Lassi
 Fat-free lassi from Mumbai, India |
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| Origin | |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | Indian subcontinent |
| Details | |
| Main ingredient(s) | Yogurt, cream, water, spices, fruit |
Lassi (Punjabi: لسی, ਲੱਸੀ, Hindi: लस्सी, Urdu: لسی, Marathi: लस्सी, Gujarati: લસ્સી, Bengali: লস্যি,Pashto: شوملې is a popular, traditional, yogurt-based drink; it originates in India's Punjab region. Lassi is a blend of yogurt, water, spices, and sometimes, fruit. Traditional lassi (a.k.a., "salted lassi", or simply, "lassi") is a savory drink, sometimes flavored with ground and roasted cumin. Sweet lassi, however, contains sugar or fruits, instead of spices.
In Dharmic religions, yogurt sweetened with honey is used while performing religious rituals. Less common is lassi served with milk and topped with a thin layer of clotted cream. Lassis are enjoyed chilled as a hot-weather refreshment, mostly taken with lunch. With a little turmeric powder mixed in, it is also used as a folk remedy for gastroenteritis.
Variations
Traditional mild sweet lassi
This form of lassi is more common in the villages of Punjab. It is prepared by blending yogurt with water and adding sugar and other spices to taste. The resulting beverage is known as salted lassi. This is similar to ayran or doogh.
Sweet lassi
Sweet lassi is a form of lassi flavored with sugar, rosewater and/or lemon, strawberry or other fruit juices. Saffron lassis, which are particularly rich, are a specialty of Sindh in Pakistan, and Jodhpur and Rajasthan in India. Makkhaniya lassi is simply lassi with lumps of butter in it (makkhan is the Gujarati, Hindi and Punjabi word for butter). It is usually creamy like a milkshake.
Mango lassi
Mango lassi is gaining popularity worldwide. It is made from yogurt, water and mango pulp. It may be made with or without additional sugar. It is widely available in UK, Malaysia and Singapore, and in many other parts of the world. In various parts of Canada, mango lassi is a cold drink consisting of sweetened kesar mango pulp mixed with yogurt, cream, or ice cream. It is served in a tall glass with a straw, often with ground pistachio nuts sprinkled on top.[1]
Bhang lassi
Bhang (or bhung) lassi is a special lassi that contains bhang, a liquid derivative of cannabis (marijuana), which has effects similar to other eaten forms of cannabis. It is legal in many parts of India and mainly sold during Holi, when pakoras containing bhang are also sometimes eaten. Rajasthan is known to have licensed bhang shops, and in many places one can buy bhang products and drink bhang lassis.[2]
Chaas
Chaas or chaach is a salted drink like lassi; however, chaas contains more water than lassi and has the butterfat removed, so its consistency is not as thick as lassi. Salt and Jeera (cumin seeds) are normally added for taste and sometimes even fresh coriander. Fresh ground ginger & green chillies may also be added as seasoning. Chaas is popular in the Indian states Gujarat and Rajasthan, where it is drunk with the main meal.[citation needed] It is known to aid digestion[citation needed] and is an excellent coolant in the Indian and Pakistani summers[citation needed]. It is called 'majjige' in Kannada, 'taak' in Marathi, 'majjiga' in Telugu and 'moru' in Tamil and Malayalam.
Cultural references
A 2008 print[3] and television[4]ad campaign for HSBC, written by Jeffree Benet of JWT Hong Kong, tells a tale of a Polish washing machine manufacturer's representative sent to India to discover why their sales are so high there. On arriving, the representative investigates a lassi parlor, where he is warmly welcomed, and finds several washing machines being used to mix it. The owner tells him he is able to "make ten times as much lassi as I used to!"
On his No Reservations television program, celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain visited a "Government Authorised" Bhang Shop in Jaisalmer Fort, Rajasthan. The proprietor offered him three varieties of bhang lassi: "normally strong, super duper sexy strong, and full power 24 hour, no toilet, no shower."
See also
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References
- ^ http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/database/mangolassi_67363.shtml
- ^ Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations Collection 2, Episode 5; Final Segment
- ^ [www.searchindia.com/2008/10/04/can-this-really-be-true/ "Can This Lassi Ad Really Be True?"] Check
|url=scheme (help). indiablogs.searchindia.com. 2008-10-04. Retrieved 2012-12-01. - ^ "HSBC Bank : Washing Machine and Lassi". Adoholik. 2008-09-27. Retrieved 2008-10-19.
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Lassi |
- "Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations Travel Guides - Highlights From Rajasthan". Retrieved 2008-01-19.
