Kurut (cheese balls): useful properties and contraindications

In Asian countries kurut cheese is a traditional delicacy. From the Turkic language name is translated as "dried. It is connected with the technology of preparation of cheese, which is necessarily dried in the sun.

Kurut: what is it, what is it made of, what does it taste like?

Kurut is an Asian dry cheese in the form of small balls. The product is completely natural, made from whole milk. Fermented milk is suspended to remove excess liquid, then combine the curd mass with salt. Roll balls and dry them in natural conditions.

The size of the balls is not unambiguous. In some countries they are made small, with a diameter not exceeding 5 cm. Others roll them the size of a large tangerine.

History of Origin

Kurut began to be prepared in Central Asian countries in ancient times. It was an obligatory food for nomads, who needed a highly nutritious, strength-giving food that would not deteriorate for long under the scorching sun. Since the product is completely free of moisture, its weight is light, which was also important for nomadic people.

What is it made of

Cheese is made not only from cow's milk, but also from the milk of goats, sheep, mares and even camels. Especially since goat and sheep breeding are the leading branches of animal husbandry in Central Asia. To obtain the curd mass milk is fermented and the yogurt is suspended for a few days to remove the whey. The mixture is then salted and spiced, then rolled into balls and left to dry in the sun on wooden looms.

Types of

Kurt, depending on the technology of preparation, can be of several kinds:

1. Evaporated - when the fermented dairy base is evaporated to the desired consistency.
2. Pressed or pressed - the raw mass is pressed by hand and dried in the shade.
3. Hulled - the cheese is steamed with the addition of fresh milk.
4. Hot - it is steamed with the addition of butter.
5. Fresh - it is made by mixing curd mass and butter.

What does it taste like?

Cheese turns out dry, brackish, with a pronounced creamy taste. The added spices give a special spiciness. Therefore, depending on the specific composition, the product can turn out spicy, spicy, with a noticeable sourness.

Composition and calories

The composition of curut cheese contains a huge number of useful vitamins and minerals for human health. These are:

1. Vitamins A, C, D, E, PP, group B.
2. Minerals - calcium, iron, zinc, potassium, copper, sodium, magnesium, phosphorus, sulfur.
3. Polyunsaturated fatty and organic acids.

Caloric value - 250 kcal per 100 grams.

What is the usefulness of kurut

The benefits of kurut for the human body are as follows:

1. Due to the huge content of useful substances, it quickly restores intestinal microflora.
2. It improves the immune system, preserves vision and contributes to the preservation of youth.
3. Increases the overall tone of the body, gives energy.
4. Normalizes metabolism.
5. Strengthens bone tissue and teeth.
6. Reduces the likelihood of osteoporosis and cancer cells.

Consumption of curut cheese improves motion sickness, eliminates nausea, which is very important for travelers. Noticed this property of the product and pregnant women who often eat it in case of toxemia and other unpleasant symptoms in the process of childbirth. Irreplaceable cheese and at exhaustion, anemia, with increased physical or mental stress.

Harm and contraindications

1. Kurut can cause harm to a person, if he has an individual intolerance to the product. For example, an intolerance to milk.
2. Cheese is quite caloric. If you are overweight, it should be consumed very carefully and only in small amounts.
3. A large amount of salt is dangerous for your health. Especially for people suffering from kidney disease and cardiovascular system. Therefore, eat kurut often in this case, you should not.

How to choose and store

Store the cheese in a canvas bag, hanging it in a well-ventilated place. As a last resort, you can use a paper bag, but in no case, not cellophane. Properly prepared, the traditional product will keep for several years.

Where to buy and how much it costs

Kurut is sold at the markets of Central Asian countries, where it is made and traditionally consumed. The price of the product is about the same as the price of our usual cheese.

Culinary Applications

The ideal snack for beer is kurut cheese. It can also be eaten simply with bread or a salad of fresh vegetables. Adding cheese to the soup increases its nutritional value, gives a tangy flavor. To get a refreshing drink it is enough to dissolve kurut in mineral water. This drink, which replenishes fluid loss, is often consumed in hot countries.

Tip! Before adding the cheese to the first or second course, grate it. You can also soak it in cold water, which will get rid of excess salt and give the product a soft texture. Then use it as intended.

How to eat properly

Eat cheese balls in a dry form, eating bread, or soaking in water to get a drink that resembles kefir in taste. This refreshing drink is an excellent thirst-quencher and gives energy.

What wine goes well with cheese?

It is best to consume curut with red grape wine. The sweetness of the alcoholic beverage perfectly shades the salty, creamy taste of the cheese.

