Ayran
Fresh susurluk ayranı with a head of froth
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| Origin | |
|---|---|
| Alternative name(s) | Laban, Doogh, katık, qeshk |
| Place of origin | Turkic Central Asia |
| Creator(s) | Turkic people |
| Details | |
| Course served | Beverage |
| Type | Dairy product |
| Serving temperature | Cold |
| Main ingredient(s) | Yogurt, water, salt |
Ayran is a cold yogurt beverage mixed with salt.[1] In addition to Turkey, where it is considered a national drink, ayran can be found in neighboring nations and regions including Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Iran, and Arab countries.[note 1]
Its primary ingredients are water and yogurt, and ayran has been variously described as "diluted yogurt"[3] and "a most refreshing drink made by mixing yogurt with iced water".[4]
Ayran is served chilled and often as an accompaniment to grilled meat or rice[5] especially during summer.[6]
Similar beverages include the Iranian doogh,[7] but yogurt drinks are popular beyond the Middle East region—ayran has been likened by some to the South Asian lassi.[8]
Contents
History
Ayran is a traditional Turkish drink and was consumed by nomadic Turks prior to 1000 CE.[3] Some think ayran was first developed thousands of years ago by the Göktürks, who would dilute bitter yogurt with water in an attempt to improve its flavor.[9]
Some Turkish language dictionaries state the word derives from Old Turkish for buttermilk.[10] A c. 1000 CE Turkish dictionary, Dīwān ul-Lughat al-Turk, defines ayran as a "drink made out of milk."[10]
Contemporary ayran
Ayran is ubiquitous in Turkey and offered at almost all places that serve drinks, including fast-food restaurants, such as McDonald's and Burger King.[11]
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McDonald's ayran
The town of Susurluk is well known in Turkey for its ayran, which characteristically has a foamy head and creamy taste.[12][13]
National drink status
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, a Turkish politician who has held the posts of President and Prime Minister, has promoted ayran as a national drink.[14] Speaking at a 2013 WHO Global Alcohol Policy Conference held in İstanbul, Erdoğan contrasted ayran with alcohol, which he suggested was a recent introduction to Turkey. Stating that in the early years of the modern Turkish republic (c. 1920-1950), alcoholic beverages were "part of the radical top-down modernization program embarked upon by the elites,"[14] Erdoğan expressed regret that alcohol was widely promoted during this period even in school textbooks.[14]
Still, sales of ayran in Turkey may lag behind other non-alcoholic beverages.[15] According to a 2015 joint statement from the Soft Drink Producers Association, the Sparkling Water Producers Association, and the Milk Producers and Exporters Union of Turkey, ayran consumption during the holy month of Ramadan has declined every year for the years 2010-15.[15]
In 2015, Turkey’s Customs and Trade Ministry imposed a 220,000 Turkish Lira fine (approx. $70,000) to state-owned Çaykur manufacturers for “insulting ayran” in one of their advertisement for iced tea, in which the protagonist raps that ayran makes him sleepy,[16] and halted advertisements of Çaykur's competing, ice-tea product.[16]
Similar beverages
- Chal, fermented camel's-milk
- Chalap, beverage consisting of fermented milk, salt, and carbonated water
- Doogh, yogurt-based beverage
- Kefir, fermented milk drink made with yeast grains
- Kumis, fermented mare's milk drink[3]
- Lassi, yogurt-based drink from the Indian Subcontinent
- Qatiq, fermented-milk beverage
See also
Notes
- ↑ Ayran is present in the Balkans, some CIS countries, and the Middle East. Countries and regions where ayran has been reported include: Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Iran, the Balkans, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, and the North Caucasus.[2]
References
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ayran. |
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ For popularity in Armenia, Iran, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan see Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. For the Balkans, see Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- For use in Afghanistan by Kirghiz, see Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- For Lebanon, see Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- For presence in the North Caucasus, see Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lake Van and Turkish Kurdistan: A Botanical Journey P. H. Davis The Geographical Journal, Vol. 122, No. 2 (Jun., 1956), pp. 156-165 Published by: The Royal Geographical Society (with the Institute of British Geographers) Article DOI: 10.2307/1790844
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Heyhoe, Kate. The ABC's of Larousse Gastronomique : ayran
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ For ayran at Turkish McDonalds, see Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- For ayran at Turkish Burger King, see Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
