How horse milk ‘kymyz’ became a drink still in demand thousands of years later

Fermented horse milk, known as kymyz, is a traditional Central Asian drink with thousands of years of history. In Kazakhstan, it remains an important part of nomadic heritage, cuisine and hospitality. Kymyz is a traditional drink made from mare's milk and drunk in many countries across Central Asia. Peoples ranging from northern Han Chinese to Kazakhs, Bashkirs, Kalmyks, Kyrgyz, Mongols and Yakuts say their ancestors have been drinking kymyz since time immemorial. The earliest Western text that mentions it is by Herodotus, who, in his 5th-century BC Histories, describes the Scythians’ processing of mare's milk. Kazakhstan holds a special place in kymyz production. In the Copper Age necropolis of the Botai culture, located in modern-day Kazakhstan, archaeologists found evidence of the world’s earliest horse domestication. They also found traces of horse milk on pottery. Kymyz also provided energy to nomadic warriors during wartime. Rich in vitamins and nutrients, kymyz is attracting scientific interest as researchers explore its potential benefits. Gaukhar Konuspayeva, a professor of food biotechnology, has spent the past 26 years studying camel and horse milk. She says there is still much more to learn about the potential of kymyz. “According to our research, mare’s milk is very rich in vitamins A, B1, B2, B5 and B6. But what makes kymyz unique is its fatty acid composition and the presence of prebiotic bacteria,” she added. Kymyz was not forgotten during the Soviet era, when many of the peoples with a tradition of drinking it lived within the Soviet Union. Soviet state farms in the region kept hundreds of thousands of mares for their milk and dairy products, including kymyz. Inside the tradition of kymyz making There are different types of kymyz. Its taste depends not only on the region where the horse grazes and the grass it eats, but also on how the drink is prepared. Every farmer has their own recipe, but the freshest mare’s milk, known as saumal, is considered the most valuable. You won’t find it in supermarkets, as it stays fresh for only a few hours. To try it, you usually have to go to the countryside. In the village of Zhanaarka in the Ulytau Region, Aiman Kutzhanova showed us how she milks her mares. She works as a deputy principal at a local school and also raises horses with her husband. There is a traditional way of milking a mare. First, the foal is allowed to feed, and only then is the milk collected. Unlike cows, mares need to be milked every one to two hours, and they can produce only about a litre of milk a day. “Horses are sacred animals. They choose the person who milks them. For example, my mares won’t let anyone else milk them. Even if I come wearing different clothes, they won’t let me milk them,” says Aiman Kutzhanova. After milking, the milk should either be drunk fresh (saumal) or used to make kymyz. To prepare it, the milk is stirred in deep wooden vessels called ‘kubi’. The inside of the vessel is traditionally coated with butter before the milk is added. In the past, leather sacks filled with mare’s milk were hung from the top of the yurt or attached to a saddle, allowing the milk to be shaken throughout the day. Today, there are also many different varieties of kymyz, including versions made with honey, smoked flavours, herbs and even horse meat. The celebration of mare milking For centuries, Kazakhs lived as nomads, moving between winter and summer pastures with their herds. The start of the mare-milking season coincided with the move to the summer pastures, where families would set up their yurts(portable homes used by nomadic families). The first milking of the season marked the beginning of a new season and was celebrated as a big event. The tradition is known as ‘Kymyz Muryndyk’, which refers to the first kymyz of the season. This tradition is still alive today. Festivals dedicated to Kymyz Muryndyk are held in two regions of Kazakhstan: Ulytau and Almaty, often far from the cities and close to the steppe. The celebrations bring together local families, farmers and visitors. The BaiKymyz festival Every year, Astana also hosts the BaiKymyz Festival, where producers compete to find the best kymyz. The festival brings together farmers and kymyz producers from across the country. The festival was created by Zhumazhan Kaltayev, who drew inspiration from Germany’s Oktoberfest and adapted the idea to Kazakhstan, putting kymyz and nomadic culture at the heart of the event. “I went to Oktoberfest in Munich in 2020. I saw that it was a family celebration, and I also saw how much it could contribute to the local economy. We didn’t have anything like that in Kazakhstan,” Zhumazhan Kaltayev said. “People really liked our festival because it is not just about the drink. It represents our national identity, our culture, our spirit and our history.” The competition is not only about taste. This year, producers also competed for the title of kymyz with the best nutritional composition, with experts examining the quality and characteristics of the drink. “The total prize fund this year is 45 million tenge. The main prize, the Grand Prix, is a car,” Kaltayev added. The new life of kymyz In Kazakhstan, the drink has become part of everyday life. You can now find bottled kymyz in supermarkets and order it in cafes and restaurants. For a drink with centuries of history, kymyz is finding surprisingly modern ways to reach a new generation. One of the latest trends is the rise of kymyz houses (kymyz-khana). Here, visitors can try different types of kymyz, including traditional varieties as well as versions made with honey, herbs and other ingredients. Kymyz is also reaching international markets. Dried mare’s milk and other kymyz products are exported to countries such as China, Russia and Germany.