Shubat

Shubat (chal) is a traditional Kazakh drink made from camel milk. Compared to koumiss, it has a higher fat content (up to 8%). This is a perishable product that becomes unusable within 5 days after preparation. Due to the impossibility of extending the shelf life, shubat is practically not exported for sale.

Interestingly, agaran is collected from the surface of the fermented milk drink, the so-called enzymatic cream, which is used in the process of making desserts and cocktails.

It is believed that shubat contains 3 times more vitamins C, D than cow’s milk. It is useful for inflammation of the liver, diabetes, asthma, tuberculosis, psoriasis.

Recipe

The traditional Kazakh drink is not easy to find in supermarkets, but you can make it yourself from camel milk. Store-bought shubat is more fermented than homemade.

Homemade fermented milk drink is thicker than milk, not too sour and fizzy.

To prepare shubat, you will need the following ingredients: raw camel milk (500 ml), skimmed milk powder (8 g), sourdough. All components must be fresh with the current expiration date.

Cooking principle: ¼ part of camel milk is mixed with powdered milk, stirred vigorously. The main condition of this stage is the absence of lumps in the mixture. Then add the starter and the rest of the milk. The container is covered with a towel, left for 24 hours in a warm place. Every 3,5 hours, the mass is gently mixed.

Shubat does not thicken much like cow’s milk, so to determine the degree of its readiness, you need to pay attention to the structure. When a thin layer of transparent liquid forms at the bottom of the container, you can proceed to the next step. It consists in straining the shubat through a sieve. After that, the drink is tightly closed, vigorously shaken and cooled.

Homemade shubat is stored in the refrigerator for no more than 3 days. After the expiration date, the drink should not be consumed. Otherwise, you can cause indigestion. Fresh grains of shubat are recommended to be used in the future to obtain a new batch of the drink.

When warm, shubat can have a laxative effect on people who are not used to drinking this cocktail. To exclude the possibility of indigestion, the drink is cooled.

Nutritional value

Shubat is a homogeneous milky-white foaming liquid. The drink is recommended to be included in the diet of people suffering from chronic hepatitis, gastritis, skin diseases, diabetes.

The most useful is shubat with a two-day exposure period.

A characteristic feature of the fermented milk drink is a specific refreshing aftertaste, the aroma of sour milk. Upon entering the body, it enhances the excretory function of the stomach, which improves the absorption of proteins, fats, carbohydrates. In addition, with regular use of 200 ml of the drink per day, the action of toxins decreases, and the body’s resistance increases.

Shubat is fatter than koumiss (5,7 g versus 1,3 g), contains much more protein (4,14 g versus 1 g), and has a higher energy value (94 kcal versus 88 g). At the same time, the carbohydrate content in them is approximately the same and equals 43 and 5,06 g, respectively.

The nutritional value and healing power of shubat is due to the presence of easily digestible proteins (albumins), antibiotics, vitamins, minerals, ethyl alcohol, which are produced by sourdough microorganisms, as well as the specific composition of fat, the balance of amino acids. This is a valuable product that has a positive effect on the heart and blood vessels.

In addition to useful unsaturated fatty acids, shubat and koumiss are rich in essential amino acids:

• leucine (568 mg vs 157 mg);
• lysine (409 mg vs. 166 mg);
• valine (351 mg vs. 95 mg);
• isoleucine (310 mg vs. 76 mg);
• threonine (191 mg versus 93 mg);
• phenylalanine (172 mg vs 148 mg);
• methionine (163 mg versus 41 mg);
• tryptophan (62 mg versus 29 mg), respectively.

Thus, both products contain a set of nutritional components necessary to maintain the vital activity of the body, which is why it is recommended to include them in the daily diet. At the same time, in terms of the quantitative composition of unsaturated fatty acids, essential amino acids, macro- and microelements, shubat exceeds koumiss by 1,5-5 times.

Why use

Shubat is a fermented milk drink with a fat content of 8%. According to the aging time, three-day (strong), two-day (medium-strength) and one-day (young) chal are distinguished. For the production of shubat, only fresh camel milk is used, which leads to a high cost of the product (750 tenge). It is mixed with sourdough in a wooden tub or leather bag (torsyk), closed or tied, leaving for one day to sour. After that, chal is not shaken, unlike koumiss, but is well mixed immediately before serving.

Shubat useful properties:

1. Saturates the body with vitamins, macro- and microelements.

In terms of nutrients, camel milk exceeds cow’s milk by 2 times. It is also lower in sugars, saturated fats and calories.

2. Promotes relaxation. Shubat contains gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), which acts as an inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain. This biogenic substance is responsible for reducing the number of neurons, due to which relaxation is achieved, anxiety is reduced, and the quality of sleep improves.

GABA, which is part of camel milk, is much more effective in activating GABA receptors than cow or goat milk, which facilitates its absorption in the body.

