Isgelen tarag
Isgelen tarag is a yogurt drink made by the Mongolian people, most commonly by nomadic families. It often uses the milk of a mare, sheep, cows, the yak, camels. However, the two products are consumed in a very similar manner. Isgelen tarag is a refreshing beverage containing about 2% alcohol. Very often though it gets distilled to Arkhi.
Preparation
The Mongolians use milk from cattle and yaks, less often from goats and sheep, to make isgelen tarag. The process is accomplished by a symbiotic culture of Lactobacillus bacteria and yeast. As with yogurt, the milk is boiled first. Most often, only the low fat milk remaining after the preparation of urum is used. The culture stored from the last run is added when the milk has cooled down to hand temperature. From this point on, the procedure is very similar to that of making Kumis. Isgelen tarag is placed in a vat and stirred regularly with a wooden masher. The yeast will use the added oxygen to process the lactose to carbon dioxide and alcohol within about one day.