Kumis at home: making a healthy drink at home. Kumys, shubat, ayran: features of Kazakh national drinks Natural Kumys

Kazakh cuisine is distinguished by its peculiarities, which were formed under the cultural and historical development of the people. Among the national dishes, Kazakhs also distinguish drinks, namely: kumis and ayran. As for tea, in the eastern lands, it is especially popular.

These drinks can be easily made at home by following the recipes. Taking into account the specifics of cuisine and culture, you need to learn how to drink kumis correctly, with what to serve tea, and then your ideas about Eastern hospitality will be more correct.

Kumis in Kazakh sounds like "kymyz" and means a sour drink. It is obtained as a result of fermentation, made from the milk of young mares. By its consistency, kumis can be different - from a strong invigorating drink to a relaxing and light one that makes you sleepy.

This drink is very useful and can cure many diseases. At one time, kumis helped to cope with tuberculosis when other drugs were powerless.

Today, there are different variations of the preparation of this drink. But, among the traditional ones, there are three classic recipes for Kazakhs.

Kumis recipes

1. The secret of making a drink in a bowl. Mare's milk must be churned in a special container made of lamb skin. If it is not there, you can use a wooden one, but then the taste will be slightly different. It is necessary to knock down the milk with a wooden spoon, about an hour, or even more. Then leave to ferment for several days until a thick drink forms.

2. Kumis can be made from sourdough. To do this, before winter, collect the remnants of the drink and store it until spring. With the onset of warmth, the starter culture is diluted with fresh milk and left to ferment for several days. After that they drink.

3. This recipe is suitable for those who do not have the opportunity to get mare's milk. As a starter, you can use kefir from cow's milk, to which you need to add yeast (no more than 3 grams), sugar (50 grams) and a glass of boiling water. The carefully mixed mixture should stand in a dark place for a while. Then the drink should be filtered and poured into jars, leaving for the duration of fermentation.

The most respected member of the family should be the first to drink kumis. The leftovers cannot be poured out, it is equal to sin.

Kazakh tea

The Kazakhs' addiction to milk can be traced in the recipe for real oriental tea, of course, with the addition of cream or milk.

To prepare your favorite Kazakh drink, you will need black Georgian (possibly different) tea, milk, sugar and a little water. A teaspoon of tea should be brewed in 30 grams of water, but not brought to a boil. Let stand and pour the strong tea leaves into cups. Then add hot milk, water and sugar. Kazakh tea is always served when guests visit.

Ayran

Ayran fermented milk drink is very popular, especially in hot weather in the eastern regions. It's pretty easy to cook, and fast too. For cooking, you will need fresh milk and sourdough. The milk must be boiled and allowed to cool. The sour milk content of ayran is given by sourdough, which can be used as kefir. Pour kefir into the cooled milk and stir, then leave for 5-6 hours. Then put the prepared ayran in the refrigerator and use it as a cooling drink.

If you are a fan of national cuisine, then you are definitely familiar with such a childhood dessert as.

Gastronomic tourism in Kazakhstan "Preparation of the Kazakh drink - kumis".

“And then the day came when kumis leaped,



It is not in vain that she is reputed to be the mistress of the generous baibisha,


But the baibishe hesitates: she doesn't count in rush "

Saken Saifullin. 1910 - 1913 "Kumis for Zhailu". Translated by A. Kafanov.

Tours across Kazakhstan from Astana.

