Have you ever heard or tasted a Calpis Japanese drink? Calpis (say like Car roo piss) is a yoghurt flavoured popular Japanese drink. It is not any animal’s piss (despite the name) My Japanese class students get so excited every time I mention the drink as it sound like “Cow Piss”.
I sometimes do Japanese cooking demonstrations in my Japanese language classes. I have been buying the calapis concentration cartons from Japanese or Asian grocery stores but they are not cheap, so I have decided to make my own for students to taste.
Calpis Japanese drink has been in Japan as long as I can remember. Calpis is such a popular drink from elderly to young people. They are often chosen for a mid-summer gift called Ocyugen and end of the year gifts called Oseibo. When I was a young child, my family received and opened up the perfectly wrapped box. It was so exciting to find out that it was a Calpis set! Usually it contains 3-4 bottles of Calpis Japanese drink concentration in three different flavours, original, orange and grape. It was so special and such a treat to drink orange flavoured or grape flavoured Calpis Japanese drink.
Calpis Japanese drinks now a days have more different flavours and are also diluted with not just water but soda, or even used for some alcoholic drink as well. I have tried to have this homemade Calpis taste as close as possible to the original flavour but you can adjust it to your liking by adding more sugar or lemon juice. Also, like me, if you trying to cut sugar down, you can replace sugar with honey or natvia.
If you liked my recipe for Homemade Calpis Japanese Drink, please rate it and leave a comment below. Also, don’t forget to follow me on Youtube, Pinterest, Facebook , Twitter and Instagram to keep up to date with all the latest happenings on Chopstick Chronicles. Don’t forget to use the hashtag #ChopstickChronicles so I can see your wonderful creations!
Homemade Calpis Japanese Drink
Ingredients
- 110 g Natural greek style yoghurt (or 1/2 cup)
- 3 tbs Lemon juice
- 60 g sugar
- Mineral water/water/soda to dilute
Instructions
- Mix yoghurt, lemon juice and sugar well.
- Strain the mixture using a fine strainer.
- Keep it in a container in the fridge
- To make Calpis Japanese drink, pour 1/4 cup of yoghurt mixture into a glass
- Add 3/4 cup of mineral water and mix them well.
- Serve with mint leaves and your choice of fruit.
Sylvie says
Would you use a regular strainer as you use for pasta? I’m puzzled at the whole straining section.
Shihoko | Chopstick Chronicles says
Hi Sylvie, finer strainer is better.
Maude says
I bought a bottle of ready to drink Calpis and didn’t like it. It had no flavor, like sweetened water. I’ll try your recipe instead, it sounds like it’ll me more sour, which would taste more refreshing.
Thanks!
Shihoko | Chopstick Chronicles says
You are welcome 😀 Thank you for trying this recipe 😀
Irene says
Very nice with brown sugar and skinny yoghurt as well! 🙂
Mary Beth says
We have used whole milk plain yogurt and have also tried it with vanilla yogurt (with this we left out the sugar.) We like it more “tart”, so we prefer to decrease the amount of sugar. We also definitely prefer using fresh lemon juice. Thank you for sharing this recipe. My husband used to live in Japan, and he wanted me to try to make this because he really missed it. Our whole family loves it now! We try to always keep some in our fridge (but it seems to disappear quickly!)
Shihoko | Chopstick Chronicles says
Hi Mary Beth, Thank you so much for your lovely comment and 5 star rating 😀 I am glad that your whole family loves Calpis!
George V says
I wonder if adding flavored vinegar might work instead of adding lemon and sugar?
Shihoko | Chopstick Chronicles says
That’s sound great. When you try it, please let me know 😀
Daphne says
Thank you for sharing this recipe! I used regular yogurt and got decent results, and I’ll try this with Greek yogurt really soon. I really needed a drink like this since it’s currently very humid here in Malaysia. I’m thoroughly refreshed right now.
Shihoko | Chopstick Chronicles says
You are welcome Daphne 😀 Thank you for a wonderful comment and rating.
