🧀 Matsoni
Also known as: matzoon, madzoon
A fermented milk product from the Caucasus.
Matsoni is a fermented milk product of Armenian origin, traditional in Armenian and Georgian cuisine and widespread in the Caucasus and Asia Minor. It is made from boiled milk of cows, sheep, goats or buffalo, or a mix of them.
The milk is boiled, cooled until warm and inoculated with a little of the previous batch of matsoni, then kept warm for several hours until a firm curd forms. The starter contains thermophilic and mesophilic lactic acid bacteria, and its make-up varies from family to family and village to village. Georgian Matsoni has been protected in Georgia as a geographical indication since 2012.
In texture matsoni is close to thick yogurt, but it differs in its microflora and a more pronounced tang. In Japan, “Caspian Sea yogurt” is sold and sometimes linked to matsoni, but a comparison of their microflora showed that they are different products. Matsoni is eaten with a spoon, diluted with water as a refreshing drink (tan in Armenian), and used in soups (spas, matsvnis shechamandi) and sauces.
How it connects to milk
Links
- How it is made
- 🔄 Fermentation
- Made from
- 🥛 Milk
- Where it is traditional
- 🌍 Caucasus
- Which peoples make it
- 🧑🤝🧑 Georgians, 🧑🤝🧑 Armenians
- Product type
- 🏺 Traditional dairy products
- Part of
- 🥣 Fermented milk products
- Wine and milk
- 🍷 Clay wine vessels
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between matsoni and yogurt?
Both are thick fermented milk products, but matsoni is made with a homemade starter containing a different set of bacteria and from boiled milk of various animals. Yogurt is fermented with two standard cultures.
What milk is matsoni made from?
Boiled milk of cows, sheep, goats or buffalo, or a mix of them.
What are other names for matsoni?
In Armenian it is matsun; in Latin transliteration, matsoni or matzoon.
Similar
🍶 Ayran · 🥛 Kefir · 🧀 Soured milk · 🥣 Skyr · 🥣 Katyk · 🧀 Varenets
ℹ️ Dairy products contain lactose and milk proteins: if you are lactose intolerant or allergic to milk protein, ask a doctor.