The favorite drink of Kazakhs has always been kumis, which was also used for medicinal purposes. To prepare it, mare's milk is poured into a leather vessel - saba and ferment it, after which they allow it to stand for a day or two, often shaking at this time with a special whorl - Pispec. The mares were milked five to six times a day. Kumys (kymyz) fermented milk drink made from fresh mare's milk.
Popularly known for a long time. The shelf life of kumis is no more than 3 days. For the future, a sourdough - crust is prepared: mature kumis is left in a vessel for several days so that it is divided into 2 layers - the upper liquid, transparent and the lower thick, cheesy. The upper layer is drained, the lower one is filtered through cheesecloth and dried in the sun.
Dry leaven - the bark is placed in a vessel and, covered with a lid, is stored in a cool place until the next season. Prepared in 2 ways: industrial and folk. At the enterprises of the dairy industry, milk is fermented with pure cultures of Bulgarian bacillus and yeast, kneading for 20 minutes. The acidity of the leaven is 50 - 60 "according to Turner.
The mixture of milk and sourdough is left for 1.0-1.5 hours for ripening. Then knead again for 1 hour. In 15 - 20 minutes. until cooked, kumis is cooled to 17 "C, bottled, corked, placed in a refrigerator with a temperature of 0 to 4" C.
The shelf life of kumis is no more than 3 days. Depending on the alcohol content and acidity, kumis is distinguished between weak, medium and strong. Kumis is a homogeneous, pinching, foaming, white liquid with a specific fermented milk (slightly yeast) taste, creamy aftertaste; acidity 81 - 100 "T; density 1.020 - 1.018; contains up to 1.5% ethyl alcohol, outlet temperature 6" C.
In Kazakhstan, the popular method of making kumis is more popular. For the future, a sourdough - crust is prepared: mature kumis is left in a vessel for several days so that it is divided into 2 layers - the upper liquid, transparent and the lower thick, cheesy.
The upper layer is drained, the lower one is filtered through cheesecloth and dried in the sun. Dry leaven - the bark is placed in a vessel and, covered with a lid, is stored in a cool place until the next season. Before use, the crust is ground into powder, poured into fresh mare's milk at the rate of 3-4 tablespoons per 5 liters of milk, mixed.
The mixture is left for a day in a warm place, stirring occasionally. The ready-made sourdough is used only once to obtain the first batch of koumiss: subsequently, a new ripe kumis is used as a sourdough.
Sabu is made - a bag made of the skin of an adult well-fed horse with a capacity of 100 - 150 liters; the skin, having previously shaved off the wool, is kept in a strong solution of sodium chloride, pulled out and smoked in the smoke of meadowsweet or birch, and a bag is sewn out of it. The finished sub is only used for 1 season. To prepare kumis, saba is poured into 1/4 - 1/2 of its volume with fresh milk with sourdough and left overnight.
In the morning of the next day, add a portion of fresh milk to it, mix thoroughly. Having stood for 10 - 15 hours, fresh milk is again added to the full volume of the saba, thoroughly kneaded. In a day, kumis is ready for consumption. The more often it is kneaded, the tastier the kumis is. Once every 10 - 15 days, the saba is freed from kumis, washed thoroughly with water, dried, rinsed cow's milk and smoked.
Saba is ready for use again. Hundreds of tons of koumiss are harvested in the republic every year. Kumis is used to treat lung and gastrointestinal diseases. In the coming years, 15 complexes for the production of kumis will be built in the republic. Kumis and fresh mare's milk, unlike cow's milk, are rich in sugar and vitamins C.
Currently, there is a tendency of growth in the production of kumis with a decrease in the livestock, which can be explained by the peculiarities of small-scale production. There are many legends about its healing properties. Even the great Russian writers Leo Tolstoy and Anton Chekhov went to Kalmykia to "drink kumis". In London, a liter of kumis costs several dollars.
In Germany, mare's milk is used in the perfumery and cosmetic industry.
Today there are 200,000 workhorses in Kazakhstan (September 2001). Kumis is used for medicinal purposes, the medicinal and nutritional value of this drink is due to the content of easily digestible proteins (albumin), vitamins and minerals, ethyl alcohol, antibiotics produced by microorganisms of the leaven, the balance of amino acids, and the specific composition of fat.
Kumis has long been used in Kazakhstan for medicinal purposes, for exhaustion, anemia, scurvy, rickets, indigestion, neurasthenia, as well as for pulmonary tuberculosis. The first kumis-treatment sanatorium was opened in 1856 in Samara. Kymys enhances the peristalsis of the gastrointestinal tract, secretion of juice, hematopoiesis, activates gastric juice, stimulates bile formation and bile secretion, suppresses the growth of pathogenic microbes in the intestine.

