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Fermentation Atlas

Fermented milk from Mongolia, Inner Mongolia

Airagайраг

Airag is Mongolian fermented mare milk, a mildly alcoholic, sour and fizzy drink. Fresh milk goes into a cowhide bag (khokhuur) that holds last batch's airag as starter, and it is churned with a wooden paddle 5,000 times or more. Lactic bacteria and yeasts turn the milk sugar into lactic acid, about 1.4–2.3 % alcohol and carbon dioxide. Made in 4 steps over 24 h – 2 days. The longest step, churn with the buluur many times, takes 24 h – 2 days (Guo L. et al. 2021) and runs at 20–30 °C (Choi S.-H. 2016). Lactobacillus helveticus and Lactobacilli and lactic streptococci do most of the fermenting.

Key numbers
Main step24 h – 2 daysReported[guo2021]Churn with the buluur many times
Temperature20–30 °CReported[choi2016][guo2021]Churn with the buluur many times
AciditypH up to 4Reported[choi2016]Churn with the buluur many times
Fully documentedFermented milk24 h – 2 daysMore fermented milkMore from ChinaMore from Mongolia

Recipe

Amounts from a sourceNo fixed batch; fresh milk is added to the khokhuur through the day, and about 20 % old airag is the usual starter rate.
Fresh mare milk · Mares give 3 to 6 litres a day in the milking season, mid-June to early October[unesco]
About 20 % of the milkAirag from the last batch, as starter · Left inside the khokhuur[choi2016][unesco]
Starterbackslop: about 20 % old airag, plus the starter left inside the hide bag

Total time across the recorded steps: 24 h – 2 days

Start
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What changes: Starting material: fresh mare milk, milked several times a day in summer

Step 1 of 4
Milk the mares and cool the milk
Time
Not documented
Temperature
Not documented
Salt
None given
Acidity
Not documented
Which microbes the steps name, step by step
Lactic acid bacteria
Yeasts

The milking season runs from mid-June to early October. Output: fresh mare milk.

Flavour
Not documented
Texture
Not documented
Colour
Not documented

Microbes at work in this step

Not documented for this step.

Method

Measured measured in a studySet fixed by a specification or tested recipeReported one source reports itTypical a general value, not sourced for this fermentUnconfirmed not yet checked against a source

What makes this one different

Airag is made from mare milk, which is high in lactose, and it holds more alcohol than kefir (1.44–2.33 % against 0.5–1.0 %). It ferments in an open cowhide bag with old airag as starter and is churned thousands of times instead of being left to set.

Related ferments

Variants

  • Semi-industrial airagMare milk heated to 65 °C for 30 minutes, inoculated with a 20 % mixed yeast and bacteria culture, fermented 10–12 hours at 18–20 °C in special pans; keeps up to a week in a cool place.
  • Cow-milk "airag" (Xilin Gol, Inner Mongolia)In Xilin Gol the name airag is used for fermented cow milk; mare milk gives chigee. Its yeasts were mostly Dipodascus, with Naumovozyma, Dekkera and Pichia.
  • Shimiin arkhi (milk vodka)Distilled from airag or tarag (see shimiin-arkhi).

Safety

Airag is made from raw milk. Natural fermentation gives very variable lactose, alcohol and acid between samples (Choi 2016).

History and sources

Every number is labelled with how it is known. How this atlas is made

The traditional technique of making airag in the khokhuur and its customs was nominated by Mongolia to UNESCO's intangible heritage lists in 2018. Airag is made in summer and autumn and is part of daily summer diet and festivals.

  1. [choi2016] Choi S.-H. 2016, Characterization of airag collected in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia with emphasis on isolated lactic acid bacteria, Journal of Animal Science and Technology 58:10, doi:10.1186/s40781-016-0090-8paper
  2. [guo2021] Guo L. et al. 2021, Comparative study of physicochemical composition and microbial community of Khoormog, Chigee and Airag, traditionally fermented dairy products from Xilin Gol in China, Food Science and Nutrition 9:1564, doi:10.1002/fsn3.2131paper
  3. [unesco] Mongolia, Traditional technique of making airag in khokhuur and its associated customs, nomination file to UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage (received 2 October 2018)archive
  4. [fao-tmp] FAO 1990, The technology of traditional milk products in developing countries, Animal Production and Health Paper 85, II. Acidified milks (Airag, Mongolia)gov