Kyrgyzstan: Kumis

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Kyrgyzstan has many unusual things. And one of them is Kumis. Kumis is a very interesting and curing beverage!

The centuries-old heritage of nomadic culture, the national pride of Kyrgyz, the unique product on the curative properties, and also with specificity of the taste - is a national drink "kumis" that has no analogues in the world.

For many centuries the main food for Kyrgyz people was various sour-milk products.

The most favorite beverage of nomadic people from Kyrgyzstan is kumis. Kumis is fermented mare's milk. The kumis has a strong and bitter taste. This beverage is stored in jars made of animal skins - chinach. People used to live the fresh mare's milk for tour days in a warm place of the yurt to make it ferment. On the 3^rd day, the milk is mixed with new milk, and then it is churned. It is beaten with a wooden stick, called bishkek, and becomes alcoholic.  You can drink kumis only during 3 days after its production. But now, in the Naryn region, with special facility which was made, they began to produce the pasteurized kumiswhich can be stored nearly a year.

A Kyrgyz man, to show this strength and courage usually takes the largest crockery (a big leather jar for kumis) and drinks it in public.

It is approved that kumis has striking curative properties. Kumis promotes improvement of digestion, blood circulation, metabolism etc. And "kumis" is a result of huge diligence of our ancestors which succeeded in finding the technology of eternity. 

The skill for preparation of tasty and useful "kumis" takes an important part in national culture of Kyrgyz that gives us the chance to be closer to our ancestors.

The mare's milk may be acquired unpleasant taste for visitors but the drink is very popular among to the Kyrgyz people. They have a saying: "Koumiss is man's blood and fresh air is his soul". If you travel in Kyrgyzstan and especially if you travel in Naryn region - you can find and try the best kumis there.

Welcome to Kyrgyzstan!