Kumis at jailau.

And then the day came when kumis leaped,
When old and small crowded in the Bai yurt,
With a merry ringing in the wineskins the drink boils,
Bai called all the farm laborers to his place today.

It is not in vain that she is reputed to be the mistress of the generous baibisha,
She will pour kumis into large bowls,
And the scent of the steppes will spread around
But the baibishe hesitates: she doesn't count in rush.

0 god! There is such a colorful pattern on the bowls,
That a poor man is afraid to touch with his hand!
And the baibishe is kind: know he treats to his heart's content,
And nobody wants to go home.

They took off all the shoes and, full of joy,
They sit as if invited to rest.
But buy starts talking about business-
Like, it's time to take the herds out to graze.

Forget, poor people, about this well-fed day,
Tomorrow will be doubly asked for everything.

11.06.2015

Kumis is a legendary drink of the Turkic peoples, made from the milk of mares. As soon as they do not dignify this miraculous elixir - "pearl of the east", "milky wine", "drink from the river of paradise", which saved the steppe nomads from thirst and hunger, healed from diseases.

The first mentions of koumiss date back to the 5th century BC. The traveler Herodotus mentioned kumis as a favorite drink of the Scythians, the recipe for which was hidden under fear of blinding. The Polovtsians, who let Prince Igor Seversky out of captivity in 1182, were drunk from drinking, did not disdain kumys.

Kumis - what is it?

This is a fermented milk product made from mare's milk, frothy, refreshing, sweet and sour, slightly intoxicating.

By the way, this is the only alcohol that is not prohibited for consumption by Muslims.

Depending on the fermentation time, young koumiss (fermentation time 5-6 hours, 1% alcohol), medium (1-2 days, 2% alcohol), strong (3-4 days, 4-5% alcohol) are distinguished. Kumis is the only drink obtained through 3 types of fermentation: lactic acid, alcoholic and yeast.

Compound

Useful B vitamins chemical composition there is plenty of this product. Speaking about the protein content, experts call the number 2-2.5%, based on the fat content of milk, the percentage of fat ranges from 1% to 2%, and the sugar in kumis is even more - 3-4.5%. The vitamin composition is also full of variety, here and vitamin C (for 1 kg of kumis 200 mg of vitamin C), vitamins A and B, E and PP. The trace elements in kumis are as follows: calcium, magnesium and phosphorus. The list of "usefulness" of the product does not end there, lactic acid and biotin, as well as ethyl alcohol will be useful for the human body.

It is difficult to call kumis a dietary product due to the presence of sugars and alcohol in it, but this does not make it less useful for human health. Today's traditional medicine widely uses kumis for the prevention and treatment of a large list of diseases, in addition, such types of treatment as kumis therapy and kumis therapy have become relevant.

Useful properties of koumiss

The beneficial properties of kumis are truly unique and make it possible to use the drink in the treatment of serious diseases. Mare's milk, unique in its composition, contains more vitamins than cow's and goat's, essential fatty acids. And in the process of fermentation, milk protein breaks down and turns into easily digestible forms, which helps to obtain a product with a nutrient absorption rate of more than 95%. It is not for nothing that kumis, the beneficial properties of which make it possible to rehabilitate after illnesses in a short time, improve digestion, strengthen the immune system, is called a heroic drink.

The beneficial properties of such a drink as kumis have been known to man since ancient times, since the beginning of the 19th century this miracle product began to be used by healers and traditional healers to cure many chronic diseases. The most popular kumis became for people with chronic tuberculosis, which receded during kumis therapy.

