Chal

For the city in Iran, see Shal.

Chal, or shubat (Kazakh: шұбат [ʃʊbɑ́t]), is a Turkic (especially Turkmen and Kazakh) beverage of fermented camel milk, sparkling white with a sour flavor, popular in Central Asia — particularly in Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan.^[1] In Kazakhstan the drink is known as shubat, and is a staple summer food.^[2] Due to preparation requirements and perishable nature, chal has proved difficult to export.^[3] Agaran (fermented cream) is collected from the surface of chal.^[4]

Fermented chal is reputed to possess virucidal and virus inhibiting properties not found in fresh camel or cow milk, both in its liquid and lyophilized form — characteristic unaffected by shelf life.

Chal is typically prepared by first souring camel milk in a skin bag or ceramic jar by adding previously soured milk. For 3–4 days, fresh milk is mixed in; the matured chal will consist of one third to one fifth previously soured milk.^[5]

Camel milk will not sour for up to 72 hours at temperatures below 10°C (50°F). At 30°C (86°F) the milk sours in approximately 8 hours (compared to cow's milk, which sours within 3 hours).

A comparison of the composition of camel milk and camel chal:^[6]

	Camel milk	“Chal”
acidity	18°	28°
fat	4.3%	4.3%
lactose	2.75%	1.32%
non-fat solids	8.2%	6.6%
ash	0.86%	0.75%
ethyl alcohol		1.1%
ascorbic acid	5.6 mg%	4.8 mg%

The chal contained Lactobacilli lactic; streptococci and yeast.^[7]

Chal may be cultured with lactobacillus casei, streptococcus thermophilus and lactose-fermenting yeasts incubating in inoculated milk for 8 hours at 25°C (77°F), and then subsequently for 16 hours at 20°C (68°F). Holder pasteurization does not affect the quality of the milk, but pasteurization at higher temperatures ( 85°C/185°F) for 5 minutes negatively impacts flavour. Chal made from pure cultures of lactobacillus casei, streptococcus thermophilus and species of torula has markedly less not-fat solids and lactose than the milk from which it is made.^[8]

See also

• Ayran
• Cuisine of Kazakhstan

References

1. ^ Anatoly Michailovich Khazanov (15 May 1994). Nomads and the outside world (2nd ed.). Univ of Wisconsin Press. p. 49. ISBN 9780299142841. http://books.google.com/books?id=PPumUjpp--UC&pg=PP49. 
2. ^ Aliya Meldebekova; Gaukhar Konuspayeva; Emilie Diacono; Bernard Faye (2008). "Heavy Metals and Trace Elements Content in Camel Milk and Shubat from Kazakhstan". In Yuriy Sinyavskiy; Bernard Faye. Impact of Pollution on Animal Products (NATO Science for Peace and Security Series C: Environmental Security). Berlin: Springer. pp. 117–123. doi:10.1007/978-1-4020-8359-4. ISBN 1-4020-8357-2. http://www.springerlink.com/content/p1k3768315n87201/. 
3. ^ Great Culinary Dictionary. Chal in Russian, retrieved April 11, 2007
4. ^ I.Barkhanov. Neutral Turkmenistan newspaper, in Russian, August 9, 2001.
5. ^ Prof Zafar Iqbal Chaudhary & Dr Shahan Azeem, Is camel milk good for human health? DAWN Sci-tech world, October 9, 2004.
6. ^ Grigoryants, N.N. (1954). "Composition of camel milk and chal" (in Russian). Vop. Pit. 13: 41–5. 
7. ^ Kieselev, N. (1956). "Bacteriological examination of chal" (in Russian). Mol. Prom. 17: 31–4. 
8. ^ Kuliev, K. (1959). "The utilisation of camels' milk". Mol. Promyslenn 20 (28). 
   cited in R. Yagil (1982). Camels and Camel milk. FAO animal production and health paper. Rome: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). ISBN 92-5-101169-9. 

External links

• Brigor'iants NN (1954). "[Chemical composition of chal (fermented camel's milk)]" (in Russian). Vopr Pitan 13 (4): 41–2. PMID 13187930. 
• Konuspayeva G, Faye B, Loiseau G, Levieux D (January 2007). "Lactoferrin and immunoglobulin contents in camel's milk (Camelus bactrianus, Camelus dromedarius, and Hybrids) from Kazakhstan". J. Dairy Sci. 90 (1): 38–46. doi:10.3168/jds.S0022-0302(07)72606-1. PMID 17183073. http://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0022-0302(07)72606-1. 
• Martinenko, N.l., Yagodinskaya, S.G., Adhundov, A.A., Charyev, K.C. and Khumedov, O. (1977). "Content of trace elements, copper, manganese, molybdenum in culture of chal and camel's milk and their clinical significance". Dairy Sci. Abst. 40 (7802): 824. http://www.greenstone.org/greenstone3/nzdl;jsessionid=3373D1F2BB80999BC21D600A4A7E6D54?a=d&c=hdl&d=HASH01a561fe8c8ed1299b760e82.11&sib=1. 
• Palmated Esenov; Bernard Faye, ed (2005). Desertification Combat and Food Safety: The Added Value of Camel Producers. Amsterdam: IOS Press. ISBN 1-58603-473-1. http://www.iospress.nl/flyers_b/fl9781586034733.pdf. 
• Filip Noubel, "Golden Century of the Turkmens:" A Bleak Picture of Village Life in the Desert. EurasiaNet photo essay, 10/25/02