Doogh is a tangy, slightly salty, cold and refreshing yoghurt drink that’s popular across the Middle East, North Africa, Central Asia and the Mediterranean. It is also known as Ayran, especially outside of Iran and the rest of Central Asia.
Estimated reading time: 5 minutes
How to pronounce Doogh in English
The word doogh comes from the Persian word dooshidan, which means milking. So loosely translated, doogh means “that which is the product of milking”.
The d sound and the double o is easy enough, right? The long oo is pronounced in the same way that you say pool.
The last 2 letters, gh, may present more of a challenge to some. It’s the Roman translation of the Arabic letter غ, ghayn.
Pronunciation does vary slightly from country to country in the Middle East, but essentially, the sound made by “gh” is the same sound made by native speakers when they say Baghdad.
The closest approximation I can think of is the way a native French speaker says the letter “r” in Paris. I’ll be doing a video of this super simple recipe in a few days, so look out for how I pronounce it!
So what is Doogh, really?
It’s a yoghurt drink, plain and simple. The “modern” doogh or the homemade version is basically watered down yoghurt that’s lightly salted, then perfumed with the mint. Rose petals and dried seville orange peel are also not an uncommon addition.
In Afghanistan, doogh is made with mint and cucumbers, which really increases the fresh factor. One of my favourite Afghan doogh is when the cucumber and fresh mint leaves are blended together with the yoghurt to create a light green drink, very minty and so, so refreshing!
Doogh – or ayran – is commercially produced and sold in bottles and cartons in all the areas mentioned above.
In our last month-long stay in Morocco in 2015, ayran (as it’s known in Morocco) was my kids’ favourite drink whenever we ate out, which was like every day! The local mint tea came a close second!
What does Doogh taste Like?
It’s definitely tangy, because it’s yoghurt, after all. It has a touch of saltiness about it, and if you are sticking with carbonated water, it’s also a delicious fizzy drink, full of minty flavours.
If you are using rose petals, you’ll be adding a touch of sweet and musk to it.
Traditional Doogh Recipe
Now, way back when, doogh was originally the by-product of butter production. Full fat milk was placed in a mashk, which is a huge bag made from animal skin. This bag was then hung on a contraption and swung to and fro until butter was produced (imagine the muscles one can develop!).
The fermented liquid left in the bag was then drained and drunk. This was how doogh used to be made. See the mage below, courtesy of Tehran Times.
How to drink Doogh
Given its cold, invigorating nature, doogh is simply perfect on a hot summer’s day. Not only does it quench your thirst but the small amount of added salt is probably just what your body needs on scorching days.
However, this Persian yoghurt drink isn’t just for summer days. It’s a very common non alcoholic drink served at mealtimes, both at home and in restaurants. It’s great with kababs, rice (polo) and stews (khoresh). But not if your main dish is yoghurt based!
Dried or Fresh Mint?
That’s completely up to you. Fresh mint just adds that much more zing to the drink, but dried mint works just as well, and is quite traditional.
If you are using fresh mint, you want to chop those leaves up pretty small. Place them in a chopper if you like. Or blend them along with the yoghurt, to which you can add some cucumbers, for an Afghan doogh.
And so, there we have it, next time you fancy a different kind of drink, make yourself some Persian doogh, or Ayran. Whatever you want to call it!
Shall we get our aprons on?
If you like the recipe, don’t forget to leave me a comment and that all important, 5-star rating! Merci.
And if you make the recipe, share it on any platform and tag me @azlinbloor, and hashtag it #linsfood
Cheers!/ !به سلامتی Lin
More Non Alcoholic Drinks
Doogh (Afghan and Persian Yoghurt Drink, aka Ayran)
Equipment
- a jug
- large spoon to stir
- knife if using fresh mint
- chopping board if using fresh mint
Ingredients
- 250 g thick yoghurt half/low fat works too
- 1 large pinch salt
- 1 Tbsp dried mint OR 1 handful fresh mint leaves
- ½ tsp dried rose petals, crushed between fingers
- 250 ml carbonated water you can use still too, if you prefer
- 1 handful ice cubes
Garnish
- 2 stalks fresh mint
Additional Ingredient
- 10 cm thick cucumber portion, sliced
Instructions
- Place the yoghurt in a jug, along with the salt, mint and rose petals.
- Divide the ice cube between 2 glasses.
- Pour the yoghurt over the ice cubes, dividing it equally between the 2 glasses.
- Top with the carbonated water, garnish with the mint and serve.
Afghan Style Doogh
- Place the yoghurt, mint and cucumbers into a blender and blend to a smooth mix.
- Then divide between 2 glasses, over ice, and top with mint leaves.
What do you think of adding lemon instead of the mint/rose? just adding it on a per serving basis as to not curdle it with storage,
I just tried this drink in a Persian restaurant and loved the bottled, commercial version so I can only imagine drinking it fresh will be just delicious. If I made a larger batch, how long does it last in the fridge? Excited to find something refreshing to drink that does not include tons of sugar, caffeine and chemicals~
Hi Anne, the freshly made is definitely a whole lot better.
I think lemon might make it a little too sour, and you’d have to compensate with a little honey. That’s my thinking, I’ve not actually tried it.
I’ve kept this in the fridge for 5 days because I forgot it was there, and apart from being flat, it was delicious, with the rose and mint being more pronounced. It’s essentially just yoghurt diluted and flavoured, so as long as it doesn’t have fresh cucumbers or mint, it will keep for a week in the fridge, although it will lose all its fizz.
I had doogh for the first time yesterday at a Persian restaurant and strongly prefer it over chaas. I just made doogh for the first time using this recipe with sparkling water, which makes a huge difference.
Love it. Thanks for sharing!
My pleasure, I’m so pleased to hear that!
Hi in iran we have carbonated doogh one is simple other one with mint or pennyroyal
Thank you, Niki, yes, I love the one with pennyroyal!
I like the taste of yoghurt. I never liked to drink milk. We drink a lot of milk here in Sweden but I prefer fresh water from the tap. My husband doesn’t like mint. I usually sprinkle dried mint on my portion of food when the recipe calls for that. I love mint and of course I’ll have it in my doogh. Thank you for the recipe.
I think you’ll enjoy this cold yoghurt, Maria. It’s so popular around the Mediterranean and the Middle East.
I had to look for this yum doogh recipe. Since I get my greens tomorrow I wanted to list out my ingredients. Love the use of mint and guess what I will be drinking the whole day ! 😀 since it is hot and humid we need some delicious liquids. This doogh fits the bill to the T. Thanks
Sound delicious. Somewhat similar to Indian chaas? Though that usually adds cumin rather than mint.
Yes, definitely a similar concept, if different flavourings. So much of the south Asian cuisine owes its roots to the Persians after all.
Wonderful, I’m a new subscriber to your Persian recipes. Had it for lunch here in the tropics today, so delicious! Thank you!
Hi J, I’m so pleased to hear that, thank you.