How to cook kurut at home

Each Asian nation cooks and uses kurut in its own way. However, the general principles of cooking adhere to all. At home, to make the cheese you need natural milk, salt.

It is necessary to boil the milk, add yogurt (for a quick fermentation) and cover the container. After 13 hours the mass will ferment, and it is placed in a canvas bag and hung for a day.

Then they salt the curd, roll it into balls and put them on a wooden tray. Covered with a linen cloth, left in the sun for 4-5 days. The room should be well ventilated.

Uzbek

In Uzbekistan, traditionally dried, salted kurt is prepared, the recipe for which is presented above. However, here a lot of attention is paid to the correct technology of cooking. First, they cook - katyk. This is the name of the sour milk, the fat content of which is high. To get a fat product, the milk is boiled for a long time, boiling it down by a third. Quench the milk in a warm place, where the temperature does not fall below plus 30 degrees. Then cook as described above.

Kazakh

In Kazakhstan, in addition to the traditional kurta prepare and paste-like cheese, which can be spread on a sandwich. Often, use it as an additive to meat and fish dishes. For this purpose, the curd mass is boiled in broth and dried quite a bit. The resulting mass is pasty and tangy to the taste.

Altai

In the Altai people make cheese from boiled curd more often. For this mass of cottage cheese is boiled in a water bath for 2-3 hours. Then roll into balls and leave to dry. The cheese is softer and more delicate in taste than the traditional version. And the salt is not strongly felt here. If you add sugar to the cottage cheese, then kurut can be used as a dessert.

Interesting facts

You will be interested to know that:

1. The appearance of kurut cheese refers to ancient times, that is, its history is not one thousand years old.
2. In different Asian countries it is called differently - kurut, gurut, kort, koro, khurut, ak-gurt.
3. It is prepared by all herding peoples, including Hungarians, Bedouins and even Gypsies.
4. Today there are so many recipes for cooking cheese, so everyone can find the most suitable option.
5. The traditional ideal of making kurut is the fermentation of sheep's milk with the help of sheep's stomach rennet.
6. Kurut can be made not only from whole milk, but also from skim milk.
7. On the Asian market you can find a dark colored product that is prepared with little salt, which ensures its color during drying.
8. The taste of the classic cheese is guaranteed by the so-called "Bulgarian bacillus", a special lactic acid bacteria that is not found in other dairy products.
9. If you roll balls of natural curd and dry it out, you won't get curd because the special bacteria won't be there.
10. Vitamin C is retained in the product even after 24 months.
11. From the milk of the mare cheese is made mainly in Mongolia and Kazakhstan.
12. Camel milk is used to make kurt in Kyrgyzstan.
13. Armenians and Azerbaijanis make cheese from buffalo milk.
14. The best absorbed kurt from goat milk, which is closest in composition to the composition of female breast milk.
15. Cheese from the milk of a mare perfectly removes from the body of heavy metals.
16. The taste of the finished product depends entirely not only on the cooking technology, but also on the milk that was used as the main ingredient.
17. Very delicate in taste, soft, dense and odorless is kurut made from buffalo milk.
18. Even ancient healers recommended consuming kurut for digestive disorders.
19. In ancient times, traders who walked through the deserts in caravans and nomads could eat one kurta for 6-7 months without harming their health.
20. Properly cooked and stored in a ventilated room cheese can not go bad and do not lose its useful properties for 8 years.
21. In the countries of Central Asia no holiday table can do without snow-white cheese balls.
22. In Mongolia they make cheese not only as a snack, but also as a sweet dessert, which is consumed instead of candy.
23. Dried cheese in all Asian countries is used in cooking for cooking rich soups, broths, and sauces.
24. Dried cheese neutralizes the excessive fat content of a dish.
25. In the Altai some smoked cheese, which is the most environmentally friendly product.
26. Dissolved in mineral water, the ball is not only excellent refreshing, but also relieves hangover syndrome.
27. Astronauts are recommended to consume freeze-dried kurut during a flight to quickly replenish the lack of nutrients in the body.
28. In Tuva, kurut is cut into squares and dried in suspension, like mushrooms.
29. The cheese is considered ready and ripe when the surface of the balls becomes rough.

Needless to say, the real tasty kurut turns out only in the mountain air. It is saturated with Asian flavors and scorching sun. In ancient times it was not only used to nourish strength, but also to treat tuberculosis, sore throat, and colds. With the help of dried cheese neutralized poison from snake bite, treated purulent wounds and skin ulcers.

Photo of the cheese