The Indian yogurt-based drink often flavored with mango is lassi. It is traditionally made by blending yogurt with water, creating a cool, smooth beverage that may be sweet, salty, or spiced.
Lassi is strongly associated with Punjab and the wider Indian subcontinent. Traditional versions may use yogurt made from water-buffalo milk and can be seasoned with salt, roasted cumin, cardamom, or other spices. Sweet lassi is often flavored with fruit, rosewater, or sugar; mango lassi is the best-known modern variation outside South Asia.
The drink is commonly served chilled, sometimes in a clay cup called a kulhar. Its creamy texture comes from yogurt rather than cream or ice cream, although restaurant versions may be blended with extra milk or sweeteners.
Lassi is sometimes confused with ayran, kefir, or buttermilk. Ayran is a savory yogurt drink especially associated with Turkey and surrounding regions, kefir is cultured with kefir grains and is usually lightly fizzy, and buttermilk has a different fermentation tradition. Mango flavoring is a variation, not the defining ingredient.