Katyk

Turkic and Bulgarian culinary traditions gave mankind katyk. This is a specific national fermented milk drink. Locals drink katyk in its pure form (like regular kefir/milk) or add it as a dressing to salads and soups. The age of the drink has long exceeded 2 thousand years. The secrets of cooking, the peculiarities of aging and the selection of ingredients are passed down with trepidation from generation to generation. Despite the age, the recipe has come down to us in its original form, preserving the authenticity and originality of the Turkic people.

Thanks to what did katyk gain popularity and how can it surprise the modern sophisticated consumer?

General characteristics

The peculiarity of the name: the word “katyk” is translated from Turkic as “food supplement”, from Uighur (the indigenous people of East Turkestan) – food vinegar. The particle “kat” is used to refer to seasonings, sauces and other additives to dishes.

Katyk is a fermented milk drink. It is produced by fermenting milk with special bacterial cultures. The main difference between an exotic drink and, for example, the familiar yogurt is heat treatment. Before fermentation, the milk is heated to 100,2°C. By boiling, the end product is fatter, richer and more nutritious.

When heated, a third of the milk evaporates. The remaining liquid is fermented for 7-10 hours at an ambient temperature of 20 to 40°C. In order for the liquid to change the taste and texture, shaking and even slight mixing must be avoided. The manufacturing technology of katyk provides for tinting with cherries or beets. Products give not only a juicy muted shade, but also dilute the taste palette with bright sweet notes.

Modern industrial producers have not departed from traditional technologies and continue to prepare classic katyk using robots and massive installations. To increase the reach of the audience, companies produce not only a “clean” drink, but also a fat-free, fruity, additionally enriched with vitamins, with seeds / cereals / bran.

During the production of katyk, a by-product is released – suzma (suzbe). After the already thickened fermented milk raw materials are filtered, a specific mass remains. Its consistency is similar to slightly hardened sour cream, and the taste is richly milky with barely perceptible impurities of bitterness. Suzma can also be eaten, but in industrial enterprises the product is most often thrown away.

The shelf life of the finished fermented milk product does not exceed 3 days. After 3 days, the drink becomes rancid, sour, with a sharp aftertaste. But the locals have found a use even for sour katyk. It is added to soups or broths to give the liquid a special spicy hue. Chalop (national Asian cold soup), salads (added as a dressing), main dishes and drinks (for example, ayran) are also prepared from katyk.

The minimum shelf life promises significant losses to the manufacturing company, so special harmless components are added to the drink to extend the time for implementation.

Features of the composition and useful properties

The nutritional value and useful vitamin composition are determined by the specifics of the sourdough. It is in it that beneficial lactic bacteria are concentrated, which restore the intestinal microflora, suppress the development of putrefactive formations, inflammation and damage. Manufacturers claim that daily use of katyk stabilizes the functioning of the abdominal organs, strengthens the body, preserves youth, and strengthens bones. The manufacturing company relies on the interaction of the Bulgarian bacillus and lactic streptococci. These components are responsible for:

• high level of digestibility of useful substances from food products;
• the presence of vital vitamins and nutrients;
• restoration and normalization of internal microflora;
• functionality of the gastrointestinal tract;
• rejuvenation of the body;
• strengthening the protective function of the immune system.

In the 1900s, Ilya Ilyich Mechnikov (biologist) advocated the consumption of fermented milk products. The scientist argued that they can cope with putrefactive formations, infections, viruses much faster and more efficiently, compared to the then medications. Mechnikov emphasized the ability of lactic acid bacteria to acclimatize in the internal environment and “serve for the benefit of the organism in which they live.”

Modern medicine has refuted the arguments of the biologist. The pharmacological environment was able to achieve unprecedented progress, and scientists moved milk and its derivatives from the category of “healthy foods” to the category of “extremely dangerous”.

What is the danger of milk and dairy products

We are talking about milk of animal origin. The benefits of plant-based milk (soy, coconut, nut, and so on) have been proven and are actively used in the field of nutrition.

The danger to the human body is not the milk itself, but the components that make up the composition. There is not a single dairy product that does not contain lactose and harmful hormones. After 5 years, lactase ceases to be produced in the human body (the only enzyme that can qualitatively digest and assimilate milk sugar). As a result, most adults develop lactose intolerance. It can be manifested by acne, sharp pains in the abdomen, dizziness, nausea, vomiting. In especially severe cases, one glass of katyk can cause hospitalization.

Scientists have found that milk thins the bones, and does not strengthen them, as advertised. Moreover, excessive consumption of milk is fraught with:

• exacerbation of acne;
• increased risk of developing cancer;

The risk of developing breast cancer or prostate cancer increases by more than 30%. Such a jump is due to the effect of dioxidine (a high-frequency chemical compound found in milk) on the human body:

• “washing out” of calcium from the body;
• hormonal disorders.

