Doogh: A Salted Yogurt Drink on the Iranian Table
Doogh is not sweet. It is plain yogurt thinned out, seasoned with salt, and scented with mint, made to sit beside a meal rather than stand in for dessert.
A cold, pale white drink set down next to a plate of kebab: that is how doogh is often introduced. Encyclopædia Iranica describes Iranian doogh as yogurt mixed with water, either still or carbonated, served chilled as a summer drink or with meals, especially with kebab. If you are expecting something like a sweet lassi, the first sip will surprise you. The flavor runs on salt and herbs, not sugar.
In Persian the drink is called dūḡ (دوغ), usually written doogh in English. This article is filed under the name ayran, which is how the closely related yogurt drink is known in Türkiye and elsewhere. The subject here, though, is Iranian doogh. A review in the journal Akademik Gıda treats doogh and Turkish ayran as related drinks while noting that they can differ, so this article does not treat the two names as a single fixed recipe.
The recipe below is one modern version: Bon Appétit's "Fizzy Mint Doogh," made with fresh mint and club soda. It is a simple mix of store-bought yogurt, salt, mint and soda, with no fermenting from scratch and no heat. For more dishes from the same country, see Iranian food.
Ingredients for 4 Glasses
These amounts follow the published recipe and are given in US cups, measured by volume. Measure the yogurt by volume as well; this recipe does not convert it to grams.
Doogh is made from yogurt and contains milk. It is not suitable for anyone with a milk allergy. If you add the optional rose petals described under variations, use only petals sold as food.
Equipment
- Blender
- Measuring cups (US) and measuring spoons
- Fork or wooden spoon, for stirring in the soda
- 4 glasses
Choosing Yogurt, Salt and Water
Yogurt. The recipe calls for plain whole-milk yogurt and specifically says not Greek. Greek yogurt is thicker, so with the same amount of soda the drink will not have the same body. If thick yogurt is all you can find, adding a little water is your own adjustment, not part of the original recipe, and the result is not guaranteed to match. Bottled drinking yogurt is not the same thing either; its salt and thickness differ.
Salt. The recipe notes that the type of salt matters. Use 1 tsp if your salt is Diamond Crystal kosher salt, or 1/2 tsp if it is Morton kosher salt. If you are using a different salt, such as fine table salt, do not assume the same spoon amount works; add a little at a time and taste. The same applies if you want the drink less salty.
Water. Encyclopædia Iranica notes that doogh is made with either still or carbonated water. This recipe uses club soda for a fizzy finish; still water gives a version without bubbles, covered below under variations.
Method: Fresh Mint Doogh
There is no cooking here and no heat. You need a blender, and the recipe makes 4 servings. The original recipe gives no preparation time, so judge each step by how the mixture looks.
When the Glass Isn't Right
| What you notice | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Too thick, almost like a smoothie | Greek or very thick yogurt was used | Next time use plain whole-milk yogurt as the recipe specifies. Thinning with water is your own adjustment and won't necessarily match the original |
| Too salty | Salt brand or type differs from the recipe | Match the amount to the brand (Diamond Crystal 1 tsp, Morton 1/2 tsp). With other salts, start small and taste |
| Flat, no fizz | Soda was blended, or the drink stood before serving | Add the soda after blending, stir it in by hand, and serve right away |
| Large pieces of mint | Not blended long enough | Blend the yogurt, salt and mint until only small flecks remain before adding soda |
Leftovers
The sources used here give no refrigeration time or storage guidance for this homemade mix, so this article does not suggest making it ahead. Make it fresh and drink it before the bubbles fade.
Changing the Flavor and Strength
Still water instead of club soda. Iranica lists both still and carbonated water for doogh. With still water you lose the sharp prickle of bubbles and get a smoother, calmer drink. This is a different finish, not the fizzy version above.
Dried mint. Iranica describes the common modern method as beating yogurt and adding water, salt, and dried mint or other herbs such as celery leaves, and Bon Appétit notes that dried mint is traditional. The amounts in this recipe are for fresh mint, so do not swap dried mint in at the same 1/2 cup; the sources here give no dried-mint amount for this recipe, and none is suggested.
