In Search of The Best Lassi in India

There seems to be two national cold drinks of India: 1) fresh lime soda and 2) lassis. I can’t say enough good things about fresh lime sodas. Made of just freshly squeezed lime juice and seltzer with a little sugar, they are immensely superior to the ubiquitous American lemonade. The lime seems more refreshing than lemon and it isn’t as sickly sweet. When I return home, I will make it a personal mission to start the trend from lemonade to lime soda. However since as far as I can tell, the quality of lime soda is uniform across the subcontinent there isn’t much for me to do on the lime soda front now except for order and enjoy.

In comparison, the quality and composition of lassis can vary substantially. First of all for those of you who aren’t familiar with Indian cuisine, a lassi is a chilled yogurt drink. In America, it is served sweet and almost always mango flavored. In India, it comes salted or sweet and either unflavored or flavored with anything from banana to mango to saffron. In addition the consistency can vary from milk-thin to so thick and creamy that it can be eaten with a spoon.

So with a smorgasbord of lassis spread out in front of me, I’ve found my mission: to find the best lassi in India. So far there are two strong contenders:

1) Lassiwalla in Jaipur. Their lassis have an unbelievably subtle and sophisticated taste. A purist shop that only sells two varieties: sweet and salted. No fruit flavors at all. They lose a little something in taste because it is served in a disposable clay (i.e. baked mud) cone but it does give it an air of rural authenticity.

2) Om Juice Corner in Jodphur. A huge variety of flavors including saffron and Makhaniya, a local specialty. So rich and sweet with only the mildest of yogurt tang that it was the first lassi that Nicholas enjoyed. The perfect 4 pm treat.

More reports as I visit other cities and our Delhi based guide swears that the lassi shops in Old Delhi’s Chandi Chowk stand head and shoulders above these two shops.

Lisa adds: Oh dear, another Markus mission. I think his time would be better spent finding momos for me (momos are Tibetan dumplings and they are sublime but are not to be found here in the desert).