Doogh

Iran's ancient cooling drink: tangy yogurt thinned with sparkling water and seasoned with dried mint and salt, the national answer to every summer afternoon

Origin: Persia / Iran

From the journey of Mint.

Doogh (دوغ) is one of the most ancient fermented drinks in the world, a direct descendant of the churned milk beverages of the ancient Near East. Its name derives from the Persian dooshidan, to milk, and the drink was already ancient when Ibn Sina catalogued it in the 11th century. The principle is simple: yogurt (mast), thinned with water, seasoned with salt, and flavoured with dried mint and sometimes dried rose petals or cucumber. What the Armenian tan, the Turkish ayran, and the Indian lassi (salted version) share with doogh is a common ancestor in the pastoral dairy cultures of the ancient Middle East; all are variations on the same idea: fermented milk made potable, cooling, and refreshing through dilution and seasoning. The Iranian version is distinguished by its use of dried mint (rather than fresh), by the preference for sparkling water in the modern preparation, and by a specific salt-to-tang balance that makes it as much a palate cleanser as a drink. Doogh is drunk alongside the most complex and chilli-hot dishes of Iranian cuisine; khoresh (stewed dishes), kebabs, chelo rice; where its cold acidity and mint freshness cut through the richest flavours. Every kebab house in Iran has a refrigerator of doogh bottles. Every summer lunch begins with a glass.

Ingredients

base

200 g full-fat plain yogurt, use the best quality thick yogurt available (Greek-style works well)
250 ml cold sparkling water (or still water, sparkling is the modern Iranian preference)

mint

1 tsp dried spearmint, crumbled between the fingers before using, or 1 tbsp fresh spearmint, finely chopped

seasoning

0.5 tsp fine sea salt, or to taste

garnish

1 pinch dried rose petals (optional, traditional garnish)

optional

4 thin slices Persian or English cucumber (optional, some versions include cucumber)

Method

Combine the yogurt, salt, and dried mint in a jug or bowl. Whisk vigorously until completely smooth; no lumps.
Add the sparkling water and stir gently. The mixture should be the consistency of thin buttermilk; pourable and refreshing, not thick. Adjust water to your preferred consistency.
Taste for salt and mint. Doogh should be distinctly tangy, lightly salty, and clearly minty; not sweet. Adjust accordingly. Chill briefly if not already cold.
Pour into glasses over ice. Garnish with a pinch of dried rose petals or an extra crumble of dried mint. Serve immediately.

Notes

The dried mint used in doogh should be spearmint (na'nā), not peppermint; the menthol sharpness of peppermint would overpower the drink. In Iran, commercially bottled doogh (brands including Kalleh and Ramak) is widely available and often carbonated; the flavour profile is the same as homemade. Some versions add a small piece of cucumber for extra freshness. Doogh is not lassi; it should be salty, not sweet.

The Gastrographer

Name: Doogh
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Yield: 2
Cuisine: Persia / Iran
Ingredients: 200 g full-fat plain yogurt, use the best quality thick yogurt available (Greek-style works well); 250 ml cold sparkling water (or still water, sparkling is the modern Iranian preference); 1 tsp dried spearmint, crumbled between the fingers before using, or 1 tbsp fresh spearmint, finely chopped; 0.5 tsp fine sea salt, or to taste; 1 pinch dried rose petals (optional, traditional garnish); 4 thin slices Persian or English cucumber (optional, some versions include cucumber)

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Journey Point Map Key

Ingredient originTrade or transit route

Became a culinary stapleColonial / trade control