## 3 Results and Discussion  
### Physicochemical Analyses  
Table 1 shows the values of the physicochemical parameters of the _suero costeno_ produced in the department of Cordoba (Colombia). These values are similar to those reported for _suero costeno_ produced in Monteria [10] and in the department of Bolivar [29], commercial sour creams in the United States [16], _amasi_ (sour milk from the Zulu people in South Africa) [30], and the Cretan sour cream Staka [9]. According to the fat content, the _suero costeno_ evaluated can be classified into full-fat sour cream (fat \(\geq\) 18%) and light sour cream (fat \(\leq\) 9%). However, the ones produced in Monteria and some of the Chinu (Ch2), Cerete (C3), and Sahagun (S1) ones can be considered as low-fat sour cream (fat \(\leq\) 6%). This variability in fat content is due to the fact that in the production of _suero costeno_, some producers use whole milk as raw material, and others use cream, in addition to the amount of whey that is eliminated. Nevertheless, these values are lower than sour creams and fermented dairy products made in Balkan countries, which have fat content between 30 and 46%, and even _kajmak_ contains about 60% fat, depending on the degree of whey removal [1; 9; 31]. Our ANOVA results show that there are significant differences between the physicochemical characteristics of the artisanal _suero costeno_ produced by the different producers of the department of Cordoba, Colombia. The above differences are due to the raw materials used and the processing method. However, this artisanal product has several similarities with various traditional fermented dairy products from other continents that are made from cow's milk or small dairy animals (reindeer and mithum). Reindeer sour cream is obtained from milk fermented for a short time with lactic acid bacteria, and its nutritional composition is 10.60% fat, 6.50% protein, 15.10% carbohydrates, and 0.70% ash. Curd or cottage cheese is a non-liquid white fermented mithum milk product traditional to Eastern and Northern Europe. It is made by fermenting milk and the subsequent removal of whey; however, the final mixing that is applied to _suero costeno_ is not carried out. Curd contains 8.9% fat and 6.5% protein [32]. These products have similar physicochemical properties (fat and protein) to the _suero costeno_ produced in the municipalities of Cerete (C3, C4, and C5) and Chinu (Ch1 and Ch2). The high protein content present in the _suero costeno_ from these municipalities may be due to the addition of whey protein during its production. Souzma_ is a traditional sour strained milk product of Turkophone countries. It is made from a traditional Kyrgyz yogurt, which is salted, then poured into a bag made of cotton, hung to drain, and dried for about a day. It can be diluted and turned into a kind of sour cream or milk. It contains 2.8% protein, 3.2% fat, and 4.2% carbohydrates [33]. _Mabisi_ is a fermented milk product widely consumed in Zambia that is produced after the spontaneous fermentation of raw bovine milk. It has lower protein (3-4%), fat (2-4%), and carbohydrate (4-8%) content than most _suero costeno_ produced in the department of Cordoba but very similar values in terms of pH (4.1-4.3). It should be noted that, like _masabi_, there are different types of _suero costeno_, which differ in their production methods, region, and producer preferences, giving these products unique physicochemical and sensory properties [3; 34]. The pH values of the _suero costeno_ were in a range of 3.36 and 5.84; these values are similar to those reported for traditional sour creams such as _amasi_[30], _mabisi_[3], and _munu_[35]. The lowest pH values (less than 4.0) were those of the serums produced by producers in the municipalities of Sahagun and Chinot (except Ch4), which include the fermentation stage in their processing. The low pH in the fermented milk offers a selective environment for yeast growth but is unfavorable for most bacteria.