Laban is the everyday drinking yogurt of the Gulf, tangy, salted and served ice cold. Across Qatar it is poured with rice dishes, grilled fish and shawarma, and during Ramadan it is one of the drinks that appears at iftar to restore the body after a long day of fasting. The older desert tradition drank fermented milk from goats and camels; the supermarket carton is a recent arrival, the habit is not.

Made at home in five minutes, with fresh mint and a little cumin, it is brighter and more refreshing than anything in a bottle, and it is precisely what you want next to a spicy plate on a warm race afternoon.

The laban

Ingredients

• 2 cups (480 g) plain whole milk yogurt
• 2 cups (480 ml) ice cold water
• 3/4 teaspoon fine salt
• 15 fresh mint leaves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• ice cubes

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