Frothy Salted Yogurt Drink (Ayran)

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

Turkey's answer to a cold glass of lemonade: full-fat yogurt whisked with ice water and just enough salt to make it taste bright rather than sour, then shaken until a fine white foam rises to the top. It takes ten minutes, no special equipment, and it is the single best thing to drink alongside anything grilled, spicy or heavily spiced. Dried mint is optional in Turkey but non-negotiable once you've tried it.

Ingredients

• 2 cups plain full-fat yogurt, unsweetened (Turkish, Greek-style, or whole-milk)
• 2 cups very cold water
• 3/4 tsp fine sea salt, plus more to taste
• 1/2 tsp dried mint, crumbled fine (optional but traditional)
• 1 tsp fresh lemon juice (only if your yogurt is very mild)

• 2 cups ice cubes
• 4 sprigs fresh mint
• pinch of dried mint or sumac, for dusting

Instructions

1. Chill 4 tall glasses in the freezer for 10 minutes while you work. Ayran is only as good as it is cold.
2. Spoon the yogurt into a large bowl and add the salt. Whisk hard for about 30 seconds, until the yogurt loosens from a solid mass into a smooth, glossy cream with no lumps. Getting it perfectly smooth now is what keeps the finished drink from being grainy.
3. Add 1/2 cup of the cold water and whisk until fully incorporated, then add the remaining 1 1/2 cups in two more additions, whisking smooth after each. Adding the water gradually is the whole trick — dumping it in at once leaves suspended flecks of yogurt that never dissolve.
4. Crumble the dried mint between your palms directly into the bowl and whisk it in. Taste: it should taste distinctly salty and refreshing, like a savory drink and not like thinned yogurt. Add salt 1/8 teaspoon at a time until it snaps into focus. If the yogurt is mild and the drink tastes flat, whisk in the lemon juice.
5. Cover and refrigerate at least 20 minutes (up to 2 days) so the salt and mint fully dissolve and the flavor settles.
6. Just before serving, pour the ayran into a large jar or cocktail shaker, filling it no more than two-thirds full, seal, and shake vigorously for 30 to 45 seconds until a thick layer of fine white foam forms on top. Alternatively, blend on high for 15 seconds or froth with an immersion blender.
7. Fill the chilled glasses with ice, pour the ayran over, and spoon any foam left in the jar onto the tops. Dust with a pinch of dried mint or sumac, tuck in a mint sprig, and serve immediately with a straw or long spoon.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

More from Sprig Originals

Dark Roux Seafood Gumbo with Quick Shrimp Stock

One-Skillet Blackened Cajun Chicken Pasta

Char-Grilled Oysters with Garlic-Worcestershire Butter

Are you this recipe's original author or publisher? Report a problem