🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Turkmens

Turkmens are a Turkic people, the main population of Turkmenistan, living in and around the Karakum Desert. The Turkmen have long lived in the Karakum Desert and along its edges, combining oasis farming with herding. In the sands the main dairy animal was the camel: it copes with heat and long treks without water better than any other animal.

The Turkmen make chal from camel’s milk — a fermented milk drink close to Kazakh shubat. It is soured with a starter from the previous batch and quenches thirst well in the heat. Cow’s, sheep’s and goat’s milk is made into gatyk (katyk), süzme and butter.

Chal is still drunk in Turkmenistan, especially in rural areas and in summer. Scientists study it as one of the traditional camel milk products of Central Asia. For the Turkmen, dairy is both everyday food and part of hospitality: a guest is served tea, flatbread and fermented milk.