Kumis
RegionalCentral Asia and neighboring regions
A traditional fermented mare's milk beverage of Central Asia, also written koumiss or qymyz. Its fermentation involves both lactic acid bacteria and yeasts.
About Kumis
Kumis (also spelled kumiss, qymyz, or koumiss) is a traditional fermented horse milk drink produced by the nomadic peoples of the Eurasian steppe — particularly in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, and the Bashkortostan and Buryatia regions of Russia. It is one of the oldest fermented beverages in the world, with archaeological evidence of horse domestication and milk use at Botai culture sites in Kazakhstan dating to approximately 3500 BCE. Kumis has been a cornerstone of Central Asian steppe culture for millennia, serving as a source of nutrition, hydration, and social significance.
Kumis is produced by fermenting fresh mare milk in a traditional leather pouch (saaba in Kazakh, or equivalent in other traditions) or wooden vessel, using a starter of previously fermented kumis. The fermentation is conducted by both lactic acid bacteria (primarily Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus and related strains) and yeasts (primarily Kluyveromyces marxianus and Candida kefyr), producing a drink that is simultaneously soured through lactic acid fermentation and lightly alcoholic through ethanol-producing yeast fermentation. Traditional kumis typically contains 0.7–2.5% alcohol, though stronger varieties produced by longer fermentation can reach higher concentrations.
Fresh kumis is a white to pale yellow, slightly fizzy liquid with a sour, slightly alcoholic, and distinctively "horsey" flavour. It is consumed at various stages of fermentation — freshly made kumis is mild and mildly alcoholic; older, more fermented kumis is sharper and stronger. In Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, kumis is offered to guests as a gesture of hospitality and is associated with the spring and summer seasons when mares are lactating. Kumis festivals and competitions are held across the region.
Sources & Further Reading
- Codex Alimentarius — Standard for Fermented Milks — International food standard CXS 243-2003 (amended through 2024) — names kumys as a defined fermented milk product, specifying Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus and Kluyveromyces marxianus as the required starter cultures
- PMC — Fermented Mare Milk (Kumis) Research — Open-access review of mare milk composition including traditional fermented kumis
Nutrition
Kumis inherits the nutritional profile of mare milk, modified by fermentation. Typical values:
Fat1.0–2.5%
Protein2.0–2.5%
LactoseReduced by fermentation
Alcohol0.7–2.5% ABV
Live culturesBoth bacteria and yeasts
Vitamin CHigher than cow milk
Kumis is low in fat and contains both lactic acid bacteria and yeasts as live cultures. Fermentation reduces the lactose content of the original mare milk. It provides some protein, B vitamins, and notably higher vitamin C than cow milk. The alcohol content makes it unsuitable for children, pregnant women, and those avoiding alcohol.
Common Uses
◌ Traditional beverage◌ Hospitality drink◌ Festival drink◌ Traditional medicine
Kumis is primarily consumed as a traditional beverage across the Central Asian steppe, where it is deeply embedded in social customs. In Kazakhstan, offering kumis to a guest is an important gesture of hospitality. It is consumed at weddings, festivals, and the Nauryz spring celebration. In Mongolia, it is consumed during the Naadam festival. Historically, kumis was ascribed medicinal properties and 19th-century Russian sanatoriums offered "kumiss cures" for tuberculosis patients. It is not widely exported or available outside Central Asia and specialty markets.
Interesting Facts
- William of Rubruck, a Flemish friar who visited the Mongol court in 1253, wrote one of the earliest European descriptions of kumis, noting its intoxicating properties and the high regard in which it was held.
- Leo Tolstoy, the Russian author, was prescribed a kumis cure for his health in the 1860s and spent time at a Bashkir steppe community drinking kumis — he wrote positively about the experience.
- Traditional kumis is made in a leather pouch that is repeatedly beaten and agitated during fermentation — the physical action helps integrate the bacteria and yeasts and maintains the consistency of the drink.
- The alcohol in kumis comes entirely from yeast fermentation of the lactose in mare milk — the same metabolic process that produces alcohol in beer and wine.
- Kumis has a very short shelf life — at room temperature it continues fermenting and becomes increasingly sour and alcoholic within 24 hours, which is why traditionally it is consumed very fresh.