Tica says
I am addicted Shihoko-san! This is very similar to a drink you get in South Africa, called inkomazi. Thank you for the recipe
JOSIE MINER says
THANK FOR YOU SHARING THIS RECIPE! CAN YOU PLEASE TELL ME WHAT KIND OF SUGAR YOU USE?
Shihoko | Chopstick Chronicles says
Hi Josie, it is just ordinary white sugar or caster sugar:D
Veronique C says
Absolutely delicious !!! I was craving Calpis drink since my last trip to Japan and now I have found my new favorite recipe ! Thanks for sharing 🙂 !
Shihoko | Chopstick Chronicles says
Thank you and welcome 😀
Mariam says
Hello Shihoko, sorry to disturb you, but a few websites also use vanilla essence. Does this make the taste of the drink vary greatly? By the way, thank you for sharing the recipe, it was easy to follow.
Shihoko | Chopstick Chronicles says
Hi Mariam, I am not sure, because I never use vanilla essence.
Mariam says
Oh… okay. Thank you for replying back.
Susan says
Tried making it today. My husband and I love it. But my kids find it sour.. will it again tomorrow. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Shihoko | Chopstick Chronicles says
Hi Susan, Thank you for making Calpis 😀
Mike says
🙂
Nice share!
So calpis is almost like lassi!!
Shihoko | Chopstick Chronicles says
Hi Mike. Yes 😀
Connor White says
How would you go about flavouring the Calpis drink with fruit?
Shihoko | Chopstick Chronicles says
Extract juice and add ?
Kathy says
Can wait to try making it myself. Thanks for sharing.
Shihoko | Chopstick Chronicles says
Hi Kathy You are welcome 😀
Mohamed says
Can’t wait to try this tomorrow I’m so excited.
Thank you so much.
Shihoko | Chopstick Chronicles says
Hi Mohamed Thank you for the rating and comment 😀
Harry says
I still try not to drink to much off it.
ty 🙂
Shihoko | Chopstick Chronicles says
Hi Harry 🤣
Nicholas Singleton says
Hi, I was wondering when you strain the mix, what do you use? The stuff in the strainer or the liquid?
Shihoko | Chopstick Chronicles says
HI Nicholas, use the liquid 😀
Lion says
I think it’s just to get pieces of the lemon and seeds out of the mixture.
Hanif says
hi Shihoko-san, sorry to disturb, but i want to ask something, what kind of yoghurt you used, the solid one or the liquid one? i wanna try your recipe, but i’m only have solid plain yoghurt, for the liquid one, i’m only have the sweetened one, in my place they don’t sell the liquid plain yoghurt, thank you
Hanif says
so what should i do if i only have the plain solid one, should i dilluted it with several spoon of water, or use the sweet liquid one?, but the sweet liquid one is quite expensive, the price is 8$ only for 3,72 oz
Shihoko | Chopstick Chronicles says
Use solid one 😀
Cathy says
Can I use Kefir instead of yoghurt?
Shihoko | Chopstick Chronicles says
Hi Cathy, I have not tried it myself but I think it will work.
Shihoko | Chopstick Chronicles says
Hi Hanif, I used solid one 😀 so if you can get solid one, that’s great!
pablo says
wow! amazing!
Chopstick Chronicles says
thank you!
Anita says
Never knew it is this simple to recreate Calpis at home. Thank you so much for the rcipe, Shihoko.
Shihoko | Chopstick Chronicles says
You are welcome Anita 😀
Roxanne says
Can I use Plain yoghurt can be used for this?
Shihoko | Chopstick Chronicles says
Hi Roxanne, yes of course 😀
Kimberley says
Were going to try your “Cow Piss” drink bet it will be delicious.thank you for sharing
Shihoko | Chopstick Chronicles says
You are welcome Kimberley, “cow piss” is yummy 😀
Ryan says
Hi Kimberley,
Please be careful when drinking bovine urine.
Yours sincerely,
Mister Ryan aka The Claw
Shihoko | Chopstick Chronicles says
🤣