🍶 Kumis

Kumis is a fermented drink made from mare’s milk, with a tangy, refreshing taste, a light fizz and a small amount of alcohol. Fresh milk is strained, cooled and poured into a vessel containing the remains of the previous batch of kumis, which serves as the starter. The mixture is stirred vigorously for a long time with a wooden paddle and left to ferment for anywhere from a few hours to several days. Lactic acid bacteria and yeasts take part in the fermentation, turning lactose into lactic acid, alcohol and carbon dioxide.

Kumis is the traditional drink of the nomadic peoples of the Eurasian steppes: Kazakhs, Kyrgyz, Mongols, Bashkirs, Tatars, Kalmyks, Yakuts and others. It was made in leather bags (saba, torsuk) and wooden tubs. In the Mongolian tradition the drink is called airag. Mare’s milk contains more lactose than cow’s milk, so fermentation is vigorous; the strength depends on how long it ferments and is usually low — from a fraction of a percent to a few percent.

Kumis differs from kefir in its raw material (mare’s milk) and its thinner consistency: almost no curd forms. Kumis has long been considered healing, but modern reviews note that there are few clinical studies of its effects.