According to most scientists and professors, the composition of mare's milk is almost identical to that of a woman's breast milk. The similarity is observed in such components of kumis as sugar and protein, quality features of fats, high vitamin composition, microelements and other substances. It is all these components of a woman's mare's and mother's milk that are the main keys to support human life in a normal state.

In addition, the "magic" properties of kumiss lie in the fact that in the process of milk fermentation, its useful components either retain their properties, or, after protein hydrolysis, become even more assimilable for the human body. Due to this, kumis is always distinguished by its soft and nutritious taste, appetizing aroma and is easily taken by the gastrointestinal tract.

All the therapeutic properties of kumis can be felt on yourself if you take it regularly and for a long time. The characteristic medicinal properties of kumis are as follows:

• restorative effect;
• anti-inflammatory effect;
• healing actions;
• antibacterial effect;
• choleretic effect;
• antianemic effect;
• calming effect;
• probiotic effect.

Kumis becomes an irreplaceable product if a person is exposed to infectious diseases, tuberculosis, complicated intestinal and stomach diseases, and intestinal infections. After drinking the drink, the body receives restorative support to fight the illness and recover.

Contraindications for koumiss

In general, kumis is considered a harmless food product, since all its components are easily absorbed by the human body without overloading metabolic processes. But still there are several categories of people for whom this product is contraindicated.

1. Any diseases of the gastrointestinal tract in case of exacerbation.
2. People who have an individual intolerance to one or more of the components that are found in koumiss.

Despite the fact that kumis is considered alcoholic beverage, it is not considered harmful and is allowed to be consumed even in Muslim countries where the dry law is in force.

Making koumiss

Kumis is made, the recipe of which was carried through the millennia by wise aksakals, in our time both in families and on small kumis farms and hospitals, and on an industrial scale according to the same principle. The beginning of all beginnings is the milk of a mare, which is milked up to 6 times a day. Moreover, you need to be a skilled milker, because the milking time is limited to 18-20 seconds. Even proud horsemen and famous riders milked mares, not counting it only as a woman's occupation.

After milking, fresh milk is poured into a wooden tub (in ancient times, these were wineskins made of sheep skins, rubbed with wood to remove unnecessary bacteria and flavors) and kneaded with the addition of mature kumis for several hours with a special wooden spoon at a temperature close to 20 degrees. Then it is bottled and left to ferment, depending on what kind of kumis is needed - young, medium or mature.

A bit of history

More than 30 types of koumiss were made by experienced craftsmen! They differ depending on the season, the time of the mare's foal (kumis with colostrum flavor is a special delicacy). A special delicacy for children and adolescents was kumis with the addition of raisins, sugar, honey.

In the 19th century, Russian doctors opened the first kumis hospital, in which they cured patients with consumption and tuberculosis, since kumis even contains antibiotics. In addition, what is kumis useful for is the content of lactic acid bacteria that normalize digestion processes, improve the absorption of nutrients from other foods, vitamins that strengthen immunity, help improve blood formation, restore the nervous system and potency and men. The longevity of the inhabitants of Asia is associated with the constant use of koumiss.

So the horse, the steppe nurse, who gave the nomads food and drink, gave a wonderful gift - healing kumis, which you can drink for several days even in the heat, and feel neither fatigue, nor thirst, nor hunger, and continue your long journey in search of the best pastures.

In general, the history of kumis goes back several millennia, when kumis was recognized as a miraculous drink. The first gourmets who appreciated the taste of the drink were the inhabitants of the nomadic tribes of Central Asia and the southeastern part of majestic Russia. The product immediately began to enjoy incredible demand, since it easily quenched not only thirst, but also the feeling of hunger, was a nutritious and invigorating drink. After a while, the nomads noticed that with the help of kumis, many people were healed of diseases and ailments.

In ancient Greece, one of the popular historians Herodotus led a descriptive description of the customs and life of many nations; he mentioned kumys in the 5th century BC. e. According to him, the Scythian nomads could not imagine their life without koumiss. Speaking of Slavic history, the first facts about kumys were found in the records of how in the 12th century Prince Seversky was able to escape from the Polovtsian captivity when the guards drank kumis and lost all vigilance. Since then, this drink has become famous for its intoxicating abilities.