Rose petals or black pepper. Bon Appétit mentions that some versions use rose petals or black pepper. Its recipe lists 1 tbsp dried rose petals as optional, blended in step 1 with the yogurt, salt and mint. The base recipe above leaves them out for a cleaner mint flavor. Use only food-grade petals.
Ābdūḡ-ḵīār. Iranica also describes ābdūḡ-ḵīār, in which doogh is combined with ingredients such as chopped cucumber and bread and eaten as a light meal. That is a separate way of eating doogh, not an addition to this drink.
Doogh on the Table, and in History
Doogh is a drink to pour alongside food. Iranica describes it as served cold in summer or with meals, kebab in particular, and the Akademik Gıda review introduces it as a fermented milk drink consumed daily in Iran. A savory, salted glass fits beside grilled meat and rice in a way a sweet drink would not.
Older methods were very different from a quick blender recipe. Iranica records traditional churning to separate the fat, and the Akademik Gıda review describes a traditional process of making yogurt from milk, churning it while adding water, removing the fat layer, letting fermentation continue, and keeping the drink in a cool place. These are descriptions of traditional and production methods, not home instructions, and this article does not claim they are still common today. Iranica also notes early uses of the word itself, but an old use of the word does not prove it meant the same drink as now.
Today the range is wide: still or sparkling water, salt, dried mint or celery leaves, fresh mint or rose petals. There is no single household formula for all of Iran, and the Bon Appétit recipe here is one published version among many.
Doogh and Ayran
The Akademik Gıda review compares doogh with related products such as Turkish ayran. Both are yogurt-based drinks, but the review notes that they can differ in dilution, physical properties, fat content and flavor.
To avoid confusing the names, this article keeps its scope narrow: the recipe is Iranian doogh, and ayran is treated as a closely related drink from neighboring regions, not as another name for exactly the same recipe.
There is also a limit to what the sources can say. The paper is a review; it does not define one boundary between the two drinks or describe every regional or commercial product. Names and recipes shift from place to place, and it is safer not to draw a hard line.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is doogh sweet?
Not in this recipe. It uses unsweetened yogurt, salt and mint, with no sugar. If you are used to sweet yogurt drinks, expect something closer to a savory, herby glass to drink with a meal.
Can I use still water instead of club soda?
Yes. Iranica notes that doogh is made with still or carbonated water. With still water there are no bubbles, so it is a different finish from the fizzy version above.
Can I use dried mint?
Dried mint appears in Iranica's description of the common modern method, and Bon Appétit calls it traditional. But this recipe's 1/2 cup is for packed fresh mint, so do not use the same amount of dried mint.
Are ayran and doogh the same?
They are closely related, but research describes differences between products, such as dilution, texture, fat and flavor. Names and recipes vary by region, so it is best not to treat them as identical.
How long does it keep?
The sources used here give no refrigerator storage time for this homemade drink, so this article cannot say whether it keeps safely or how long it holds its quality. Make it fresh and drink it right away, while the soda is still lively.
Sources
- Encyclopædia Iranica, Mohammad Reza Ghanoonparvar, "DŪḠ." Iranian doogh made from yogurt and still or carbonated water, served chilled as a summer drink or with meals, especially kebab; the common modern method with water, salt and dried mint or other herbs; traditional churning and fat removal; early uses of the word; and ābdūḡ-ḵīār. https://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/dug/
- Bon Appétit, Andy Baraghani, "Fizzy Mint Doogh." The recipe used in this article: ingredients, amounts, method and 4 servings; the note that dried mint is traditional and that rose petals or black pepper are sometimes used. https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/doogh
- Mostafa Soltani, Dilek Say and Nuray Güzeler, "Production and Quality Characteristics of 'Doogh'," Akademik Gıda 10(4), 2012. Doogh as a fermented milk drink consumed daily in Iran; yogurt mixed with water, herbs and salt; traditional production; and differences between doogh and related drinks such as Turkish ayran. https://dergipark.org.tr/tr/download/article-file/1189178
