Mint Yogurt Lassi (Ayran)

The latest hype in health and nutrition is all about your gut microbiome, or gut flora. However, traditional medicine and nutrition, although they lacked the diagnostics we currently have, had a much better handle on understanding our body.

Our intestines, aka gut, houses millions of different organisms meant to keep the body in balance. These organisms are affected by what we eat and if they are out of balance, they will affect how we feel.

Probiotic/Prebiotic Drinks

There is a long standing tradition of fermented foods because they are rich in probiotics/prebiotics. Lactic acid is a natural preservative that inhibits the growth of harmful bacteria. Fermented foods like yogurt, some cheese, pickles, kimchi, Kombucha help to keep the bad bacteria down while strengthening the good bacteria. Beyond preservation advantages, lacto-fermentation also increases or preserves the vitamin and enzyme levels, as well as digestibility, of the fermented food. In addition, lactobacillus organisms are heavily researched for substances that may contribute to good health.www.culturesforhealth.com/learn/natural-fermentation/what-is-lacto-fermentation

That yogurt lassi your grandmother used to make was not just for great flavour… it was extremely beneficial for your gut health too!

A Syrian Tradition

Syrians, as well as most of the Shami (Levant) countries, have a yogurt beverage known as Ayran. The yogurt beverage is usually served with meaty dishes like mashawi (bbq) or mansaf (rice dishes with meat on top, sort of like a non-spicy biryani).

Making it is easy, and there are many different ways to go about it. For the sake of keeping it simple, I will not include the full recipe of making your own yogurt from scratch, like straining out the whey and then using it to make the drink.