Kumis was considered a national drink among the Bashkirs, Kyrgyz and Kazakhs, as well as the Mongols. And only after the popularity of kumis, they began to replace it with cow and camel milk, in particular, the Kalmyks.

Kumis treatment

For the treatment of many diseases with the help of kumis, experts recommend starting from the level of acidity in the stomach.

Recipe number 1: low acidity of the stomach

For treatment in this way, you need to stock up on 750 ml of kumis. You need to drink the drink half an hour before a meal in the amount of 1 glass, three times a day. The course of treatment in this way lasts 1 month.

Recipe number 2: normal and increased acidity of the stomach

In this case, a person will need 750 ml of a drink, which in the amount of one glass must be drunk for 15 minutes before each meal, but not more than 3 times a day. The duration of the drink will be from 20 to 25 days, depending on how you feel.

Recipe number 3: after surgery to recover from normal and high acidity

Most often, such treatment is prescribed to people who have undergone surgery with a diagnosis of stomach ulcers. In the morning they drink 50 ml of kumis, at lunchtime - 100 ml, and in the evening - 200 ml of fresh kumis. At the same time, it should be consumed no earlier than an hour and a half before a meal. The treatment lasts 20 to 25 days.

Recipe number 4: after surgery to recover from low acidity

After surgery for stomach ulcers, kumis is consumed 4 times a day, half an hour before meals. A single dose of the drink is 50 ml. Gradually, the dosage of a single dose is increased to 200 ml. The course of treatment is still the same - 20-25 days.

Recipe number 5: the return of strength and body weight

For treatment, you will need 1.5 liters of the drink, which you need to gradually drink throughout the day. The duration of treatment is 20-25 days.

Miraculous drink koumiss

In order to understand how useful kumis is for human health and whether it is worth consuming it regularly, you need to know what miraculous effects it suggests:

1. It is used as a prophylaxis for seasonal ailments in the respiratory system.
2. A choleretic and mild laxative drink will help relieve cramps and bloating.
3. Kumis has an anti-inflammatory and restorative effect after surgical interventions for the treatment of stomach ulcers, duodenal ulcers, it normalizes the functioning of the pancreas and promotes successful lactation.
4. It should be noted the beneficial effect of kumis on the work of blood vessels and heart.
5. It normalizes the intestinal and vaginal microflora of a woman.
6. Enriched with calcium, the drink strengthens the bone base and teeth.

Kumis is not only able to heal the human body, it also invigorates mental strength and energy, eliminates nervous tension and depression.

On the eve of the opening of the International Exhibition "EXPO-2017" we have a unique opportunity to present traditional food products to the world as exclusive ones.

What is the current state of our traditional food products and what measures are being taken in the country to raise their status and improve their quality? This is the topic of our conversation with the President of the Kazakh Academy of Nutrition, Academician Toregeldy SHARMANOV.

- Toregeldy Sharmanovich, it is known that among the national food products of the Kazakh people, the most popular at all times was kumis - a healing drink made from mare's milk. For many centuries, interest in him has not diminished. What is his secret?

- Each nation has its own holy symbols that determine the originality of their existence in the Universe. The steppe and horses are symbols of the love of freedom of our nomadic ancestors, they passed them on to their descendants like a baton of freedom and independence. The historical value of horses is great for the nomadic tribes that inhabited the endless steppes. Horses were with them on the battlefields and shared with the owner all the hardships of military campaigns, served people faithfully. The extraordinary beauty and grace of horses are soulfully sung in folklore. The son of the steppes, Akan-sere, in his sad ode - a masterpiece of Kazakh oral literature, colorfully and touchingly describes the merits of his faithful horse Kulager. The centuries-old history of Kazakhs is closely connected with this noble animal, and at all times they were sacredly revered among the people.

