Koumiss - what is it? Production of koumiss, its properties

Koumiss - what is it? Not everyone can answer this question. Therefore, we decided to devote this article to this topic.

General information

Koumiss - what is it? This is the name of the drink, which originated from the Turkic word qımız. It is a sour milk liquid obtained from mare's milk as a result of alcohol and lactic acid fermentation using yeast, acidophilic and Bulgarian lactic acid rods.

Koumiss - a drink of a whitish color, frothy, with a sourish-sweet taste. Depending on the duration of the ferment, its kind and conditions of creation, this product turns out to be different. Sometimes koumiss is strong, with a high content of alcohol. After using it, a person can get intoxicated or come into an agitated, intoxicating state.

Also often koumiss turns out soothing, even has a light hypnotic effect.

History of occurrence

For the first time home koumiss began to prepare nomadic tribes of Mongolia and Central Asia. However, the earliest traces of the use of this drink correspond to the era of the Eneolithic.

According to historians, in the valley of Susamyr were found evidence of taming horses, as well as leather bags made from goatskins, in which traces of mare's milk were found.

The nomads kept the method of preparation of the drink under consideration for centuries and passed from generation to generation.

The very first mention of koumiss can be found in the work of the ancient Greek historian Herodotus. In the process of describing the life of the Scythians, he told that they had a drink, which was prepared by knocking the milk of the mare in wooden deep tubs.

Features of the drink

Many people know about what koumiss makes of. But not everyone knows what properties are inherent in such a drink.

When fermenting milk mares the protein is converted into easily digestible elements, and milk sugar - into carbon dioxide, ethyl alcohol, lactic acid and other aromatic substances. All this makes koumiss highly nutritious, easily digestible, pleasant to taste.

According to specialists, this drink contains 0.2-2.5% ethyl alcohol. Often koumiss turns out very strong. In this case, it can contain about 4.5% alcohol.

The Kazakhs have their own way of preparing a strong drink. As a rule, it contains alcohol content of 40%.

Composition

What substances does the product contain? Koumiss mare is rich in vitamins B1, B12, B2, C, pantothenic acid, folic acid and biotin.

As mentioned above, this drink is produced by fermenting milk with yeast and lactic acid bacteria. They synthesize vitamins C and B, form alcohol and release carbon dioxide, which contributes to obtaining a refreshing fizzy drink.

Properties of koumiss

According to experts, the beverage in question has a pronounced antimicrobial activity. This is due to the presence in it of antibiotic substances, which are produced by microorganisms during fermentation.

Koumiss also has nutritional value and stimulates important biological processes in the body. In view of the fact that this drink contains carbonic acid, alcohol and lactic acid, it improves digestion and excites the pancreas.

Antibiotic components of koumiss increase the resistance of a person to various infections, and lactic acid bacteria improve the intestinal microflora, suppressing all putrefactive processes in it.

With the regular intake of this drink, the patient's appetite increases, as does the digestibility of fats and proteins, and the weight increases. This product is able to replace hydrochloric acid, if it is not enough in the contents of the stomach.

Kumys treatment is widely used in some forms of tuberculosis, loss of appetite after debilitating diseases, stomach ailments and anemia.

Use in medicine

Koumiss - what is it? Why is this drink so popular? The fact is that this product has pronounced therapeutic properties.

With local use of the drink, it helps to eliminate pus and heal wounds.

The therapeutic drink of koumiss should occur on an individual schedule. The reception of the drink should be divided into 6 times (100 or 50 ml), gradually it is necessary to bring the total daily volume to 2.5 liters.

Kumiss should be at room temperature, on an empty stomach, in small sips. Later this drink is taken 1,5 hours after breakfast and lunch, and also 60 minutes before dinner. Before going to bed, this product is not taken.

Indications

Now you know what properties koumiss has. What is it, we also told above. This drink is used for scurvy, tuberculosis, gastritis, anemia, pancreatic gland diseases, neurasthenia, typhoid fever and cardiovascular diseases. It is also used to treat animals for wound healing and dyspepsia.

Contraindications

What fortress can koumiss have? The degree of this drink depends on the method of its preparation. In any case, it contains alcohol and other acids. Therefore, it is contraindicated in diseases of the gastrointestinal tract in the acute stage, as well as intolerance to lactose and the drink itself.

Production of koumiss

To prepare such a drink, mare's milk is usually used. However, in some cases this product is made from cow or even goat's milk.

According to the producers, the mare should be milked at an interval of one hour. This is due to the fact that the udders in horses are small, and each milking can give only 1 liter of milk. Thus, for the whole day about 5 liters of valuable liquid is collected.

The tub, or the so-called keg, which is necessary for churning out milk, is a cylindrical vessel tapering upward to a diameter of up to 40 cm and a height of 1 m, which is closed by a lid with a small hole in the center for the whisk.

Before the preparation of the drink in the mare, milk is necessarily poured into the little remaining koumiss. After that, the ingredients are shaken regularly for two days. Sometimes a piece of salted horse fat is added to the tub . This softens the taste and increases the fat content of the product.

Periodically, a barrel of kumys starter is completely liberated. It is thoroughly washed, smeared with butter and smoked from the inside. When smoking, the twigs are usually used, and ignition is carried out with birch bark.

Kumys is only "alive". Long-term storage is not subject to it. Difficulties in industrial production, bottling and storage, as well as difficulties with milking mares make this drink expensive and not widely used.

Currently, some entrepreneurs produce this product in bottles and sell it through retail chains. However, it should be noted that the quality, benefits and taste properties of such a drink are quite inferior to the original koumiss.

Kumysotherapy

Now you know what koumiss makes of. For the original and nutritious drink only mare's milk is used. In the absence of such, you can also use goat or cow. However, the taste and nutritional value of such a product is much lower.

Koumiss, made from the milk of the mare, is so useful that it is actively used for koumissotherapy. The meaning of this treatment procedure is to dose a fresh drink on an individual schedule. Often it is combined with climatotherapy (for example, in special equipped resorts).

When kumysolecheniem need to reduce the nutritional value of the main diet. This is done in order to prevent redundancy of food.

As you know, the first koumiss-healing sanatorium was opened in 1858 near Samara. Dr. N. V. Postnikov organized such a peculiar resort . He only in three words expressed the principle of the action of this nutritious and miraculous drink: "Nourishes, renews, strengthens."

A little later kumysolechebnitsy were opened in Buryatia, the Volga region, Kirghizia and Bashkiria. It should also be noted that this product was also introduced into conventional medical institutions in other regions.

It is not a secret to anyone that AP Chekhov and LN Tolstoy resorted to koumissotherapy.

At present, there are only a few functioning sanatoriums practicing koumissotherapy. They are located on the territory of Bashkiria (for example, "Yumatovo" and "Shafranovo").

Let's sum up the results

As you can see, koumiss is not only a very tasty and refreshing drink, but also a useful nutritious product. Everyone can get it in the store. However, it should be noted that koumiss made in industrial zones and bottled on glass or plastic bottles, significantly differs from the real mare's product, which for a long time is lost in tubs.

Taking such a drink every day, you drink the body with vitamins, minerals and other useful substances. In hot weather, koumiss is very refreshing, gives strength and energy. With the use of a stronger drink, he is able to act intoxicating.

Thanks to koumiss, many patients were cured of tuberculosis and anemia. In addition, this product is actively used by those who suffer from dysbiosis. After all, koumiss is able to restore the normal intestinal microflora. By the way, it is often used for hangover. With this condition, koumiss not only removes the headache, but gives strength and quenches thirst.