It’s been a relatively mild summer in Louisville, but the dog days seem to have arrived, and as occurs only rarely amid the cliches of western culture, coinage of the term “dog days” actually predates Shakespeare.
It begins with the ancient Greeks.
The dog days or dog days of summer are the hot, sultry days of summer. They were historically the period following the heliacal rising of the star system Sirius (known colloquially as the “Dog Star”), which Hellenistic astrology connected with heat, drought, sudden thunderstorms, lethargy, fever, mad dogs, and bad luck. They are now taken to be the hottest, most uncomfortable part of summer in the Northern Hemisphere.
Of course this isn’t to be confused with the album Dog Man Star by Suede.
Returning to the point (which always risks being a circuitous journey in my world), it is hot outside, and during the course of Googling for information about cuisine in India, I came across the website of the Patel Brothers grocery chain: Indian Foods to Eat in the Summer, by Hasban Shaikh. Edible antidotes to a sultry summer range from watermelon and mangoes to kulfi and bitter gourd, and include lassi.
There are many types of Lassi, but sweet Lassi has a special place in our hearts. Sweet Lassi is a yogurt-based drink that is synonymous with the scorching summer heat. It is a special delight for those who are lactose intolerant as yogurt has relatively low levels of lactose compared to milk. There is a lassi for everyone! Popular types include mango lassi, sweet lassi, sour lassi (the original), and even bhang lassi.
The Patel Brothers neglect to mention what puts the bhang in lassi, but the answer is here: Bhang Lassi: The Indian Drink That May Be the World’s Oldest Cannabis Treat, by Karthika Gupta (Going)
Lassi is a traditional drink that is typically found in many South Asian countries. It is made by blending yogurt, spices, water, and sometimes fruits. It can be either sweet or savory. When cannabis is infused into this drink, it becomes a bhang lassi which is creamy, sweet, and slightly spicy.
Oddly, bhang lassi cannot be found at the website of NORML. However, Vice is on it: “The weed shake may attract many tourists who love to go ‘out with a bhang,’ but it has been an important part of Hindu culture for centuries.”
The Bhang Lassi Is How Hindus Drink Themselves High for Shiva, by Stefanie Staelens
The world is rife with tourists who spend every day in search of new kicks, local drugs and all that is forbidden. Tough tourists often overestimate themselves. They order a Cambodian happy pizza with extra toppings, or buy two pieces of spacecake in an Amsterdam coffee shop rather than one. It all seems like good fun at first, but then they pay the price for their presumptuousness with a weed hangover that would impress even Snoop Dogg.
However, “Hindus in Varanasi bond with bhang for spiritual reasons. They drink it to honor Shiva, to meditate better, to get closer to God, and to wash away their sins.”
Perhaps in time we Americans will catch up to the cosmic wisdom of the ancients, whether Hindu or Greek. Meanwhile, today’s photo credit goes to Patel Brothers.
