Lassi is probably one of the most popular and loved cold beverages during the hot summers.
The drink is made from cold milk and yogurt which are blended either in a machine or by hand and comes in sweet and salted varieties.
At times, barfi is also added to a glass of lassi before it is blended which enhances its taste and is the drink of choice in sehri.
Lassi was originally salty and the sweet version was developed in the urban areas. Many areas in rural Punjab still have salted lassi.
“Before the adding of sugar and salt became the norm, salty lassi was the one made from yogurt and the sweet version was the one made from milk, which was referred to as katchi lassi,” said a customer in Kartarpura, Hamza Ali.
Breakfast in downtown Rawalpindi during the summers consists of a paratha or kulcha topped with butter and accompanied with a glass of sweet lassi.
The lanes of downtown Rawalpindi have many shops and stalls where tall glasses of salted and sweet lassi are sold throughout the day.
The traditional tall steel glasses the lassi is served in are also much liked by the people and are also used as decoration pieces in houses.
Many outlets serve Kashmiri tea in the winters and switch to making lassi and ice-cream in the summers.