Ayran: Turkish Yogurt Drink
Ayran: Turkish Yogurt Drink
Description
Ayran is a very popular and traditional yogurt milk drink in Turkey . It can be served with any meal, or just as a quick snack drink.
Ayran is probably the ancient Turkish version of the modern energy drinks and very refreshing.
What is Ayran?
A refreshing and easy-to-make Turkish classic.
Ayran is a cold savory yogurt-based beverage popular across Middle East, Asia and Eastern Europe. The principal ingredients are yogurt, water and salt. Herbs such as mint may be optionally added.
The most common way to serve Turkish Ayran is to serve it on some ice in clear glasses or copper mugs with lots of froth on top.
The Benefits of Ayran
This yogurt drink is a good source of high quality protein, calcium, potassium, magnesium, vitamin B 6 and vitamin B 12. It provides gut friendly probiotics. Therefore, it is beneficial for gastrointestinal conditions such as, constipation, irritable bowel disease, diarrhea, lactose intolerance, etc.
Ayran contains electrolytes, which help us to prevent dehydration by refuelling the body with water and electrolytes. It is a good sporty replenishment.
Ingredients
How to Make Ayran- Turkish Yogurt Drink
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Mix yogurt and water in blender until well blended. Add salt if desired. Start off with an 1/2 teaspoon salt and work your way up.
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Blend until smooth and until you have foam on top. If you don’t have a blender, you can use an electric hand mixer or simply a whisk.
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Serve in ice filled glasses.
Note
Tips for Making Ayran
If you are using a whisk, add water slowly while blending.
Throw in some ice cubes before blending for an icy crunch.
If you want a lot of foam on top of your ayran, you can substitute sparkling water for water in the recipe. There will be no difference in taste.
Variations and Adaptations of Ayran
You can add some different flavors to your drink like chopped dill, chopped mint,chopped parsley or black pepper if you feel more adventurous.
If you add chopped cucumber with finely chopped dill to your yogurt drink, you can enjoy another Turkish favorite; name “cacik” made with yogurt. 'Cacık' is a very simple dish that's served cold. It's eaten with a spoon, like soup, but it's enjoyed before or during the meal in place of a salad.
Another drink similar to ayran is “ kefir”. Kefir is made of milk, ayran is made of yogurt. Kefir is usually slightly sweet and not for everyone's taste, while ayran is salty and refreshing. Ayran is made from yogurt, whereas kefir is made from kefir grains. The resulting flavors may be similar, although kefir has often a more pungent flavor.
Serving and Storing Ayran
The most common way to serve Turkish yogurt drink Ayran is to serve it on some ice in clear glasses or copper mugs with lots of froth on top.
Ayran can be consumed on its own, with a meal or as an aperitif. It is commonly served with spicy dishes such as kebabs or lahmacun ( Turkish Pizza). It is also a very popular drink in the summer to cool down, which help us to prevent dehydration by refuelling the body with water and electrolytes.
Ayran can be made and kept in the fridge for up to 3 days and if it settles, a gentle stir will recover its silky smoothness. You can keep it outside the fridge for couple of hours because it starts to become sourer with time.
Frequently Asked Questions
This yogurt beverage is a good source of high quality protein, calcium, potassium, magnesium, vitamin B 6 and vitamin B 12. It provides gut friendly probiotics. Therefore, it is beneficial for gastrointestinal conditions such as, constipation, irritable bowel disease, diarrhea, lactose intolerance, etc.
Ayran is a cold, salty yogurt drink that is commonly drunk in Turkey. It quenches thirst, is refreshing, soothes the mouth after eating spicy dishes and settles an upset stomach.
This refreshing drink is the best way to rehydrate on a hot summer day which help us to prevent dehydration by refueling the body with water and electrolytes.
If you've never tried it before, Ayran can be an intriguing experience. It has a slightly tart/sour taste from the natural yogurt, at the same time salty and tangy.
Ayran provides gut friendly probiotics. Therefore, it is beneficial for gastrointestinal conditions such as, constipation, irritable bowel disease, diarrhea, lactose intolerance, etc.
