Study on Production and Properties of Kumiss of Herders in Mongolian Dry Steppe

Kumiss, prepared in dry inland Asia, is a carbonated beverage containing about 2% alcohol, prepared by fermenting raw horse milk with lactic acid bacteria and yeast. The quality of Kumiss is markedly influenced by factors affecting the quality of horse milk: grass eaten by horses, habitat and microclimate conditions of the herders’ home (temperature). The type of microorganisms and dominant flora in Kumiss vary among families. Many lactic acid bacteria involved in fermentation belong to Lactobacillus and yeast is mainly belonging to genus Kluveromyces. At present, plastic containers mostly replaced bovine leather vessels traditionally used by herders for fermentation. Men drink about 5 L of Kumiss daily on average, and the vitamin C level in Kumiss is 8-11 mg/100 ml. This beverage is an important source of vitamin C in the Mongolian herders’diet, which contains almost no vegetables. Thus, in summer, daily intake of vitamins and calories in Mongolian herders are supplemented by drinking a large volume of Kumiss