The Oldest Fermented Turkish Beverage in Traditional Turkish Cuisine: Koumiss (Kımız)

Özet

Fermented foods and beverages have a significant place in human diet in different parts of the world. These products not only supply valuable sources of nutrients but also have big capacity to maintain health and prevent diseases. Various kinds of traditional fermented foods and beverages are made at homes in Anatolia beside the commercial production. Fermented beverages include fermented milks such as yoghurt, kefir, koumiss, and non-alcoholic beverage such as boza. That’s the fact that there are some differences to prepare traditional foods and beverages from region to region. Koumiss (kımız), a traditional Turkish drink, is very famous and popular in Turkish history. In some regions, it is called as "Kumuz", while it is known as “Turkistan Boza” among the Anatolian Turks. In the stories of the famous Dede Korkut in Turkish History, the name of koumiss is mentioned frequently. It's a long-lasting drink. It has been consumed by nomadic Turks both for the purpose of health and thirst. It is produced from mare's milk and its taste can be described as sour buttermilk drink. The focus of this study is to give a small review about the characteristics, history, production, nutritional properties and health benefits of koumiss.