Kumis- one of world's weirdest drinks
Kumis (Horse Milk Alcohol) is listed as one of the weirdest drinks in the world
Kumis, also known as koumiss, the ancient beverage which Scythian tribes (Central Asia Steppes) used to drink some 25 centuries ago is an alcoholic beverage made from fermented mare's milk. Mare's milk is usually not consumed raw, because it tends to have a strong laxative effect, although this effect is sometimes used medically. Instead, mare's milk is almost always fermented into kumis.
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| Photo: travelawaits |
Horse milk is beloved in countries like Mongolia, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan. The milk is not usually consumed in its pure form because it is a strong laxative. It is no wonder then that Central Asian people have been fermenting it and turning it into alcohol for millennia: the earliest recorded mention of kumis dates from the year 5 BC, cites travelawaits.
Kumis is not highly alcoholic, similar to beer in its strength and form of consumption. However, it is closer to wine in its production, since the fermentation happens from liquid sugars (fructose in wine, lactose in kumis) instead of grains. Of all the drinks on this list, it is by far the most reasonable.
In Central Asia, mothers fed their babies a mild style of nutritious kumis that was low in (but not entirely free of) alcohol, while adults concocted a boozier version for themselves. Around 1250, explorer William of Rubruck journeyed across the steppes and raved about the drink, stating that “Koumiss makes the inner man most joyful!”
Today, companies produce kumis. But it’s rarely fermented long enough to liven up a party—at most, it contains 2 percent alcohol—and it’s usually made with fortified cow’s milk. It’s only steppe-dwellers that make traditional, boozier kumis, shown in atlasobscura.
What contains in Kumis?
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| Photo: Indy Guide |
| Mare’s milk is characterized by high water and low-calorie content, total solids content (10.5%), significantly less amount of proteins (1.93%–2.1%), fat (1.25%–1.3%), and significantly higher amounts of lactose (6.4%–6.91%) compared to cow milk total solids content (12.6%), protein (3.43%), fat (3.61%). Mare’s milk has a composition similar to human milk and is well digested, so it is a perfect alternative to cow’s milk for feeding children who are allergic to cow’s milk (Oftadel et al., 1983; Nikkhah, 2012; Salimei and Fantuz, 2012; Gemechu et al., 2015). |
It is made by fermenting mare's milk while stirring or churning. It is a dairy product involving lactic acid and alcoholic fermentation, which implies that during the fermentation, Lactobacillus bulgaricus acidifies the milk, and Saccharomyces lactis turns it into a carbonated and mildly alcoholic drink.
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