I was born and raised in Belarus. In the near future I want to devote a series of articles on my blog to interesting and, perhaps, unusual products for you, which can be found in my country. That is, local and so familiar to Belarusians, but at the same time unknown or not very popular for residents of other countries. I will make a kind of mini-guide on Belarusian products. And the first article will be about Belarusian dairy and fermented milk drinks, which are widely represented on the shelves of Belarusian stores. They are quite popular with the locals. Personally, in my family there is always some fermented milk drink in the refrigerator. Usually we drink them separately or add them to ready-made breakfasts – muesli.
Baked milk (Топленое молоко)
Baked milk is a milk drink that is made from cow’s milk by long-term heating. As a result, it acquires a creamy hue and a light caramel flavor. This is a traditional drink of the inhabitants of Russia, Ukraine and Belarus. Previously, it was cooked in an oven. At the moment, it is not as popular as regular milk. They drink it, add it to coffee. They also cook pancakes, pies and other pastries with it. At dairy enterprises, baked milk is used to make fermented milk drink – fermented baked milk (Ryazhenka)
Ryazhenka (Ряженка)
Ryazhenka is a fermented milk drink made from baked milk by fermentation with lactic acid bacteria. It has a mild and pleasant taste. The consistency is somewhat reminiscent of drinking yogurt. This is a very healthy drink that is easily absorbed by the body.
Previously, they sold only natural fermented baked milk without any additives. But recently, ryazhenka has appeared with different tastes. But it is worth adding that such fermented baked milk also has sugar in its composition.
Bifitat (Бифитат)
Bifitat is another fermented milk drink. It tastes a bit like kefir. But unlike the latter, not so sour. Bifitat is very useful for digestion and immunity.
Kefir (Кефир)
Kefir, I think, is known to many. It is sold in many countries. But in Belarus it is very popular and is represented more widely. Firstly, they sell kefir of different fat content – from fat-free to 4% fat kefir. Kefir is also found with the addition of dill or cucumbers. Various dishes are prepared from kefir: pancakes, pancakes and pies and other pastries. It is also added to the summer soup – Okroshka. Kefir goes well with mashed potatoes or fried potatoes. Many drink it with buns or cookies as a snack. Personally, I like to drink it neat.
Whey drink (Напиток из сыворотки)
Another interesting drink that you can try in Belarus is whey with juice. Whey is a by-product that is extracted from milk during the production of cheese or cottage cheese. In its pure form, it is not found with us, but it is in the composition of a fruit drink. These drinks have quite an interesting and unusual taste.