Today, the descendants of yesterday's nomads are saddling more and more "iron horses", mastering space, building comfortable cities. And therefore it seems that in the soul of the people there is no longer that flight that was inherent in our ancestors. And the steppe, which once served as the cradle of the nomadic people, although it blooms in spring, as it used to be, now looks orphaned, involuntarily reflecting the state of mind of today's generation. In striving for civilization, as for the common good, peoples imperceptibly lose their identity. And against the background of all-terrestrial progress, horses remain those rare living threads that connect us with the times of our ancestors.

Today we are talking about kumis - a magic drink of nomads made from mare's milk. Kumys, stepping over the centuries, has not lost its divinity. This is a healing drink that has contributed to the formation of our gene pool. Its unique taste and heady aroma seem to take us with them into the depths of centuries, to the origins ... For our ancestors, it was a kind of elixir of youth and health, relieving from serious ailments. Indeed, it represents the pinnacle of our traditional medicine, giving the weakened - strength, the sick - health, the saddened - the mood. Since ancient times, Kazakhs have known, appreciated and used the healing properties of kumis in the treatment of tuberculosis, a disease that has not yet lost its mortal danger to mankind.

In Soviet times, many useful national traditional products were left out of the production process. In contrast, store shelves were overflowing with other, no less "attractive" drinks, which brought colossal benefits to the general treasury, but at the same time inflicted irreparable damage on our traditional culture and character.

- I grew up in an aul and I remember how my parents kept horses, and my mother made kumis from mare's milk, which was drunk by the whole family and the guests who came ...

- Quite right! Despite all the obstacles, in many private farmsteads the villagers milked the mares and thus continued the traditional craft of making kumis. Today, private entrepreneurs in their peasant farms contribute to its preservation.

They sell their products in small and large markets in cities, thus solving the problem of supplying patients with a healing drink. It is clear that so far we cannot talk about the obligatory offer of kumis in sanatoriums or hospitals, although some private institutions are trying to resolve this issue on their own. And the problem of satisfying universal demand remains open for now, especially since the price of the issue is affordable for many, so kumis for most people, unfortunately, remains a truly divine drink.

- What kind of kumis that you have tasted these days can you call a kind of quality standard?

- Among private entrepreneurs, I would like to name the one whose kumis I tasted myself and whose quality I liked. We are talking about the "Sarsebek" peasant farm located near Talgar. It is headed by a private entrepreneur Kerimbek Tleubaev - one of the enthusiasts of this difficult business, he does everything to develop and popularize the drink and horse breeding in general. This is a very necessary and useful thing, and it needs government support.

In the current century of intense globalization, the need to preserve folk traditions and crafts, which without proper measures can disappear without a trace in the turbulent stream of modernity, is becoming increasingly urgent. Therefore, the time has come to take our traditional products under government control, to protect them as an industry in particular need of government subsidies. We need mandatory state support for peasant farms, which, despite the fact that they are on a free voyage, are trying to somehow continue the work of their ancestors and provide our dastarkhan with useful traditional food products.

- I think that readers will be interested to know your authoritative opinion as a scientist about useful properties ah mare's milk and koumiss.

- Mare's milk has not yet been appreciated for its beneficial properties. It contains many rare chemical elements, it is rich in vitamins, minerals and enzymes. These elements are present in it in a special physiological combination, which is inherent only in mare's milk, and it can be called unique among the milk of other animals. Let's dwell on the main four properties or differences of mare's milk: its protein belongs to albumin, that is, it has a delicate, easily digestible nature - this is its fundamental difference from the milk of other animals, for example, cow's, goat's, sheep's milk, the protein of which is casein; light and harmless fatty acid composition, that is, the presence of polyunsaturated fatty acids, which have a pronounced anti-sclerotic effect; the presence of a natural antibiotic capable of destroying Koch's bacilli (tuberculosis); synthesis in the process of oxidation of a large amount of vitamin C (ascorbic acid), which resists various bacteria and viruses. The aforementioned properties in nature are inherent only in breast milk, therefore, from a scientific point of view, if it is necessary to replace breast milk, in comparison with cow milk, mare has the highest priority.

