Chal

For the city in Iran, see Shal.

Chal, or shubat (Kazakh: шұбат [ʃʊbɑ́t]), is a Turkic (especially Turkmen and Kazakh) beverage of fermented camel milk, sparkling white with a sour flavor, popular in Central Asia — particularly in Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan.[1] In Kazakhstan the drink is known as shubat, and is a staple summer food.[2] Due to preparation requirements and perishable nature, chal has proved difficult to export.[3] Agaran (fermented cream) is collected from the surface of chal.[4]

Fermented chal is reputed to possess virucidal and virus inhibiting properties not found in fresh camel or cow milk, both in its liquid and lyophilized form — characteristic unaffected by shelf life.

Chal is typically prepared by first souring camel milk in a skin bag or ceramic jar by adding previously soured milk. For 3–4 days, fresh milk is mixed in; the matured chal will consist of one third to one fifth previously soured milk.[5]

Camel milk will not sour for up to 72 hours at temperatures below 10°C (50°F). At 30°C (86°F) the milk sours in approximately 8 hours (compared to cow's milk, which sours within 3 hours).

A comparison of the composition of camel milk and camel chal:[6]

Camel milk “Chal”
acidity 18° 28°
fat 4.3% 4.3%
lactose 2.75% 1.32%
non-fat solids 8.2% 6.6%
ash 0.86% 0.75%
ethyl alcohol 1.1%
ascorbic acid 5.6 mg% 4.8 mg%

The chal contained Lactobacilli lactic; streptococci and yeast.[7]

Chal may be cultured with lactobacillus casei, streptococcus thermophilus and lactose-fermenting yeasts incubating in inoculated milk for 8 hours at 25°C (77°F), and then subsequently for 16 hours at 20°C (68°F). Holder pasteurization does not affect the quality of the milk, but pasteurization at higher temperatures ( 85°C/185°F) for 5 minutes negatively impacts flavour. Chal made from pure cultures of lactobacillus casei, streptococcus thermophilus and species of torula has markedly less not-fat solids and lactose than the milk from which it is made.[8]

See also

References

  1. ^ Anatoly Michailovich Khazanov (15 May 1994). Nomads and the outside world (2nd ed.). Univ of Wisconsin Press. p. 49. ISBN 9780299142841. http://books.google.com/books?id=PPumUjpp--UC&pg=PP49. 
  2. ^ Aliya Meldebekova; Gaukhar Konuspayeva; Emilie Diacono; Bernard Faye (2008). "Heavy Metals and Trace Elements Content in Camel Milk and Shubat from Kazakhstan". In Yuriy Sinyavskiy; Bernard Faye. Impact of Pollution on Animal Products (NATO Science for Peace and Security Series C: Environmental Security). Berlin: Springer. pp. 117–123. doi:10.1007/978-1-4020-8359-4. ISBN 1-4020-8357-2. http://www.springerlink.com/content/p1k3768315n87201/. 
  3. ^ Great Culinary Dictionary. Chal in Russian, retrieved April 11, 2007
  4. ^ I.Barkhanov. Neutral Turkmenistan newspaper, in Russian, August 9, 2001.
  5. ^ Prof Zafar Iqbal Chaudhary & Dr Shahan Azeem, Is camel milk good for human health? DAWN Sci-tech world, October 9, 2004.
  6. ^ Grigoryants, N.N. (1954). "Composition of camel milk and chal" (in Russian). Vop. Pit. 13: 41–5. 
  7. ^ Kieselev, N. (1956). "Bacteriological examination of chal" (in Russian). Mol. Prom. 17: 31–4. 
  8. ^ Kuliev, K. (1959). "The utilisation of camels' milk". Mol. Promyslenn 20 (28). 
    cited in R. Yagil (1982). Camels and Camel milk. FAO animal production and health paper. Rome: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). ISBN 92-5-101169-9. 

External links