Tahn, an Armenian Drink

Posted by Debbie Kwiatoski Jun 17, 2007

I can’t even remember a time when I didn’t eat yogurt. It is as common as milk in most Middle Eastern family kitchens and is consumed in nearly any imaginable. My grandmother made yogurt at least once a week, always in a big crockery bowl, with a damp towel for a covering. Unlike the overly sweetened flavored yogurt found in most supermarkets today, Grandma’s yogurt was so incredibly sour that it was routinely mixed with sugar or a bit of jam or honey for younger family members, not so used to its pungency.

There is a wonderful story I used to hear about how Armenians first “smuggled” yogurt into America, when they emigrated to a new life in the New World. The thing about making yogurt is that, like sourdough bread, you need some yogurt left from the last batch as a s starter to get the action going in the bowl. But, as an agricultural product, new immigrants could not just carry it with them on the boat and get it successfully through U.S. Customs. What to do about the dilemma became a real problem. Most Armenians feel they need to have a daily does of the stuff to feel healthy – and the product figures on every Armenian table in many, many dishes and at every single meal in some form or another. Without it, life in this country seemed very bleak, indeed – one more beloved thing they had been forced to leave behind – that is, until some enterprising immigrant housewives had an idea.

They discovered that, if they soaked their clean white handkerchiefs in yogurt, hung them in the sun to dry and then ironed them well before they packed them, the handkerchiefs made an excellent medium for holding their precious yogurt starter. Once safely through Customs and settled into their new kitchens, they would simply dip the handkerchiefs into warm water and enough residual yogurt would be released to make a new bowl of yogurt. Problem solved.

Some of my favorite ways to have yogurt in the hot summer months is to stir it into granola or a fruit smoothie for breakfast; drink it in an icy concoction known as Tahn, as a change from the usual iced tea or lemonade; and to spoon it liberally over dolmas as a kind of quick sauce.

To make tahn:

1) Fill about a quarter to a half of a tall glass (to taste) with plain, unsweetened yogurt.

2) Add some crushed mint leaves (again, to taste) and some ice cubes.

3) Fill the rest of the way up with cold water – stir well in mix the yogurt with the water and the mint and enjoy.

You can also make Tahn by the pitcher, using the same proportions. If you prefer a sweeter drink, you can also stir in a bit of honey or sugar, although on a very hot day, the more sour and cold the tahn, the cooler it makes you feel, as it slides down your parched throat!