I also want to focus on one of the main features of mare's milk: it cannot be boiled, it cannot be sterilized or pasteurized. Milk of other animals, as you know, must be boiled and pasteurized. And in the process of sterilization, natural qualities are lost and even some properties harmful to the human body are acquired. Mare's milk, on the contrary, becomes unusable when boiled, and in the process of fermentation, when it turns into kumis, it becomes more useful. It seems that our nomadic ancestors knew a lot about science, since they were able to appreciate the power of this miraculous drink.

As a result of many years of research by the Kazakh Academy of Nutrition based on mare's milk and koumiss, therapeutic and prophylactic products have been scientifically proven and recommended for use, aimed at effectively combating pulmonary tuberculosis, iron deficiency anemia, diseases of the cardiovascular system and oncological diseases. Due to the easy digestibility of mare's milk, it can be used for diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and liver, due to its antiviral and antibacterial effects - it is advisable to use it in protection against infectious diseases, to increase immunity. Of interest are the results of recent studies, during which the presence of a chemical element, bromine, was determined in mare's milk, which proves the effectiveness of its use in diseases of the nervous system, such as insomnia, depression, and so on. During this period, within the walls of our Kazakh Academy of Nutrition, within the framework of a special scientific project, work is underway to create geroprotectors - agents that slow down the aging process and increase life expectancy ...

- What do you mean by the concept of "national brand" and what products should be included in the ranks of the "elite"?

- You can give a whole list of national products that can pretend to be a brand: after kumis, these are құrt, ірімшік (including from sheep's milk, etc.), shubat and so on. Ort and ірімшік are worthy products for this purpose, but the problems of their safety and quality have not yet been resolved. As for ayran, there are a lot of products similar to it, produced everywhere and everywhere, and it can easily get lost among them. Therefore, according to all indicators, kumis is certainly suitable as a national brand among food products - our national drink made on the basis of mare's milk. I am sure that the President's instruction given to the Minister of Agriculture to resume the production of kumis contributes to the advancement of the problem at the state level.

It should be noted that not only Kazakhs have koumiss. The Kyrgyz and Mongols also have kumis, they also keep horses and milk mares. However, we have different horse breeds and different pastures. We must take this into account when creating a brand, we have a primordial Kazakh breed of horses called toads. Many may have claims about the production of kumis, but all have their own national flavor. The difference between our kumis and others is in the breed of horses, and the ancient traditional technology of making kumis, passed down from generation to generation, has hardly changed.

When creating national standards for the production of kumis, all the above differences should be taken into account. It is necessary to determine the quality indicators of kumis, they must be agreed and approved by the relevant authorities. To ensure the high level and proper quality of the national brand, it is necessary to legally prohibit its falsification and substitution with other dairy products.

Today we all mainly complain about the danger of products imported from outside. But as the proverb says: “rather than look for a speck in someone else’s eye, it’s better to pay attention to the log in your own,” let’s do a better job of propaganda and promotion of our traditional products. It is no secret that dairy products are the most vulnerable link in food safety. Now store shelves are overflowing with various dairy products, most of which acquire a dangerous chemical property called "trans fat" during processing. It can be called a "quiet enemy" because it is difficult to determine its presence. There is still an equally difficult problem concerning storage times. Surprisingly, mare's milk is virtually devoid of these problems. In this connection, we are once again convinced of the worthiness of mare's milk for recommendation as a national brand in the food industry.

- Toregeldy Sharmanovich, when and how did you come to the conclusion that kumis should be cultivated not just as a food product, but a special kind that requires a special approach?

