🇰🇬 Kyrgyz Cuisine

Kymyz

Fermented Mare's Milk

Prep Time 72 hours

Servings 6

Difficulty Hard

Calories 72 kcal

A mildly alcoholic fermented drink made from mare's milk, slightly sour and fizzy. The national beverage of Kyrgyzstan and a symbol of nomadic heritage.

Ingredients

2 liters fresh mare's milk
200ml kymyz starter culture (from previous batch)
Wooden barrel or leather bag

Instructions

1 Pour fresh mare's milk into a clean wooden barrel.
2 Add starter culture from a previous batch.
3 Stir vigorously with a wooden paddle for 10 minutes.
4 Cover and let ferment in a warm place.
5 Stir every few hours for 1-3 days.
6 Taste for desired sourness and effervescence.
7 Serve chilled in bowls.

Did You Know?

Kymyz must be stirred thousands of times during fermentation. Traditionally, every person entering or leaving a yurt was expected to give the kymyz barrel several stirs, making it a communal effort.