Do I need to completely abandon dairy products and katyk in particular

Drinking milk is an individual choice for each person. A complete refusal will indeed have a beneficial effect on the quality of human life, but if until today you have been drinking a glass of katyk every day, then do not force yourself to completely exclude it from the diet. Stress and a constant desire to perform your daily milk ritual can also cause many problems and, at the very least, depression. You can drink milk and its derivatives only under one condition – an adjusted dosage.

Complete restriction takes place only with individual intolerance or the presence of serious pathologies (determined by the attending doctor). Try to reduce the percentage of consumption of milk and its derivatives to 1 liter per week. You will feel inner lightness, minimization of rashes, normalization of the digestive system.

Varieties of sour milk product

The traditional recipe for katyk has been criticized more than once and tried to improve. Modern manufacturers have created a sweet, salty, spicy, sour, fruity fermented milk product that has carved its niche in the market.

Popular additives in katyk:

• beet juice;
• cherry;
• dry crushed spices;
• bran/cereals;
• hot peppers;
• greenery;
• mineral water.

Another well-known Turkic drink, airan, is prepared on the basis of katyk. It has a firmer texture and a diluted milky taste. An unprecedented wave of popularity of ayran falls on the period from the 70s to the 90s. According to government documents, several dozen enterprises were preparing a drink for sale in 16 union republics.

Use in cooking

The traditional refreshing taste of katyk failed to gain widespread popularity. Only local establishments use it on the menu, and on the shelves of stores, the drink occupies only a third of the shelf. But the market dictates its terms, so even this third of the shelf has found its customers. The product attracts with a homogeneous texture and dense rich taste. To make the drink softer, it is diluted with water (most often mineral), spices, fruits and various juices.

Turkic culinary tradition provides for the use of katyk in many national dishes. The fermented milk ingredient is a must for pilaf, national soups and second courses. Among the gastronomic eccentricities is fried soup on katyk. The cooking technology is as simple as possible – various vegetables are fried in vegetable oil, poured with katyk while still warm and served immediately. Not every body will respond with gratitude to a delicacy, so inexperienced tourists are better off looking for a more acceptable culinary tour. Locals advise trying katyk with homemade noodles and legumes, veal and chicken eggs, or Tajik chalop soup.

Oriental haute cuisine is known for its jegei. This is a special type of cottage cheese, which is served as a main dish, used as a filling or dressing. Ezhegei is prepared on the basis of katyk. The most favorite and popular combinations are hedgehog and any kind of meat (preferably poultry). No less popular are sweet katyk or cottage cheese based on it. Most often, this is a delicacy that is offered to children and unprepared tourists.

The Turks claim that katyk gives dishes a special charm in the form of a light sour-milk plume, a softer and richer taste. A sophisticated Turkic consumer can easily determine the presence, quality and even quantity of the fermented milk component after the first spoonful.

National sour-milk soups based on katyk are among the top gastronomic attractions in Turkey, Uzbekistan, Iran, Kazakhstan and many other countries. It should be noted that in the homeland itself this is an absolutely self-sufficient product that adorns the center of the family table.

Salma national soup recipe

We need:

• onion – 1 head;
• fresh potatoes – 2 pieces of medium size;
• filtered water – 2 tablespoons;
• whole grain wheat flour – 35 g;
• chicken egg – 2 pcs;
• sour cream (the original recipe uses sour cream with 20% fat, but to reduce calories, you can use a less fatty product) – 100 g;
• cottage cheese – 200 g.

Preparation

Prepare a saucepan, pour 1,5 liters of filtered water into it, put on fire and bring the liquid to a boil. As soon as the water boils, reduce the heat and start slowly introducing the ingredients. Send chopped onions, potatoes to the liquid and leave to boil. At this time, prepare the dumplings. The recipe is simple: for 1 egg, use 2 tablespoons of water and a few pinches of flour. Vary the amount of flour until you achieve the consistency of thick sour cream. Once the dumpling mixture is ready, carefully shape into small balls (about the size of a teaspoon) and drop them into the potato-onion broth.

Cooking katyk (one of the local Turkic recipes): mix cottage cheese, ½ cup of ice-cold filtered water, 1 chicken egg. Using a blender, beat the ingredients to the consistency of dense kefir. Periodically add sour cream to the mass and mix the contents thoroughly.

As soon as the potatoes in the broth become soft, follow a series of simple manipulations: scoop up an incomplete ladle of broth and carefully pour it into the curd mixture. Do not forget to constantly stir the dish, otherwise the curd will curdle. Continue pouring the broth until the curd liquid is hot and watery. Put the resulting mixture on low heat (do not forget to constantly stir the dish), add your favorite spices and leave to simmer for 5-10 minutes. Serve the traditional soup immediately after cooking, garnished with herbs (green onions, dill, cilantro).