Lassi Love

I was recently the lucky recipient of an assortment of Dahlicious Lassis, a bottled version of the popular Indian beverage, lassi. I had only ever tried mango (the flavor that is typically available in restaurants) and was excited to taste each flavor: Ecuador Banana, Wild Maine Blueberry, Oregon Strawberry, and Alphonso Mango.

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Here’s what Dahlicious has to say about their lassis (you can also learn more from their website):

Lassi’s origins can be traced back to Punjab, North India. Land of 5 Rivers. India’s breadbasket. Its heartland. Birthplace of Hinduism, Yoga, Ayurvedic* Medicine, Bhangra music & sacred texts like the Mahabaratha & Vedas. It’s a marriage of beauty and spirituality.

[The] Authentic Indian lassi [was] born 1,000 BC. A light, cool & creamy blend of Indian-style yogurt flavored with the finest fruits & purest spices. Prized across South Asia for its great taste & healing Ayurvedic properties. Every Dahlicious Lassi is handcrafted slowly, locally, athentically… in a tradition dating back ot the very beginnings of Indian civilization.

Indian-style yogurt is special: a unique blend of 5 active cultures, grown slowly, at a low heat. It’s slow-cultured in 12 hours ( 3x longer than yogurt)… it’s lighter & less acidic (sour) than yogurt or kefir.

Each bottle contains 15 billion probiotic cultures. Probiotics, the body’s healthy bacteria, help regulate many immune, digestive and energy functions. Dahlicious Lassi contains five uniqe cultures, proven to help:

  • boost immunity, fight infection & fatigue
  • promote digestive health, mineral absorption, and ease lactose intolerance
  • support healthy cholesterol

*Ayureda, or “The Science of Life.” This ancient Indian health practice focuses on disease prevention through balanced lifestyles. For thousands of years, Ayurvedic health practitioners have used Lassi to re-balance, re-store, and re-juvenate patients.

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Each bottle has around 2 grams of fat (1 gram saturated), 5 grams of protein, and 120 calories. They are flavored only with fruit, and contain no high fructose corn syrup, artificial colorings, preservative, or gelatin. They are made with milk from grass-fed cows on a small family farm in Vermont, without the use of growth hormone rBGH.

Although I could have surely found a more creative way to enjoy these lassis, I drank them on their own, usually around mid-day, for a little afternoon pick-me-up. They would also make great bases for smoothies!

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Alphonso Mango: I used to order mango lassis all the time at Indian restaurants. (I haven’t been doing so lately because I suspect most places don’t use low-fat yogurt – not that it’s not a nutritious treat, but I like to save room for the good food!) My dad will usually let me have sip or two of his, and I have to say- this tastes just as good as the restaurant version! It’s smooth and creamy, full of flavor, and just like the drink I used to love.

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Wild Maine Blueberry: The blueberry flavor is strong and flavorful, but I can definitely taste a hint of peach.

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Oregon Strawberry: Very fruity, can really taste that there aren’t many ingredients in here other than milk and strawberries. Add a little rum, and you’d have a pretty good daiquiri!

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Ecuador Banana: Banana flavor is light and tangy, and not too sweet or overpowering (which I often find to be the case with banana-flavored dairy).

Bottom line: The 7 oz bottle is the perfect size when it’s 4 PM, you have vague visions of dinner in the future, but need a little something to tide you over. I usually reach for bars around this time, but it was nice to mix it up. I’m comfortable with the nutritional profile, and most importantly: I love the taste!

Would I buy these? Yes. I don’t usually buy packaged smoothies (I don’t like to buy things I can make at home), but they’re great to have on-the-go. I also loved the change in taste and texture of Indain-style yogurt vs. conventional yogurt (smoother and tangier). I haven’t seen these in stores yet, but I’ll keep my eyes peeled!

Thanks again, Dahlicious! Can’t wait to try these again.

Have you ever tried an Indian lassi? Would you buy a bottled version?

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