How Mango Lassi Conquered the World
A fruity yogurt concoction became the gateway drink to an entire cuisine — in only one generation.
Wherever you go in the subcontinent, chilled drinks are a necessity. After all, icy sherbets or yogurt-based concoctions are armor against the wilting heat. There’s froth-headed neer mor — buttermilk sluiced with green chilies, ginger, and curry leaves — from southern India. There’s gondhoraj ghol —which folds salt, sugar, and gondhoraj lebu into creamy curd — from Bengal. There’s soothing, rosewater-y Rooh Afza, with milk or water. And then, of course, there’s lassi, a Punjabi staple featuring whisked buttermilk, spices, and even fruit.
Ask anyone which drinks they associate with the subcontinent, and they’ll likely come up with two: chai and mango lassi. The latter’s signature alliance of mangoes and yogurt has infiltrated kitchens ranging from casual to-go eateries to the most high-end restaurants across the diaspora. So how did the drink become so ubiquitous, especially when its OG counterpart, the plain lassi, is the most popular version in South Asia?