flipDoogh (Yogurt and Mint Drink)
Doogh (Yogurt and Mint Drink)
Why this dish? His profile lists yogurt as a common food on his table. Doogh is the quintessential Iranian drink, the natural accompaniment to rice and grilled meats — and the ideal companion for long hot days on the roads of Gilan where he filmed.
A refreshing, slightly tangy drink made from beaten yogurt thinned with water (sometimes sparkling), salted and flavored with dried mint. A living border between drink and liquid yogurt, much as Kiarostami's cinema was between fiction and documentary.
In the summer heat, nothing beats a tall glass of well-chilled doogh. We would beat the yogurt with cold water until it frothed, a pinch of salt, a little dried mint crushed between the fingers — that's all, and it's perfect. On the dusty roads of the north, when we stopped in the shade of a tree, it was the drink that set us right. Simple, lively, a little sour: the very taste of an Iranian summer.
- •Yogurt (mâst) — one bowl (base)
- •Fresh spring water — as much as yogurt (dilution)
- •Dried mint — a pinch (flavor)
- •Salt — a pinch (seasoning)
Doogh (Yogurt and Mint Drink)
A refreshing, slightly tangy drink made from beaten yogurt thinned with water (sometimes sparkling), salted and flavored with dried mint. A living border between drink and liquid yogurt, much as Kiarostami's cinema was between fiction and documentary.
Why this dish? His profile lists yogurt as a common food on his table. Doogh is the quintessential Iranian drink, the natural accompaniment to rice and grilled meats — and the ideal companion for long hot days on the roads of Gilan where he filmed.
In the summer heat, nothing beats a tall glass of well-chilled doogh. We would beat the yogurt with cold water until it frothed, a pinch of salt, a little dried mint crushed between the fingers — that's all, and it's perfect. On the dusty roads of the north, when we stopped in the shade of a tree, it was the drink that set us right. Simple, lively, a little sour: the very taste of an Iranian summer.
Ingredients (period version)
- Yogurt (mâst) — one bowl (base)
- Fresh spring water — as much as yogurt (dilution)
- Dried mint — a pinch (flavor)
- Salt — a pinch (seasoning)
Ingredients
- Full-fat plain yogurt — 250 g (base)
- Cold water or sparkling water — 250 ml (dilution)
- Dried mint — 1 tsp (flavor)
- Salt — 1/4 tsp (seasoning)
- Ice cubes — a few (serving)
- Dried rose petals — a pinch (optional) (decoration and fragrance)
Method
- Whisk the yogurt vigorously until very smooth.
- Add cold water (or sparkling water for a fizzy version) while whisking to create foam.
- Stir in the salt and dried mint crushed between your fingers to release its aroma.
- Taste and adjust salt or mint. Serve very cold over ice, optionally sprinkled with rose petals.
How it was made : Doogh is a very ancient fermented drink from the Iranian plateau, descended from the beaten milks of pastoral peoples. Before refrigeration, it was kept cool in porous earthenware jugs placed in a draft or submerged in a basin (howz). Mint and sometimes grated cucumber made it a recognized remedy against heat.
The contemporary twist : Bottled sparkling doogh is now a classic in Iranian restaurants; some add a hint of wild mountain oregano for a resinous fragrance.
Sources : Margaret Shaida, The Legendary Cuisine of Persia
Abbas Kiarostami · Charactorium
