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Street Cart Cooler · Salted Yogurt Drink

Ayran

🥛
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Vendors whisk it up on the spot from nothing more than yogurt, cold water, and a pinch of salt — no blender, no syrup, just a shaker and ice.

Plain yogurt is thinned with cold water and salt, shaken until frothy, and poured over ice. Beirut's street carts, especially near grill and shawarma stands, sell it in tall cups as the go-to wash-down for something rich and salty.

Why it's made this way: The drink's name and technique arrived with the same Ottoman and Armenian influences that shaped Beirut's grilled-meat street food, and it's now the default order alongside a soujok or shawarma sandwich.
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Part of World of Street Food — 3248 dishes from 118 countries. Something wrong here? Tell us in the comments below. Photo credits.