Doogh

For the village in Iran, see Doogh, Iran.

Not to be confused with Dough.

Doogh

Type	Fermented dairy product
Course	Beverage
Place of origin	Iran, Afghanistan
Associated cuisine	Iranian cuisine
Serving temperature	Cold
Main ingredients	Yogurt or buttermilk, milk, water, salt
Media: Doogh

Doogh is a cold and savoury Iranian drink. It is made with fermented milk. Unlike its sister beverage of Turkish origin, ayran, Doogh is not diluted yogurt. According to the Iranian Ministry of Food Standards, Doogh "is a drink resulting from lactic fermentation of milk whose dry matter is standardized by diluting yogurt (after fermentation) or buttermilk (before fermentation)."

Production

The manufacturing process involves a sometimes lengthy period of fermentation in warm temperatures, which comes to be the source of this drink's savoury taste.

Preparation

In order to make doogh, firstly, milk and plain yogurt must be mixed with a ratio of 15:1 until homogeneous. The mixture is then placed on low heat until uniformly warm. Salt is then added, and the mixture is poured into a closed container and placed in a warm area for 3-4 days, after which it is ready to serve. The longer the drink is left to ferment, the more savoury it becomes. Many subcultures in Iran prefer a longer fermentation period.

Etymology

Doogh has historically been referenced in Persian literature as the representation of a "sour version" of milk. The history of this word is uncertain. It is present in Avestan scripture, and essentially seems to have been another word for milk, or for the product of milking. The word for milking in present-day Persian derives from doogh.

In Avestan scripture, doogh is defined as milk. Additionally, in the Avesta, the word for "girl," or "woman," or "female," is dooghtar, which means "the one who milks/is milked," and sounds very similar to the current-day word in Persian for "girl," dokhtar. Some Persian language scholars claim that the English word "daughter" also derives from this word.

History

Doogh is mentioned in Persian literature from the middle period. Avicenna's Kitab al-Qanun makes use of this word to denote milk that is used in a medicinal process. Though it is true that Avicenna's work was written in Arabic, the word "doogh" doesn't exist in Arabic and Avicenna's use of it is thus taken as a part of Persian literature strictly for the purposes of this article.

Culture

Doogh is recognized as one of the main Iranian beverages to serve alongside meals. Dishes such as Dizi and Chelo-Kabab are the most commonly served with doogh.

In some parts of Iran, primarily the city of Isfahan, doogh is served with a sweet pastry named Gushe-fil as a hallmark tradition and snack.

In Iranian popular culture doogh is also considered to have a sedative effect. Pop culture jokes imply that it is a bad idea to drink doogh during lunch at work or school.

See also

• Ash-e doogh soup
• Iranian cuisine