Kumis, also spelled kumiss or koumiss in English, is a fermented dairy product traditionally made from mare milk. It remains important to people of Mongolian and Turkic origins living in the steppes of Central Asia, including the Kazakhs, Kyrgyz, and Bashkirs.
Kumis comes from the Turkic word kımız, although Mongolians call this drink “Airag.”
If you would like to sample the best Kumis or Airag, visit Mongolia during the summer months.
The Airag/Kumis is the most famous traditional Mongolian beverage, extremely nutritious, slightly alcoholic, and contains many healthy bacteria, which strengthens the immune system apart from promoting digestion. Kumis could substitute meals during warm months between mid-June and mid-September. Mongolians do not consume raw mare’s milk unless you use its laxative effect for medicinal purposes.
A traditional Airag/Kumis recipe starts with milking mares. Filter all milk and pour it into a large cowhide sack (Khukhuur), wooden barrel, or a plastic container. In the mare milk-filled container, the fermentation process goes on with the combination of lactic acid bacteria and yeast. To ferment, we need to stir the Kumis with a wooden masher (buluur), repeatedly 3000 to 5000 times over one or two days. The stirring makes sure that all parts of milk ferment equally.
Mongolian Kumis season continues between mid-June and mid-September. Thus, nomads usually keep some amount of Kumis as yeast from the previous autumn through the winter. Alternatively, could use yogurt as yeast, although, prefer well-fermented Kumis as yeast. When a household in the community or the area ferments Kumis, neighbors get the Kumis yeast from that household and deliver it to each other. Not always available, but the most preferred Kumis yeast is “Unaganii Zuult”, a piece of earthen thing in a newborn foal mouth. When the Kumis ferments, Mongolians daily drink from it, add fresh mare’s milk daily, and the daily stirring process continues.
When ferments Kumis is naturally carbonated, a bit sweet and slightly sour drink. Depending on how it is fermented, the region, and the regional climate, Kumis can range from mild to very sour. In warmer climate areas, the natural carbonation goes well, which is the favorite flavor for the Mongolians.
Kumis contains 0.5 to 2.5% of alcohol. It has a lower alcoholic content of 0.5 to 2% at the beginning. Through the summer, mares get fat and strong, coinciding with the natural grass feed quality improvement in autumn after the wet season. Thus, the Kumis alcoholic content and nutrition increase to 2.5% or above depending on the region.
Kumis is a potent source of vitamins and minerals and is suitable for lactose intolerant people when fermented well.
Kumis contains 1.8 – 2.2 % protein and 1,5 – 2.2% fat. One liter of Kumis contains Vitamin A 0.3 – 0.4mg, Vitamin C 95 – 100mg, Vitamin E 0.65 – 1.05mg, besides it is extremely rich in Vitamin D and minerals.
Visiting nomads and drinking Kumis from the source is the best way, although bottled Kumis is available in supermarkets in Ulaanbaatar. The bottled and refrigerated Kumis does not taste as good as the Kumis in its fermentation sack. When offered Kumis in a bowl, take it both hands, blow away if the Kumis fat floats over it, and drink. If you do not feel like drinking Kumis, it is fine to take a sip and return, as some people’s stomach does not accept the unfamiliar Kumis bacteria.
It is a tradition to use only one bowl for Kumis drinking, passing it around the table as Kumis bacteria and alcoholic content can kill infectious bacteria. Therefore, your Kumis drinking turn comes when the previous person returns the bowl.
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