Travel may be a little tricky these days, but you can still traverse the globe with these delicious drink recipes to try at home.
Today's non-alcoholic drink hails from India – Mango Lassi.
What is it?
Forget milkshakes and smoothies; India’s mango and yogurt lassi was the original fruit sensation. This probiotic digestion aid has been a staple on Indian menus since at least 3000 BC.
Origins
In India, lassi is as old as the hills, and those hills are very old indeed. According to ancient Ayurvedic texts, the people of the Indian Punjab have been mixing curds, sugar and water together as an aid to digestion for thousands of years. The addition of mango was a later piece of inspiration, invented to help take the heat out of the sweltering Indian summer. It’s both tastier and more predictable than India’s other famous lassi, made with bhang (marijuana).
You'll need (serves 1)
1 cup (200g) chopped fresh mango (ideally Alphonso mango)
½ cup (100g) thick natural yogurt (full-fat Greek yogurt is fine)
¼ cup (50g) water
2 tsp sugar
Method
Step 1: Too easy. Combine the mango, yogurt and sugar in a blender and add water, a little at a time, until the lassi reaches the required consistency. The mix should be thin enough to drink through a straw, but never watery.
Step 2: For authenticity, used chilled fruit and yogurt and serve immediately, rather than chilling your lassi afterwards in the fridge.
Tasting notes
A lot of things don’t survive the transition from traveling to back home. K-pop; braided hairstyles; Thai fishermen’s trousers. Mango lassi is different. It’s just as uplifting sipped at the gym as it is on a dusty train platform on the Indian plains. A lot will depend on the quality of your mangoes, however. Done right, a mango lassi should be thick, creamy and sweet – the flavor of an Indian summer afternoon – but still sippable: this is a drink remember, not a dessert. Look for subtle overtones of cardamom or rose water, often used alongside the tangy yogurt, mango and sugar.
Other recipes:
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Mojito
Sazerac