Yogurt Soda

Doogh.

It's more than just a funny word, that when said aloud makes you sound like you are clearing phlegm from your throat (which, coincidentally, is exactly how you pronounce it).

It just so happens to be my most favorite beverage.  

Even more than beer.

And it's not even alcoholic.  So yeah, I must reeeeeeeally like it.

Doogh is a Persian yogurt soda that is as traditional to the middle east as *insert stereotypical example*.

How did I come about to discover this drink?  As it so happens, both of my parents were born in Iran and migrated independently to the United States during the 60s, where they were doomed to meet each other as co-workers at the local delicatessen/convenience store.  

Next thing you know, they got married, had sex, and gave birth to me. 

Life is beautiful.

Any-hoo, though my parents and family are from Iran, we are actually not Iranians, but Armenians.  You may have heard of us through such things as the Armenian Genocide (over 1 million Armenians killed at the hands of the then Ottoman Empire in the early 1900s), System of a Down (over 20 million albums sold worldwide), and our people's most treasured jewel, Kim Kardashian (over 100 million ways an embarrassment).

But, seeing as how Iran was our, and many other Armenians, home, we have adopted many of their cultural tendencies, and luckily for us, that meant their food and drink.

A typical Persian spread.  .

If you have not had the pleasure of trying Persian food, give it a shot!  Chances are that you'll find it as mesmerizingly (I know that's not a word) delicious as I do.  Delicious kabobs, steaming piles of saffron and buttered rice, stews of pomegranate and walnuts, lamb and herbs, warm pita breads and tangy cheese, zesty bean salads, the list of tasty goes on.

And, not surprisingly, yogurt is a common side dish served with most meals.  

But back to the matter at hand.

Doogh is a mixture of yogurt, salt, mint, water, and either flat or carbonated water.  It is sour and salty and goes excellent with red meats, as the acids cut through the fat and refresh the pallet for another bite.

A popular brand of carbonated doogh.  

Yogurt's creation is thought to have come about by ancient peoples carrying raw milk around in animal stomachs (this was before the days of Camelbaks) in warm climates.  Milk is incubated at about 105-114 degrees to become yogurt, and that is just about the average temperatures found in the deserts in the middle east. So, giving way to nature, the milk would curdle and become yogurt due to the heat and the natural cultures found in milk.  

Not only would this natural fermentation sour and flavor the yogurt, but if trapped, it would carbonate.  And once mixed with mint and salt and water, BAM!  Doogh was birthed.

Sure, that summary couldn't have been more elementary, but I doubt I'm very far from how it actually happened.

What my point is is that you can naturally ferment your doogh drink by allowing the mixture of yogurt, mint, salt and still water to sit at warm temperatures (think the deserts of Iran) in an airtight container and the live cultures in the yogurt would begin to work their magic and not only further flavor the drink the traditional way, but also carbonate it!  

The trick would be to be aware of the pressure building inside and to refrigerate and slow fermentation before it all explodes, killing everything within a 25 yard radius.

Just kidding.

Or am I?

Anyway, feel free to try your hand at this fun, fizzy, refreshing desert drink!

Sexy Persian rapper wants you to make him doogh.

The recipe is simple and you can adjust it anyway you please.  

Start with equal parts yogurt (remember, use yogurt with live active cultures, not pasteurized!  It will say on the label) and water.  Mix and adjust to desired consistency.  Then add salt, mint and really whatever spices and herbs you want.  Bottle in an airtight container and leave at room temperature for a few days, checking frequently to see how the fermentation is going as far as pressure and color.  Use a plastic container so that in case of explosion, you wont have glass shards shooting into your face while you snoop around.

And, as always, if you open up the bottle after fermentation and you see mold, or it smells like Big Foot's dick, just throw away and try again.  It's not worth getting sick.

However, if you want to just forgo the wait and risk, just mix with carbonated water.  It may not be tradish, but it will still taste damn good.

Serve chilled over ice.

Cheers!

Or, as we Armenians say, Gehnatz!