Kumis

Kumis(/ˈkuːmɪs/KOO-mis,rarely/ˈkʌmɪs/KUM-is), alternatively spelledcoumisorkumyz,also known asairag(/ˈaɪræɡ/EYE-rag),is a traditionalfermented dairy productmade frommare milk. The drink is important to the peoples of the Central and East Asiansteppes, ofTurkicandMongolicorigin:Kazakhs,Bashkirs,Kalmyks,Kyrgyz,Mongols, andYakuts.Kumis was historically consumed by theKhitans,Jurchens,Magyars, andHan Chineseof North China as well.
Kumisis adairy productsimilar tokefir, but is produced from a liquidstarter culture, in contrast to the solid kefir "grains". Because mare's milk contains more sugars than cow's or goat's milk, when fermented,kumishas a higher, though still mild,alcoholcontent compared to kefir.
Even in the areas of the world wherekumisis popular today, mare's milk remains a very limited commodity. Industrial-scale production, therefore, generally uses cow's milk, which is richer in fat andprotein, but lower inlactosethan the milk from a horse. Beforefermentation, the cow's milk is fortified in one of several ways.Sucrosemay be added to allow a comparable fermentation. Another technique adds modifiedwheyto better approximate the composition of mare's milk.
Kumiscomes from theTurkicwordkumïŕ.Gerard Clausonnotes thatkımızis found throughout the Turkic language family and cites the 11th-century appearance of the word inDīwān Lughāt al-Turkwritten byMahmud al-Kashgariin theKarakhanid language.
InMongolia, the drink is calledairag(айраг)or, in some areas,tsegee.William of Rubruck, in his 13th-century travels, calls the drinkcosmosand describes its preparation among theMongols.
A 1982 source reported 230,000 mares were kept in theSoviet Unionspecifically for producing milk to make intokumis.Rinchingiin Indra, writing about Mongolian dairying, says "it takes considerable skill to milk a mare" and describes the technique: the milker kneels on one knee, with a pail propped on the other, steadied by a string tied to an arm. One arm is wrapped behind the mare's rear leg and the other in front. A foal starts the milk flow and is pulled away by another person, but left touching the mare's side during the entire process.
In Mongolia, the milking season for horses traditionally runs between mid-June and early October. During one season, a mare produces approximately 1,000 to 1,200 litres of milk, of which about half is left to her foal.
Kumisis made by fermentingraw milk(that is,unpasteurized) over the course of hours or days, often while stirring or churning. (The physical agitation has similarities tomaking butter.) During the fermentation,lactobacillibacteriaacidifythe milk, andyeaststurn it into acarbonatedand mildlyalcoholic drink.
Traditionally, this fermentation took place in horse-hide containers, which might be left on the top of ayurtand turned over on occasion, or strapped to a saddle and joggled around over the course of a day's riding. Today, a wooden vat or plastic barrel may be used in place of the leather container.In modern, controlled production, the initial fermentation takes two to five hours, at a temperature of around 27 °C (81 °F); this may be followed by a cooler aging period.
Kumisitself has a very low level of alcohol, between 0.7 and 2.5%,comparable tosmall beer, the common drink ofmedieval Europethat also helps to avoid the consumption ofpotentially contaminated water.Kumiscan, however, be strengthened throughfreeze distillation, a technique Central Asian nomads are reported to have employed.It can also be made into thedistilled beverageknown asarakaorarkhi.
Archaeological investigations of theBotai cultureof ancientKazakhstanhave revealed traces of milk in bowls from the site ofBotai, suggesting the domestication of dairy animals.No specific evidence for its fermentation has yet been found, but considering the location of the Botai culture and the nutritional properties of mare's milk, the possibility is high.
Kumisis an ancient beverage.Herodotus, in his 5th-century BCHistories, describes theScythiansprocessing of mare's milk:
This is widely believed to be the first description of ancient kumis-making.Apart from the idiosyncratic method of mare-milking,it matches up well enough with later accounts, such as this one given by 13th-century travellerWilliam of Rubruck:
Rubruk also mentions that the Mongols prized a variety of kumis he callscaracomos("black comos"), which was reserved for "great lords".
In the 19th century, "kumyss" was used to treatgastrointestinal disorders.
Strictly speaking,kumisis in its own category ofalcoholic drinks, because it is made neither from fruit nor from grain. Technically, it is closer to wine than to beer, because the fermentation occurs directly from sugars (wine is usually fermented directly from fruit, whereas beer relies on starches, usually from grain, which convert to sugars bymashing). In terms of experience and traditional manner of consumption, however, it is much more comparable to beer and is even milder in alcoholic content than beer. It is arguably the region's beer equivalent.
Kumisis very light in body compared to most dairy drinks. It has a unique, slightly sour flavor with a bite from the mild alcoholic content. The exact flavor is greatly variable between different producers.
Kumisis usually served cold or chilled. Traditionally it is sipped out of small, handle-less, bowl-shaped cups or saucers, calledpiyala.  The serving of it is an essential part of Kyrgyz hospitality on thejaylooor high pasture, where they keep their herds of animals (horse, cattle, and sheep) during the summer phase oftranshumance.
During theYuan dynastyof China, kumis was essentially made to be the replacement of tea. Furthermore,Möngke Khan, the fourth Great Khan of theMongol Empire, had a drinking fountain made in his capital ofKarakorum, including kumis alongside Chineserice wine, Scandinavianmead, and Persiangrape wineas a symbol of the empire's diversity and size.
Bishkek, the capital ofKyrgyzstan, is supposedly named after the paddle used to churn the fermenting milk.
The famous Russian writerLeo TolstoyinA Confessionspoke of running away from his troubled life by drinkingkumis.
The Russian composerAlexander Scriabinwas recommended a kumis diet and "water cure" by his doctor in his twenties, for his nervous condition and right-hand injury.
The Japanese soft drinkCalpismodels its flavor after the taste ofkumis.