Koumiss - fermented dairy product made from mare's milk

Dairy products are prepared from milk of various domestic animals, but horse milk is not appropriate for processing to cheese. Therefore, nomadic peoples have used horse milk for fermentation and production of alcoholic beverage named koumiss. It is consumed both as food as well as an alcoholic drink.

The characteristic feature of koumiss is the fermentation of raw milk, involving the processing of only mares’ milk. A mare is a female horse over the age of three. Koumiss is a fermented drink traditionally made from the milk of horses by people in Central Asia, where it is one of the most important basic foodstuffs.

Although it is an important drink for the peoples of the Central Asian steppes, Bulgar, Turkic, and Mongol origin, it is equally important to the Bashkirs, Kalmyks, Kazakhs, Kyrgyz, Mongols, Uyghurs, and Yakuts. It is a traditional milk beverage produced from fermentation of mares’ milk by indigenous microorganisms.

Processing may play an important role in retaining the active components of mares’ milk, such as antibodies, and have a marked influence on the effect of koumiss.

The method of koumiss preparation involves fermenting milk in smoked horse’s hides, which contain the microflora from the previous season. These containers are filled with unheated mare’s milk, and as the koumiss is consumed, more milk is added to provide an ongoing fermentation.

Fermentation increases digestibility of nutrients and nutritive value and makes nutrients more available for intestinal absorption.

Koumiss contains about 10.6–11.3% total solids, 2.1% protein (1.2% casein and 0.9% whey proteins), 5.5–6.4% lactose, 1.2–1.8% fat, and 0.3% ash.
Koumiss - fermented dairy product made from mare's milk

Fermented milk: Kefir

Kefir is a fermented milk beverage produced by the action of a complex mixture of microorganisms, including lactic acid bacteria (LAB), yeasts and acetic acid bacteria.

The nutritional composition of kefir varies according to the milk composition, the microbiological composition of the grains used, the time/temperature of fermentation and storage conditions.

Kefir originates from the Caucasus and Tibet, where before 2000 years BC the grains were already being traditionally passed from generation to generation among the Caucasus tribes, being considered a source of family wealth. Kefir is very different from yogurt, but one of the most exciting differences is that kefir is a mesophilic culture while most yogurts are thermophilic cultures.

What this means is that kefir can be made at room temperature on home countertop while yogurt is usually made in a 100° to 112°F environment. Kefir has an antibacterial effect against many pathogenic organisms due to the inherent formation of organic acids, hydrogen peroxide, acetaldehyde, carbon dioxide, and bacteriocins.

Regular consumption of kefir has been associated with improved digestion and lactose tolerance, antibacterial and hypocholesterolemic effects, plasma glucose control, antihypertensive and anti-inflammatory effects, antioxidant, anticarcinogenic and antiallergenic activity and wound healing effects.
Fermented milk: Kefir