Taste Guide

Turkish Beverages Guide: Cold Drinks Beyond Tea and Coffee

Tea and coffee get most of the attention, and both deserve it. Turkish tea culture has its tulip-shaped glasses and refill after refill, and the Turkish coffee ritual has its thick foam and slow sipping. But at a Turkish lunch table you are just as likely to see a jug of ayran, a small bottle of sparkling maden suyu or a glass of deep purple şalgam next to the food. Those cold Turkish beverages are the focus here: what each one tastes like, what it goes with and which bottles to start with. In UAE heat, most of them end up as permanent residents of the fridge. Turkish Beverages at a Glance Drink What it tastes like Goes well with Ayran Cool, salty, tangy yoghurt Köfte, kebab, pide bread, börek Şalgam Sour and savoury, mild or hot Grilled meat and spicy food Maden suyu Fizzy, with a mineral taste A big meal, with lemon Gazoz Sweet and fizzy Snacks and hot afternoons Sour cherry juice Sweet with a sharp edge Breakfast and guests Fruit sherbets Sweet, fruity, sometimes tart Hosting and iftar tables Ayran: The Everyday Yoghurt Drink Ayran is yoghurt whisked with cold water and a pinch of salt until smooth and lightly frothy. In the UAE you will often find it sold as laban, and it is used in much the same way. It is the usual drink with köfte, döner and pide bread, because the cool, salty tang cuts through grilled meat and spice. Bottled ayran is the easy option. To make a jug at home, whisk plain yoghurt with roughly the same amount of cold water and a pinch of salt, then add more water if you like it thinner. Serve it very cold. Kefir sits next to ayran in the dairy fridge, but it is a different drink: fermented milk that is thicker, tangier and not salted. It is usually drunk on its own rather than with a meal. Şalgam: Sour, Purple and Worth a Try Şalgam is a fermented drink from southern Türkiye, closely tied to the city of Adana. Labels translate it as turnip juice, but it is usually made by fermenting purple carrots with bulgur flour and salt, which gives it a deep colour and a sour, savoury taste. It comes in two styles: regular, which is mild, and acılı, which is hot. Served ice cold, şalgam is the traditional partner for Adana-style kebab and other spicy grilled food. The first sip can be a surprise. If you are new to it, start with the regular version and drink it with food rather than on its own. Maden Suyu and Gazoz: Turkish Fizz Maden suyu is sparkling mineral water, usually sold in small glass bottles. Beypazarı, a town in Ankara province, is one of the well-known names. Many people reach for a bottle after a heavy meal, often with a squeeze of lemon. The fruit-flavoured versions, such as lemon, apple, mandarin and pomegranate, are a softer, fruitier option. Gazoz is something else: a sweet, clear fizzy drink made by regional producers across Türkiye. Niğde Gazozu is one of the classic names, and its raspberry version goes well with salty snacks, a bowl of roasted nuts or a hot afternoon on the balcony. Fruit Juices and Sherbets for Hosting Sour cherry juice, vişne suyu, is a fixture in many Turkish fridges. It is deep red and sweet with a sharp edge, and it looks good over ice when guests arrive. Apricot juice is thicker and gentler, and freshly squeezed orange, mandarin or pomegranate juice covers the rest of the table. Sherbets, or şerbet, have a long history in Turkish kitchens. They are sweet, fruity drinks served cold: tamarind is sweet and sour, grape must drink (şıra) tastes of fresh grapes, and hibiscus is tart and floral. Pour one into a jug with ice and lemon slices for an easy welcome drink. You will find juices and sherbets together in the beverages section. What to Drink With What Köfte, kebab and grilled meat: ayran, or şalgam if you like something sour and spicy. Mantı, pide bread and börek: ayran is the classic choice. A big family dinner: maden suyu with lemon to finish. Breakfast: tea first, then sour cherry or orange juice for anyone who wants something cold. Our Turkish breakfast guide covers the rest of the table. Baklava and Turkish delight: tea or Turkish coffee, since a sweet drink next to a sweet dessert can be a lot. Our Turkish sweets guide has serving ideas. Guests on a warm evening: a jug of sherbet or lemonade, plus a tray of small, cold bottles of maden suyu and gazoz. Keeping Drinks Cold in UAE Heat Treat ayran and kefir like milk. Refrigerate them as soon as they arrive and follow the storage instructions on the label. Plan deliveries around being home. Dairy drinks should not wait in a hot car or by the front door. Refrigerate opened bottles. Şalgam, juices and sherbets go in the fridge after opening, according to the product instructions. Chill glass bottles in the fridge, not the freezer. Fizzy drinks expand as they freeze, and the glass can crack. Shake bottled ayran before opening. It settles as it stands. A First Order to Try If you are new to Turkish beverages, this small basket covers the main styles without filling the whole fridge: 4 bottles of ayran (300 ml each) 2 bottles of şalgam: one regular, one hot 1 six-pack of natural maden suyu and 1 six-pack of a fruit flavour 1 six-pack of gazoz 1 bottle of sour cherry juice (1 L) That is enough to try each one with a few different meals and find out which ones become regulars. For more on putting together a first basket, see our guide to Turkish grocery shopping in the UAE. FAQs About Turkish Beverages Is ayran the same as laban? They are close relatives. Ayran is yoghurt whisked with water and salt, while the laban sold in the UAE is a cultured milk drink. Both are served cold and slightly salty with food, which is why ayran is often labelled as laban here, and you can use them the same way. Is maden suyu the same as soda water? Not quite. Maden suyu is natural mineral water from a spring, so it has a distinct mineral taste, while soda water is usually plain water with added fizz. That mineral edge is part of the appeal, so try it plain and cold before adding anything. Which Turkish drinks work well for iftar? Sherbets, sour cherry juice and lemonade are common on iftar tables, because they are cold and refreshing after a day of fasting. Ayran is a popular choice with the main course, and tea follows the meal. Are Turkish sherbets and juices very sweet? It depends on the drink. Sherbets and fruit nectars tend to be on the sweet side, while squeezed juices taste closer to the fruit, so check the label if you are watching sugar. For a lighter drink, top a glass of sherbet up with maden suyu and plenty of ice. Can I buy ayran and şalgam in the UAE? Yes. Bakkal.ae stocks ayran, kefir, şalgam, maden suyu, gazoz and Turkish juices and sherbets, with delivery across the UAE. Most come as single bottles or six-packs, so it is easy to try a few at once. These are the bottles we would start with, covering the yoghurt drinks, şalgam, fizz and juice. Recommended Products for this Content