TABLE OF CONTENTS
Best Asian Dairy Beverage Types
Mango lassi is one of the most popular lassi varieties, consisting of yogurt (dahi) and fresh mango. It commonly includes cardamom, water, and sugar. The ingredients are combined until the drink is creamy and frothy. Mango lassi should always be served well-chilled.
Among numerous types of lassis, this sweet mango version is the most common variety on the menus of Indian restaurants outside the country.
THE BEST Mango lassi Dairy Beverages
MAIN INGREDIENTS
As the name suggests, this lassi variety is sweetened. Along with sugar, it incorporates yogurt (curd) and usually some fruit or flavorings such as saffron or cardamom. Sweet lassi is often enjoyed after a meal or simply as a refreshing drink that is especially popular during warm summer days.
Lassi is traditionally prepared in clay pots. It is often topped with a dollop of thick cream (malai), and sweet varieties are commonly garnished with slivered nuts. There are many sweet lassi variations, and apart from traditional versions, mango lassi recently grew into one of the favorites.
VARIATIONS OF Meethi lassi
This traditional Indian yogurt-based drink hails from the pre-refrigeration era when Punjabi farmers mixed their milk with sugar and curd, and kept the concoction in clay pots. Lassi is often flavored with a variety of fresh herbs, different spices, fruits, and floral essences.
It is typically mixed with ice and served as an accompaniment to hot and spicy dishes, as it provides refreshment for the palate and soothes the body, especially on hot summer days. Sweet lassi is called metha lassi and it often contains ginger, mint, rosewater, cardamom, and exotic fruits like mango.
VARIATIONS OF Lassi
Soda gembira is a traditional non-alcoholic beverage that is especially popular with children of all ages. It is made with a combination of three ingredients – coco pandan syrup, condensed milk, and carbonated water. The proportions of ingredients may vary, but soda gembira typically has a bright pink color after all ingredients have been combined.
This sweet and creamy drink is most often consumed on hot summer days.
Bandung is a popular Malaysian pink-hued beverage that is especially beloved by the Malai community. This simple drink is made with a combination of milk and rose syrup, and depending on where it has been bought, bandung can be made with condensed milk, fresh milk, evaporated milk, or any combination of the three.
It is typically served over ice, and it is especially popular at weddings or during Iftar (breaking the fast) in the month of Ramadan.
Ayran or doogh is a savory yogurt-based drink that is mainly associated with Iran and Türkiye, but it is enjoyed throughout the Middle East, and similar drinks are also found in India and the Balkans. The drink has ancient origins, and though it is impossible to pin its exact origin, it could have developed simultaneously in different parts of the world.
Doogh is made by mixing yogurt, cold (or ice) water, and salt. It is often combined with various herbs and spices—such as mint or pepper—but sometimes fruit or vegetables can also be added. It is also occasionally made as a carbonated drink.
Salted lassi is a savory lassi variety prepared with yogurt (dahi), salt, and typically roasted cumin powder (bhuna jeera). It commonly includes pepper and other spices, and it is sometimes diluted with water. The preparation consists of mixing the ingredients until the combination is well combined and frothy.
This lassi is one of India's most popular lassi varieties, and it is traditionally served in a clay cup called kulhar. The drink is especially popular as a refreshing and replenishing summer drink. It can be served over ice, and it sometimes comes topped with cumin or chopped mint leaves.
VARIATIONS OF Namkeen lassi
Badam doodh is an almond-based beverage that hails from India. The drink is made with almond paste—consisting of ground almonds—which is combined with warm milk, sugar, and spices. Cardamom and saffron are often added as flavorings, but some varieties may also use rosewater.
Badam is mostly enjoyed on special occasions, such as religious ceremonies or weddings. It can be served warm or chilled and garnished with slivered almonds, rose petals, or saffron strands.
Milkis is a South Korean soft drink produced by Lotte Chilsung, a company which released the beverage in 1989, labeling it as a milk and yogurt soda. Some like to describe it as a melting mousse made with frozen yogurt. It is made with carbonated water, corn syrup, sugar, and milk.
Today, Milkis is available in many varieties, flavored with mango, banana, peach, orange, strawberry, apple, or melon.
MAIN INGREDIENTS
Thandai is a North Indian milk-based beverage that incorporates nuts, seeds, and various spices. The preparation starts with a thick paste that is usually made with a different combination of nuts and spices such as cashews, almonds, cardamom, peppercorns, poppy seeds, and fennel seeds.
The milk is combined with sugar and saffron, sometimes with the addition of rose water, before it is mixed with the nut and spice paste. The combination is then left to set before it is strained. Thandai should always be served well-chilled and typically comes garnished with slivered nuts and saffron threads.
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