29th August

29^th August

“Beguun, myen birensha ryet Kumis ishdum”

(Today, I 1^st time khummus drank)

Today I tried the OTHER famous fermented dairy drink of which Central Asia is famous, Kumis. If you remember this photo from my first month in Kazakhstan, this is when I tried the other one, Shubat, from camels milk.

Kumis is fermented horse milk, and, well, it isn’t as bad as Shubat. It is still something I never wish to drink again though. Imagine taking a glass of milk, adding a bit of fizzy water, and a shot of white-wine vinegar. I think would best give a sense of Kumis. It has a slightly fizzy nature, combined with an acidity that reminds me of the taste of stomach acid left in the mouth after being sick.

It is however, believed to have curative powers and a great source of vitamins, but I think this is simply to convince people to drink it!