Homemade Ayran (Turkish Yogurt Drink)

Ask anyone in Turkey what to drink with kebab, lahmacun or a slab of borek and the answer is always the same: ayran. This salty yogurt drink has been made by Turkic peoples for over a thousand years, originally as a way to preserve yogurt on long journeys across the steppe. Today it outsells fizzy drinks in many Turkish restaurants, and once you taste a properly frothy homemade glass you will understand why.

The classic ratio is two parts yogurt to one part ice-cold water, with salt to taste. Thick, tangy Turkish-style yogurt makes all the difference here — thin supermarket yogurt gives you a watery drink, while a good strained or village yogurt gives ayran its trademark body. The foam on top is not optional in Turkey: in Susurluk, the town famous for it, ayran is served with a cap of froth so thick it leaves a moustache.

You can get that foam three ways: a good blitz in the blender, a milk frother, or the traditional method of pouring the ayran between two jugs from a height. A handful of ice cubes in the blender chills it and builds foam at the same time. For a Yayla-style twist, add a pinch of dried mint; on a scorching day some people even add a splash of sparkling water for extra lift. All the yogurt, salt and dried mint you need are on Turkish Online Market's shelves.