Qurut (قروت)
Balls of drained, salted, sun-dried yogurt that keep for months. They are dissolved in hot water for a nourishing drink, or crumbled over dishes as a salty-sour condiment.
Balls of drained, salted, sun-dried yogurt that keep for months. They are dissolved in hot water for a nourishing drink, or crumbled over dishes as a salty-sour condiment.
When I left Balasagun to take my book to the khan of Kashgar, I carried in my saddlebag qurut that my household had prepared according to the custom of our ancestors. These small white stones, hard as rock, contain all the strength of milk. Dissolved in hot water after a day's journey, qurut restores the weary traveler. The wise man carries little but carries well — so it is with knowledge as with provisions.
- •Sour milk (sheep or cow yogurt) — a large jar (base)
- •Salt — generously (preservation and flavor)
Qurut (قروت)
Balls of drained, salted, sun-dried yogurt that keep for months. They are dissolved in hot water for a nourishing drink, or crumbled over dishes as a salty-sour condiment.
Why this dish? Qurut — dried, salted yogurt balls — is the quintessential travel provision of the Turkic peoples. Yusuf Balasaguni traveled from Balasagun to Kashgar to present his manuscript to the khan, a journey of several weeks through the Chuy Valley and the Tian Shan passes. Qurut, light and imperishable, was the ideal food for the traveling scholar.
When I left Balasagun to take my book to the khan of Kashgar, I carried in my saddlebag qurut that my household had prepared according to the custom of our ancestors. These small white stones, hard as rock, contain all the strength of milk. Dissolved in hot water after a day's journey, qurut restores the weary traveler. The wise man carries little but carries well — so it is with knowledge as with provisions.
Ingredients (period version)
- Sour milk (sheep or cow yogurt) — a large jar (base)
- Salt — generously (preservation and flavor)
Ingredients
- Plain full-fat yogurt (preferably sheep) — 1 kg (base)
- Fine salt — 2 tsp (preservation)
- Cheesecloth or clean kitchen towel — 1 (draining)
Method
- Mix the yogurt with the salt in a bowl.
- Pour the salted yogurt into a cheesecloth set over a container. Tie the cheesecloth and suspend it over the sink or a bowl. Let drain for 24 to 48 hours in the refrigerator until a thick, dense paste forms (like a very firm fresh cheese).
- Form balls the size of a walnut (about 20 g each) by rolling between your palms.
- Arrange the balls on a rack or baking sheet lined with parchment paper, spacing them well.
- Let dry in a dry, airy place for 5 to 7 days, turning them daily. Alternatively, dry in an oven at 60°C for 8 to 10 hours with the door ajar.
- The balls are ready when very hard and off-white. Store in a jar at room temperature; they keep for several months.
- To consume: dissolve one or two balls in a bowl of hot water (drink), or crumble over a soup or pilaf.
How it was made : Qurut is one of the oldest preserved foods of the Turco-Mongol peoples, attested in numerous medieval sources. Mahmud al-Kashgari mentions it in his dictionary. The process — draining, salting, drying — has been identical for centuries. Qurut allowed nomads and travelers to carry the benefits of milk without risk of spoilage, even under the heat of the Central Asian summer.
The contemporary twist : Crumble qurut over a bowl of noodle soup for an unexpected dairy umami — the 'Parmesan of the steppe'.
Sources : Mahmud al-Kashgari, Dîwân Lughât al-Turk, 1072-1074 · Paul D. Buell, 'Steppe Foodways and History', in Asian Medicine, 2006 · Bert Fragner, 'From the Caucasus to the Roof of the World: A Culinary Adventure', in Sami Zubaida & Richard Tapper (eds.), A Taste of Thyme, 2006
Yusuf Balasaguni · Charactorium
