Less common is lassi served with milk and is topped with a thin layer of Devonshire cream. Lassis are enjoyed chilled as a hot-weather refreshment, mostly taken with lunch. With a little turmeric powder mixed in, it is also used as a folk remedy for gastroenteritis.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Variations

[edit] Traditional mild salted lassi

Mint salted lassi from Pakistan.

This form of lassi is more common in villages of Punjab. It is prepared by blending curd with water and adding salt, pepper, and other spices to taste. The resulting beverage is known as salted lassi.

[edit] Sweet lassi

Sweet lassi is a form of lassi flavored with sugar, rosewater and/or lemon, mango, strawberry or other fruit juices. Saffron lassis, which are particularly rich, are a specialty of Sindh in Pakistan and Jodhpur and Rajasthan in India. Makkhaniya lassi is simply lassi with lumps of butter in it (makkhan is the Punjabi, Urdu, Hindi and Gujarati word for butter). It is usually creamy like a milkshake.

[edit] Mango lassi

In various parts of Pakistan/India, mango lassi is a cold drink consisting of sweetened kesar mango pulp mixed with yoghurt, cream, or ice cream. It is served in a tall glass with a straw, often with ground pistachio nuts sprinkled on top. Mango lassi is most commonly found in Pakistan/India. It is widely available in UK, Malaysia and Singapore, due to the sizable Pakistani/Indian minority, and in many other parts of the world. ^[5]

[edit] Bhang lassi

Bhang lassi is a special lassi that contains bhang, a liquid derivative of cannabis, which has effects similar to other eaten forms of marijuana. It is legal in many parts of India and mainly used for religious purposes, particularly during Holi, when pakoras containing bhang are also sometimes eaten. Rajasthan is known to have licensed bhang shops, and in many places one can buy bhang products and drink bhang lassis.^{[citation needed]} Seen in Anthony Bourdain's "No Reservations".

[edit] Chaas

Chaas or chaach is a salted drink like lassi; however, chaas contains more water than lassi and has the butterfat removed, so its consistency is not as thick as lassi. Salt and Jeera (cumin seeds) are normally added for taste and sometimes even fresh coriander. Fresh ground ginger & green chillies may also be added as seasoning. Chaas is popular in the north eastern Pakistani Punjab regions of Bhakkar and D.I. Khan, as well as the Indian states Gujarat and Rajasthan, where it is drunk with the main meal^{[citation needed]}. It is known to aid digestion and is an excellent coolant in the Pakistani and Indian summers. It is called 'majjiga' in Telugu.

[edit] Ayran

A drink in Turkey is similar to Lassi called Ayran. It is also made with yoghurt and water. In Iran and Dari-speaking regions of Afghanistan a similar drink is called Doogh.

[edit] Tahn

Tahn is the Armenian version of the yogurt drink, consumed cold, with or without food. It is diluted with water and is flavored with salt.

[edit] Cultural references

A 2008 print^[6] and television^[7] ad campaign for HSBC tells a tale of a Polish washing machine manufacturer's representative sent to India to discover why their sales are so high there. On arriving, the representative investigates a Lassi parlour, where he is warmly welcomed, and finds several machines being used to mix Lassi. The owner tells him he is able to "make ten times as much Lassi as I used to!"

On his No Reservations television program, celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain visited a "Govt Authorised" Bhang Shop in Jaisalmer Fort, Rajasthan. The proprieter offered him three varieties of bhang lassi: "normally strong, super duper sexy strong, and full power 24 hour, no toilet, no shower."

[edit] See also

• Doogh
• Cacık
• Kumis
• Dahi (Yoghurt)

Wikibooks Cookbook has a recipe/module on Lassi

[edit] References

1. ^ http://www.punjabnewsline.com/content/view/11211/40/
2. ^ "The Hindustan Times article". Hindustan Times. http://www.hindu.com/2005/07/20/stories/2005072007131800.htm. Retrieved 2005-07-16. 
3. ^ "The Hindustan Times article". Hindustan Times. http://www.hindu.com/2005/07/20/stories/2005072007131800.htm. Retrieved 2005-07-16. 
4. ^ http://www.bharatwaves.com/Punjabi-Lassi-212-recipe.html
5. ^ http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/database/mangolassi_67363.shtml
6. ^ "Can This Lassi Ad Really Be True?". indiablogs.searchindia.com. 2008-10-04. http://64.233.183.104/search?q=cache:cEpz3roXqJoJ:indiablogs.searchindia.com/2008/10/04/can-this-really-be-true/+hsbc+lassi+%22new+yorker%22&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=uk&client=firefox-a. Retrieved 2008-10-19. 
7. ^ "HSBC Bank : Washing Machine and Lassi". Adoholik. 2008-09-27. http://adoholik.com/2008/09/27/hsbc-bank-washing-machine-and-lassi/. Retrieved 2008-10-19. 

[edit] External links

• "Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations Travel Guides - Highlights From Rajasthan". http://travel.discovery.com/tv/bourdain/travel-guide/rajasthan-india.html. Retrieved 2008-01-19.