- Kaymak
Kaymak or kajmak is a creamy
dairy product , similar toclotted cream , made all over theBalkans ,Turkey , theMiddle East ,Central Asia ,Iran ,Afghanistan , andIndia . It is made from themilk of water buffalos in the East or ofcow s in the West.The traditional method of making kaymak is to boil the milk slowly, then simmer it for two hours over a very low heat. After the heat source is shut off, the cream is skimmed and left to chill (and mildly ferment) for several hours or days. Kaymak has a high percentage of
milk fat , typically about 60%. It has a thick, creamy consistency (not entirely compact due to milk protein fibers) and a rich, mildly sour taste (depending on how long it matured).outheast Europe
Kajmak is almost always produced in the traditional way, in private households, and can be bought only on open markets rather than in stores or supermarkets; commercial production is low and not of as good quality. The best varieties come from mountain
cattle farms. Kajmak can also be matured in dried animal skin sacks, and this variation is calledskorup .It is usually enjoyed as an
appetizer , but also as acondiment . The simplest recipe is "lepinja sa kajmakom" (freshbread filled with kaymak) consumed for breakfast or asfast food .Bosniaks ,Serbs ,Montenegrins , and Macedonians consider it a national meal. Other traditional dishes with kajmak include "pljeskavica sa kajmakom" (the Balkan version of a hamburger patty topped with melted kaymak), as well as "ribić u kajmaku" (beef leg meat, simmered with kaymak).Turkey and the Middle East
Kaymak was very popular in
Turkey and shops were devoted to its production and consumption for centuries, as evidenced by a1573 prohibition against women's presence in the kaymak shops. Though kaymak has declined in popularity in modern Turkish cuisine, compared to previous years, one of the better types of kaymak is still to be found in theAfyonkarahisar region where the water buffalo are fed from the residue of poppy seeds pressed for oil. Outside ofTurkey kaymak is still used extensively. Kaymak is traditionally eaten with pastries, preserves or honey or as a filling inpancake s. Kaymak or "qymaq" inAfghanistan is used as an accompaniment to flatbread,naan , or for the tea drinking on special occasions, "qymak chai" which is green tea withbaking soda , milk and kajmak as a topping.Kaymak is also the thick foam at the top of a well-prepared
Turkish coffee in Bulgarian, Serbian, Bosniak and Turkish.References
* [http://editore.slowfood.com/editore/riviste/slowark/EN/25/papavero.html The Poppy Growers of İsmailköy (2002)]
*Davidson, Alan. Oxford Companion to Food (1999). "Kaymak", pp. 428-429. ISBN 0-19-211579-0External links
* [http://faq.macedonia.org/cuisine/kajmak.html Recipe]
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