As you can tell, I'm a big fan of dairy products of all types. In Tatarstan, I've tried a few dairy products than are different from the products in other parts of Russia. One is Katyk (pictures above), and the other is kort (below).
I first became familiar with katyk in Uzbekistan, where it is called qatiq. I thought that qatiq was simply the Uzbek word for kefir, but now I have learned that the two products are actually different. In Tatarstan, kefir and katyk are sold side-by-side but are not the same. Kefir has a much more bitter, sharp flavor, while katyk is milder and is basically like plain yogurt. Like kefir, however, it is usually drunk rather than eaten with a spoon.
I have been unable to figure out exactly the difference in how kefir and katyk are made and why they taste different. If anyone has the answer, please let me know! I think that katyk is simply a less sharp version of kefir more like yogurt.
Another interesting Tatar dairy product is kort, which I also heard of in Central Asia but do not remember having tried. Kort is similar to tvorog and but is cooked. It is a curd cheese that is drier than tvorog and a little less sweet. One explanation I have found for how kort is made is that a starter culture is added to milk as it is boiled down to form kort, which is darker in color than tvorog, probably because it has been cooked. It's flavor is very mild, and it is traditionally mixed with butter, baked with honey, and eaten with tea. As I explained in an earlier post, it is also baked into pastries like gudabiya.
Really? Qatik and kefir are different? Huh.
ReplyDeleteThat reminds me of a joke, in which a russian goes to buy some qatik but says it incorrectly, actually saying a karakalpak word that is much more naughty. But, I'll keep it clean :)
Haha! I had forgotten about that joke. That's a good one! Thanks for reminding me. :)
ReplyDeleteNot sure but I think Katyk is boiled first or somehow heated, and the fat content is different. We had it in Kaz too, and I loved it. I think it's more related to Russian Ryazhenka or whatever that's called.
ReplyDeleteNice blog!
katyk or qatyq or however you like to spell it is essentially yoghurt or ayran (liquid yogurt). It is produced by using specific bacteria to sour and thicken the milk. Kefir is similar, but is fermented by a combination of bacteria and specific yeasts, which together form ‘kefir grains’; it is mildly alcoholic and mildly effervescent. The commercial kefir sold in the USA I regard as a bit suspect, because the ingredients lists do not mention yeast or kefir grains and seems to be non-alcoholic and doesn't fizz.
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