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.
