00:00What does the nation's history taste like?
00:02In Kazakhstan many would say khmuz,
00:04fermented horse milk and one of the oldest drinks in the world.
00:07In this episode of Modern Nomads,
00:09we travel across the vast steppes of Kazakhstan
00:11to discover the story behind this ancient drink.
00:14This is more than just horse milk.
00:16In Kazakhstan and other countries of Central Asia,
00:19we call it khmuz.
00:20For centuries this drink fueled and traveled with nomads
00:23across the steppes,
00:25and today it remains a cherished part of the nomadic culture.
00:28So if you want to understand Kazakhstan's history and traditions more,
00:31start with a bowl of khmuz.
00:33Welcome to Modern Nomads.
00:38Beyond Central Asia, horse milk is also consumed in Mongolia
00:42and parts of China and Russia.
00:44But Kazakhstan has a special place in khmuz history.
00:47At the Bautai settlement,
00:48archaeologists found evidence of early horse domestication
00:51and traces of mare's milk on ancient pottery.
00:54The Greek historian Herodotus also described Saka tribes,
00:57drinking mare's milk in the 5th century BC.
01:00Khmuz was an important source of food for nomads during wartime,
01:04and scientists are still studying its potential benefits.
01:07We asked all the khmuz producers,
01:10they uploaded for the laboratory research work.
01:12We discovered that 80% of the sample was very rich in vitamin A.
01:19More than 60% of the samples was rich by vitamin B1, B2, B5 and B6.
01:28The main miracle is the fatty acid composition.
01:31We have many unsaturated fatty acids,
01:35but also we can speak about the probiotic bacteria.
01:39And I believe that until now,
01:41nobody learning about that peptide.
01:45Khmuz is classified by strength and fermentation time,
01:48but the most priced one is Saumal,
01:51freshly milked horse milk.
01:52To taste it, we went to Zhanarka district.
02:01For Ayman Kudjanova, it's part of her daily routine.
02:05She works as a deputy principal at a local school,
02:07but outside of the classroom,
02:08she milks around 10 mares a day.
02:10I bought 6-6 liters.
02:12I bought it for 5-6 liters.
02:15What is the difference between horse milking and cow milking?
02:19We bought it in the water,
02:20we bought it in the water,
02:22and we bought it in the water,
02:24but we bought it in the water.
02:26We bought it in the water for a month.
02:31It's been a long time for today.
02:39One of the oldest khmuz traditions is khmuz murunduq,
02:43marking the start of mere milking season.
02:45Traditionally, families returning from winter pastures
02:48would gather to taste the first khmuz of the year
02:50and welcome summer.
02:52We came to Ulutau region to witness that tradition.
02:59From ancient traditions to modern gastro festivals,
03:02every year, farmers from across the country
03:04come to Astana for a buy khmuz festival
03:07and bring their unique recipes.
03:09Inspired by Germany's Oktoberfest,
03:11the festival celebrates Kazakhstan's own traditional drink, khmuz.
03:15It was my first time in Octoberfest.
03:17Then, we bought it from the economy.
03:21We bought it from the economy.
03:23We bought it from the economy.
03:23We don't have any kind of khmuz.
03:25We don't have any kind of khmuz.
03:26We don't have any kind of khmuz.
03:27We don't have any kind of khmuz.
03:40You can also find new products made with horse milk,
03:43such as khmuz ice cream.
03:45Let's taste it.
03:53It's tasty.
03:54It's very tasty.
03:55Here, horse milk is also winning fans beyond Central Asia.
03:59We've had a few cups already.
04:00It's good. It's fun.
04:02It's definitely different than anything else I've ever had.
04:04I love it. It's really good.
04:06It's very unique.
04:06I grew up around horses a lot back in the U.S.,
04:09but I had never even thought about drinking horse milk
04:12until I came to Kazakhstan and heard about it.
04:15I think my horse would probably kill me if I tried to milk it,
04:18but we'll see.
04:19Now, I can actually appreciate all the different types of khmuz,
04:23because here at Balai Khmuz Festival,
04:25you can see so many types where it comes from,
04:29from different regions of Kazakhstan,
04:31and I didn't know it made such a difference in the khmuz.
04:35But you don't have to wait for a gastro festival to try khmuz.
04:38You can find it in supermarkets.
04:40There are also khmuz hana or khmuz houses in cities across Kazakhstan.
04:44Traditionally, the freshest khmuz was served to guests in a leather nomadic bottle
04:49as a sign of respect and hospitality.
04:51Today, this tradition continues,
04:53and you can come to Kazakhstan to taste it for yourself.
