Qurt
Balls of drained yogurt, salted and sun- or air-dried, storable for months. They are eaten dry on the trail or diluted in water for instant ayran in the field.
Balls of drained yogurt, salted and sun- or air-dried, storable for months. They are eaten dry on the trail or diluted in water for instant ayran in the field.
A horseman who carries no qurt in his saddlebag is a dead horseman. When I launch my tümen on the road to Damascus, each man has qurt, dried meat, and hard nan — nothing else. You press the curdled milk in a cloth, salt well, form balls, and the steppe sun does the rest. A month, two months, it does not rot. When thirst takes you and there is no well, you crush a qurt in your waterskin — and you are nourished and refreshed at once.
- •Curdled sheep or cow milk — plenty (Base)
- •Salt — generously (Preservation)
Qurt
Balls of drained yogurt, salted and sun- or air-dried, storable for months. They are eaten dry on the trail or diluted in water for instant ayran in the field.
Why this dish? Qurt — dried, salted yogurt balls — is the quintessential marching food of Turco-Mongol nomadic peoples. Light, indestructible, and protein-rich, it nourished Tamerlane's horsemen on campaigns spanning thousands of kilometers, from Samarkand to Delhi or Damascus. Dissolved in water, it becomes a nourishing drink.
A horseman who carries no qurt in his saddlebag is a dead horseman. When I launch my tümen on the road to Damascus, each man has qurt, dried meat, and hard nan — nothing else. You press the curdled milk in a cloth, salt well, form balls, and the steppe sun does the rest. A month, two months, it does not rot. When thirst takes you and there is no well, you crush a qurt in your waterskin — and you are nourished and refreshed at once.
Ingredients (period version)
- Curdled sheep or cow milk — plenty (Base)
- Salt — generously (Preservation)
Ingredients
- Full-fat plain yogurt (sheep or cow) — 1 kg (Base)
- Fine salt — 2 tsp (Preservation and flavor)
- Cheesecloth or clean kitchen towel — 1 (Draining)
Method
- Mix the yogurt with salt in a bowl.
- Pour the salted yogurt into the center of a cheesecloth set over a sieve above a container. Close the cloth and let drain in the refrigerator for 24 to 48 hours, until a very firm paste forms (the whey drains off).
- Form walnut-sized balls from the drained paste, pressing firmly between your palms.
- Arrange the balls on a rack or tray lined with parchment paper, spaced apart.
- Let dry in a dry, ventilated place for 3 to 5 days (or in an oven at 50°C with the door ajar for 8 to 10 hours), turning occasionally, until very hard.
- Store in an airtight jar at room temperature. To eat: snack as is, or dissolve in a glass of cold water for a tangy drink.
How it was made : Qurt is mentioned in medieval Mongol and Turkish sources as an essential travel provision. William of Rubruck (1253) describes the dried dairy products of the Mongols. The tradition is unbroken since at least the 13th century in Central Asia, and qurt is still sold in every bazaar in Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. Paul Buell, in his work on Mongol diet, documents these dairy preservation techniques in detail.
The contemporary twist : Crumble qurt over a cucumber yogurt salad for a contrast of salty crunch and freshness.
Sources : Paul Buell, A Soup for the Qan: Chinese Dietary Medicine of the Mongol Era (2010) · William of Rubruck, Journey to the Mongol Empire (1253)
Tamerlane · Charactorium