- It should be said that for me the relevance of this topic dates back to Soviet times. In 1975, I organized a clinic where, as part of the complex therapy of patients, products based on mare's milk and horse meat were used. Already at that time, we were able to use the miraculous qualities of these products in practice. On the basis of the clinic, we also used Ort, ірімшік, products based on mare's and camel's milk. Thus, we were able to help and improve the health of many patients with various chronic diseases.

But this time coincided with dramatic changes in the history of our country's health care. I am referring to the holding in Almaty of the international historic WHO conference on primary health care. We held a conference at a high level, simultaneously glorifying our republic and its then capital, the city of Almaty, to the whole world. But that was the catch, that such glory was impossible to survive. And I, the then Minister of Health of the Republic, instead of gratitude was expelled from the Republic ...

Reaping the bitter fruits of my righteous labors, I then had to leave to work in Moscow. And the clinic I created was noisily closed under the heading of "manifestations of nationalism." I now clearly understand the meaning of the expression: "All this would be funny if it were not so sad." After all, even the patients who were treated instead of the government clinic in our country were "honored" with severe reprimands from the Central Committee. Thus, the fate of scientific research carried out in the clinic turned out to be sad.

- Indeed, at that time you turned out to be "guilty without guilt." And now, when the best times have come and the independence of the republic has passed more than 20 years, how is this sphere developing in the country?

I wrote a letter to the President about the goals of our project and received his personal approval. Within the framework of the project, a plant for the production of powdered mare's milk, baby food for therapeutic and prophylactic purposes is being built on the territory between Karaganda and Astana with an area of ​​45 square kilometers. This project is carried out with the scientific support of our Kazakh Academy of Nutrition in conjunction with the company "Eurasia Invest LTD". The head of the company is Meyrambekov Kadyrbek, a businessman, on whom we now pin great hopes in the successful implementation of our common cause.

As for the technology used in production, the process of milking mares will be automated. Of course, it is difficult to achieve the effect of manual milking, but otherwise it will not be possible to achieve the desired labor productivity. In Germany, representatives of such a business keep horses in a special fence and milk them 3 times a day. And since our horses graze freely on the pasture, we can milk up to 5 times a day. We have many advantages: the conditions of a summer pasture with lush grass, skillful care of mares, the traditional technology of making kumis. The farm will milk about 300 mares. God willing, in October-November of this year we will submit a report to the President on the work done. Now we are looking for a special name for our product, made from the milk of mares of the original Kazakh breed of toad. Its name and label on the products should have special differences so that they clearly express our national roots, the eternal call of the steppes, the soul-nagging nostalgia for the times of our glorious nomadic ancestors.

A large amount of research carried out within the framework of the project is devoted to the creation of breast milk substitutes based on mare's milk, products for school-age children. During the implementation of the project, about 10 types of products useful for the body will be produced that improve the functioning of the cardiovascular system, increase immunity, resist tuberculosis, oncological diseases, as well as effective means for use in the complex therapy of diseases of the nervous system. We are confident that the healthy products we create will rightfully take their rightful place at the EXPO-2017 International Exhibition.

I would like to remind the country's entrepreneurs that the resumption of the production of kumis is a noble cause that contributes to strengthening the health of the people, increasing the country's potential and preserving folk traditions.

Recently, we at the Kazakh Academy of Nutrition received a request for approval, sent to the Prime Minister from a group of deputies of the Senate of the Parliament about the need to develop a Law "On koumiss and shubat". This means that the country has initiated the processes of forming a national brand and a start has been given to the implementation of state care for traditional products. And we, for our part, are ready to support these good undertakings in the scientific aspect, especially since we have been striving for this goal since the founding of the Academy.

I am sure that thanks to the support of the deputy corps, the joint efforts of the Government, entrepreneurs and the scientific community, the production of national traditional food products will develop and reach a wide state level. And in the near future, as a national brand, these products will represent our country on the international market, becoming the real property of the republic.

Toregeldy Sharmanov, President of the Kazakh Academy of Nutrition

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