doogh
{{Short description|Iranian fermented milk drink}}
{{for|the village in Iran|Doogh, Iran}}
{{distinguish|Dough}}
{{More citations needed|date=September 2024}}
{{Infobox food
| image =
| place_of_origin = Ancient Persia
| course = Beverage
| type = Fermented dairy product
| main_ingredient = Yogurt or buttermilk, milk, water, salt
| served = Cold
| associated_cuisine = Iranian cuisine
}}
Doogh ({{langx|fa|دوغ}}) 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)."{{Cite web |title=استاندارد دوغ ساده - سازمان ملی استاندارد |url=https://www.inso.gov.ir/portal/home/?NEWS/845658/846305/961259/%D8%A7%D8%B3%D8%AA%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%AF-%D8%AF%D9%88%D8%BA-%D8%B3%D8%A7%D8%AF%D9%87 |access-date=2024-05-21 |website=www.inso.gov.ir}}
Production
Milk and plain yogurt, at a ratio of 15:1, are mixed and placed on low heat until uniformly warm. Salt is 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.{{Cite web |title=طرز تهیه دوغ محلی با شیر : به روش خانگی و قدیمی |url=https://namnak.com/%D8%AF%D9%88%D8%BA-%D9%85%D8%AD%D9%84%DB%8C.p75644 |access-date=2024-05-21 |website=نمناک |language=fa}} 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{{Cite web |title=دوغ - معنی در دیکشنری آبادیس |url=https://abadis.ir/fatofa/%D8%AF%D9%88%D8%BA/ |access-date=2024-05-21 |website=abadis.ir}}Margarat Shaida, "Yoghurt in Iran", In: Milk-- Beyond the Dairy: Proceedings of the Oxford Symposium on Food and Cookery 1999, {{ISBN|1903018064}}, 2000, [https://books.google.com/books?id=tuor2vcVtiQC&pg=PA311 pp. 311–312] thus, the word Doogh derives from the Persian word for milking, dooshidan.{{Cite conference|author=Islamic Republic of Iran|date=26–29 January 2009|title=Project Document for a Regional Standard for Doogh (CX/NEA 09/5/8)|url=ftp://ftp.fao.org/codex/Meetings/CCNEA/ccnea5/ne05_08e.pdf|location=Tunis, Tunisia|publisher=United Nations. Joint FAO/WHO food standards programme of the FAO/WHO coordinating committee for the Near East|access-date=26 June 2011}}
In Avestan scripture, doogh is defined{{Explain|date=September 2024|reason=Needs better English}} 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.{{better source needed|reason=Like everything about language, the source needs to be linguistic. "Dokhtar" and "daughter" are etymologically the same word, but relating words of vastly different meanings to each other based on partial homonymy does not seem serious.|date=September 2024}}
History
Doogh (دوغ) is an Iranian fermented drink{{Cite book|last=Nishinari|first=Katsuyoshi|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kYDHDwAAQBAJ&q=doogh+originated+in+persia&pg=PT299|title=Textural Characteristics of World Foods|date=2019-12-31|publisher=John Wiley & Sons|isbn=978-1-119-43079-7|language=en|quote=Doogh is an Iranian type of traditional fermented dairy-based drinks that is usually produced by mixing set or stirred yogurt and water at the same rate, as well as some aqueous extracts of local herbs, and spices such as thyme.|access-date=2020-10-31|archive-date=2020-12-18|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201218150800/https://books.google.com/books?id=kYDHDwAAQBAJ&q=doogh+originated+in+persia&pg=PT299|url-status=live}}{{Cite book|last=Katz|first=Sandor Ellix|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oJG-DAAAQBAJ&q=doogh+originated+in+persia&pg=PA117|title=Wild Fermentation: The Flavor, Nutrition, and Craft of Live-Culture Foods, 2nd Edition|date=2016|publisher=Chelsea Green Publishing|isbn=978-1-60358-628-3|language=en|page=117|access-date=2020-10-31|archive-date=2020-12-18|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201218150739/https://books.google.com/books?id=oJG-DAAAQBAJ&q=doogh+originated+in+persia&pg=PA117|url-status=live}} that has long been a popular drink and was consumed in ancient Iran (Persia).{{Cite book| last = Simmons| first = Shirin| title = Treasury of Persian Cuisine| publisher = Stamford House Publishing| year = 2007| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=87KOW40HThAC&q=doogh&pg=PT252| isbn = 978-1-904985-56-3| access-date = 2020-10-31| archive-date = 2020-12-18| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20201218150801/https://books.google.com/books?id=87KOW40HThAC&q=doogh&pg=PT252| url-status = live}}
Doogh is mentioned in Persian literature from the middle{{when|date=September 2024}} period. In the Persian physician's Avicenna's Kitab al-Qanun the word denotes milk used medically.
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, mainly Isfahan, doogh is served with the sweet pastry Gosh-e 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.{{cn|date=May 2024}}