Whence
Lassi (yogurt drink)
Drink

Where does Lassi (yogurt drink) come from?

Lassi comes from the Punjab, the farming region that spans northern India and Pakistan. There, yogurt is blended with water into a frothy drink, salty or sweet, that has long helped farm families through the scorching summers.

Churned on Punjab's farms

Lassi is at heart a farmhouse drink. In Punjab the yogurt for it is traditionally made from water-buffalo milk. In villages around Multan, in Pakistan's south Punjab, almost every household still keeps cows or buffaloes: fresh milk is set into yogurt, which is then churned to make butter and lassi. Wooden churners and clay pots were once the only tools, and many homes now use electric churners. Women have kept the tradition going, each generation learning from their mothers.

Salty or sweet

The basic recipe is yogurt blended with water. Salty lassi, namkeen, is seasoned with salt, black pepper and cumin; sweet lassi, meethi, is flavoured with sugar, cardamom, rosewater or saffron. Traditionally lassi is served in a kulhar, a handleless clay cup, and extra malai, a thick clotted cream, may be spooned on top. In south Punjab, where summer temperatures often pass 45 °C, a glass is often the first thing offered to a visitor.

From sour milk to world menus

The name comes from Hindi lassī. Its deeper origin is unclear; one suggestion traces it to Sanskrit lasya, 'stickiness'. The British met the drink in colonial times, and early descriptions were unflattering: an 1866 dictionary called lassi 'curdled, sour milk'. The drink has since spread round the world, above all to Britain and other countries once tied to the British Empire. In the United States it is now on the menu of most Indian and Pakistani restaurants.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org ↗ · britannica.com ↗ · smithsonianmag.com ↗ · app.com.pk ↗

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