3. It supplies unique proteins (up to 200 types) that have antioxidant, hypotensive, antithrombotic, antimicrobial properties.
4. Normalizes sugar levels while meeting the body’s need for a daily dose of insulin, which is especially important for patients with type 1 diabetes.
5. Serves as a safe substitute for sour-milk camel drink for people with individual intolerance to regular cow’s milk.
6. Cures severe food allergies. Shubat exhibits anti-inflammatory, hypoallergenic properties.

Shubat does not contain casein and beta-lactoglobulin – proteins that cause allergic reactions. In addition, fermented milk drink can be consumed by people with lactose intolerance. According to studies, it has been established that in 85% it does not cause a negative reaction of the body.

According to clinical experiments, it has been established that people with extreme food allergies who experience asthma symptoms, vomiting, diarrhea, skin rashes after consuming a forbidden product at the same time as shubat tolerated the consequences of diet disruption more easily. As a rule, adverse reactions decreased within 24 hours and completely disappeared after 4 days.

Interestingly, when following a two-week diet on a fermented milk drink, the condition of patients suffering from food allergies improved markedly, which made it possible to introduce foods that had not previously been digested into the diet after a 14-day course.

7. Stimulates the immune system. Lactoferrin, lactoperoxidase, lysozyme, immunoglobulin found in shubat have antibacterial properties, increase the body’s barrier functions.

Protective enzymes act against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Salmonella. Shubat contains antibodies that help the body fight rotavirus.

8. Treatment of autoimmune diseases. Camel milk contains potent cell-permeating immunoglobulins that improve the functioning of the immune system. As a result, the intensity of the attack of one’s own cells decreases. The immune system focuses its forces on the suppression of harmful antigens.
9. Maintaining the heart. Shubat is a source of monounsaturated fats (oleic acid), A2 beta-casein, which differs from A1 casein contained in cow’s milk in that it does not have a negative reaction on the human body. During digestion, the latter, in turn, breaks down into beta-casomorphin-7. The resulting opioid-like peptide causes inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract, suppresses the immune system, and contributes to the development of type 1 diabetes.

In studying ways to mitigate steatohepatitis, insulin resistance, and lipid peroxidation, researchers concluded that 8 weeks of shubat consumption reduced liver fat and reduced oxidative stress-causing compounds. In addition, the content of antioxidants glutathione and catalase increases, and the level of “good” HDL cholesterol decreases.

Strengthens bone tissue, reduces the risk of rickets in children and osteoporosis in adults, improves the activity of the intestines, liver, pancreas.

Shubat is recommended for people with tuberculosis, food allergies, psoriasis, chronic hepatitis, diabetes, stomach ulcers, asthma, diseases of the cardiovascular system, bone tissue. The drink serves as an excellent prevention of anemia, gastritis, decreased immunity, and exhaustion of the body.

Harm of shubat

The traditional Kazakh cocktail is contraindicated in obesity, people with sensitive intestinal microflora and individual intolerance to the product. Otherwise, you can put on weight, exacerbate existing digestive problems, “deserve” diarrhea, provoke an allergy attack.

Used in cosmetics

The anti-aging properties of camel milk-based products are known to women in the Middle East firsthand. They used the product to protect the delicate skin of the face from chapping in the desert and exposure to bright sunlight.

Shubat and camel milk (as part of masks) have moisturizing, nourishing, regenerating effects on the dermis. These are natural sources of carotene, ascorbic acid, immunoglobulin, antibiotics that can smooth wrinkles, fight dermatitis, seborrhea, psoriasis, and brighten the skin of the face.

Beauty recipe – Cleopatra mask

Ingredients:

• White clay;
• rose oil;
• honey;
• camel milk or shubat.

To prepare a rejuvenating mask, all components are mixed in equal amounts, applied to clean face skin for 5 minutes, washed off with warm, then cold water.

The tool is suitable for the care of a fading, mature dermis.

Conclusion

Shubat is a traditional fermented milk drink in Kazakhstan. It is made from camel milk. The benefits of the drink depend on the individual characteristics of the animal, feeding conditions and breed. The chemical composition of cow’s and camel’s milk is similar. However, in hot climates, camels’ milk yield is much higher than that of cows, which leads to the wide popularity of the animal in the Middle East.

Shubat is used in folk medicine, cooking and cosmetology to improve health, cooking and inhibition of skin aging, respectively. A fermented milk drink perfectly quenches thirst, relieves diabetes, relieves symptoms of poisoning, treats stomach ulcers, asthma, anemia, gastritis, beriberi, and tuberculosis. In addition, it restores the functioning of the pancreas, intestinal motility, increases the body’s resistance, and stabilizes the state of the nervous system.

Interestingly, for the Kazakhs, shubat is a natural aphrodisiac and an elixir of youth.

In 1 liter of the drink, the body’s daily need for riboflavin, thiamine, ascorbic acid is concentrated. In addition, the composition of chal contains much less casein, which makes it difficult to digest dairy products, relative to other fermented milk products.

In order to avoid disruption of the digestive system, it is not recommended to drink warm shubat drink, especially for people with sensitive intestinal microflora.