Kumiss is a fermented beverage made from mare’s or camel’s milk. The word is also spelled koumis, koumiss, or koumyss. Kumiss is sour, transparent, and thick, and it bubbles like carbonated soda.
Kumiss is produced chiefly in central Asia. It is made by adding bacteria and yeasts to fresh milk, causing it to ferment. In the past, kumiss was made by adding a little already-fermented kumiss to fresh mare’s milk in a smoked horse skin.
