Chal, also shubat or khoormog (, , , ), is a Turkic (especially

Turkmen Turkmen, Türkmen, Turkoman, or Turkman may refer to: Peoples Historical ethnonym * Turkoman (ethnonym), ethnonym used for the Oghuz Turks during the Middle Ages Ethnic groups * Turkmen in Anatolia and the Levant (Seljuk and Ottoman-Turkish desc ...

, Uzbek and Kazakh) and Mongolic beverage of

fermented Fermentation is a type of anaerobic metabolism which harnesses the redox potential of the reactants to make adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and organic end products. Organic compound, Organic molecules, such as glucose or other sugars, are Catabo ...

camel milk Camel milk is milk from female camel, camels. It has supported nomad and Pastoralism, pastoral cultures since the domestication of camels millennia ago. Herders may for periods survive solely on the milk when taking the camels on long distances ...

, sparkling white with a sour flavor, popular in

Central Asia Central Asia is a region of Asia consisting of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. The countries as a group are also colloquially referred to as the "-stans" as all have names ending with the Persian language, Pers ...

— particularly in

Kazakhstan Kazakhstan, officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a landlocked country primarily in Central Asia, with a European Kazakhstan, small portion in Eastern Europe. It borders Russia to the Kazakhstan–Russia border, north and west, China to th ...

Uzbekistan , image_flag = Flag of Uzbekistan.svg , image_coat = Emblem of Uzbekistan.svg , symbol_type = Emblem of Uzbekistan, Emblem , national_anthem = "State Anthem of Uzbekistan, State Anthem of the Republ ...

and

Turkmenistan Turkmenistan is a landlocked country in Central Asia bordered by Kazakhstan to the northwest, Uzbekistan to the north, east and northeast, Afghanistan to the southeast, Iran to the south and southwest and the Caspian Sea to the west. Ash ...

. In Kazakhstan the drink is known as ''shubat'', and is a staple summer food. Due to preparation requirements and perishable nature, chal has proved difficult to export. ''Agaran'' (fermented cream) is collected from the surface of chal.

Description

Fermented chal is reputed to possess

virucidal A virucide (alternatively spelled viricide) is any physical or chemical agent that deactivates or destroys viruses. The substances are not only virucidal but can be also bactericidal, fungicidal, sporicidal or tuberculocidal. Virucides are t ...

and virus inhibiting properties not found in fresh camel or cow milk, both in its

liquid Liquid is a state of matter with a definite volume but no fixed shape. Liquids adapt to the shape of their container and are nearly incompressible, maintaining their volume even under pressure. The density of a liquid is usually close to th ...

and lyophilized form — a characteristic which is (reputedly) unaffected by shelf life. Chal is typically prepared by first souring camel milk in a skin bag or ceramic jar by adding previously soured milk. For 3–4 days, fresh milk is mixed in; the matured chal will consist of one third to one fifth previously soured milk. Camel milk will not sour for up to 72 hours at temperatures below 10 °C (50 °F). At 30 °C (86 °F) the milk sours in approximately 8 hours (compared to cow's milk, which sours within 3 hours). A comparison of the composition of camel milk and camel chal: Dornic acidity is used to describe acidity in milk products, with 1 Dornic degree (1°D) equal to 0.1g of lactic acid per liter. The chal contained

Lactobacilli The ''Lactobacillaceae'' are a family of lactic acid bacteria. It is the only family in the lactic acid bacteria which includes homofermentative and heterofermentative organisms; in the ''Lactobacillaceae,'' the pathway used for hexose fermentati ...

lactic;

streptococci ''Streptococcus'' is a genus of gram-positive spherical bacteria that belongs to the family Streptococcaceae, within the order Lactobacillales (lactic acid bacteria), in the phylum Bacillota. Cell division in streptococci occurs along a sing ...

and

yeast Yeasts are eukaryotic, single-celled microorganisms classified as members of the fungus kingdom (biology), kingdom. The first yeast originated hundreds of millions of years ago, and at least 1,500 species are currently recognized. They are est ...

. Chal may be cultured with ''lactobacillus casei'', ''streptococcus thermophilus'', and lactose-fermenting yeasts incubating in inoculated milk for 8 hours at 25 °C (77 °F), and then subsequently for 16 hours at 20 °C (68 °F). Holder

pasteurization In food processing, pasteurization (American and British English spelling differences#-ise, -ize (-isation, -ization), also pasteurisation) is a process of food preservation in which packaged foods (e.g., milk and fruit juices) are treated wi ...

does not affect the quality of the milk, but pasteurization at higher temperatures (85 °C/185 °F) for 5 minutes negatively impacts flavour. Chal made from pure cultures of ''lactobacillus casei'', ''streptococcus thermophilus'', and species of torula has markedly less not-fat solids and lactose than the milk from which it is made.
cited in

References

External links

* * * *
Filip Noubel, "Golden Century of the Turkmens:" A Bleak Picture of Village Life in the Desert. EurasiaNet photo essay, 10/25/02
{{Yogurts Kazakh cuisine Turkish cuisine Yogurt-based drinks Turkish words and phrases Turkmen cuisine Uzbekistani cuisine Fermented drinks Alcoholic drinks Camel products

Description

See also

References

External links