ADishIndependent states
Kumis (qymyz)
Fermented mare's milk, the ancient drink of nomadic Turks; the spring kymyzmuryndyk rites have been UNESCO heritage since 2018.
Mares are milked several times a day in spring, and the milk is fermented by long churning in a leather bag called a saba or a wooden barrel, producing a sour, frothy drink with very little alcohol.
Mare's milk is mentioned even in Herodotus's account of the Scythians; among the Turkic peoples it is the drink of hospitality and celebration, and from the 19th century kumis-cure sanatoriums appeared.
Together with kymyzmuryndyk, the festival of the first kumis of spring, the "Traditional spring festive rites of the Kazakh horse breeders" were inscribed on the UNESCO list in 2018.
Sources
Updated: October 2, 2026