Kaymak, sarshir, or qashta/ ashta ( saršir; qeshta or قيمر geymar; ) is a creamy dairy product similar to clotted cream, made from the milk of water buffalo, , sheep, or in Central Asia, some Balkan cuisine countries, some Caucasus countries, the Levant, Turkic peoples regions, Iranian cuisine and Iraq.
The traditional method of making kaymak is to boil the raw milk slowly, then simmer it for two hours over a very low heat. After the heat source is shut off, the cream is skimmed and left to chill (and mildly ferment) for several hours or days. Kaymak has a high percentage of milk fat, typically about 60%. It has a thick, creamy consistency (not entirely compact, because of milk protein fibers) and a rich taste.
Etymology
The word
kaymak has
Turkic languages origins, possibly formed from the verb kaymak, which means 'melt' and 'molding of metal' in
Turkic languages.
The first written records of the word
kaymak is in the Dīwān Lughāt al-Turk of Mahmud al-Kashgari. The word remains as kaylgmak in Mongolian, which refers to a fried
clotted cream, and with small variations in Turkic languages as qaymaq in Azerbaijani, qaymoq in
Uzbek language, қаймақ in
Kazakh language and
Shor language, каймак in
Kyrgyz language, kaymak in
Turkish language,
gaýmak in
Turkmen language, კაიმაღი (kaimaghi) in Georgian, καϊμάκι (kaïmáki) in
Greek language, and кајмак (kajmak) in
Serbo-Croatian, caimac in Romanian. This dairy food is called sarshir (سَرشیر) 'top of the milk' in Iran. They use this name because after boiling milk, a layer of fat stands on the top of the boiled milk.
Afghanistan
In
Afghanistan, qaimak or qaymaq is thinner and is eaten for breakfast meals usually with bread. People typically top qaimak with honey, sugar, or mix it with jam. It can be spread on pastries or added to milk tea. Qaimak can be purchased at grocery stores in Afghanistan or made at home. Afghan qaimak can be made from cow or buffalo milk.
Balkans
Known as kajmak, it is almost always made at home, though commercial production has increased. Kajmak is most expensive when at its freshest—only a day or two old. It can keep for weeks in the refrigerator but becomes harder and loses quality.
Kajmak can also be matured in dried animal-skin sacks; one variation is called skorup. The term kajmak is also used for the creamy foam in Turkish coffee, and many other coffees in the Balkans.
Kajmak is usually enjoyed as an appetizer or for Saturday morning breakfast (as Saturdays are market days when the best kajmak can be bought), and also as a condiment. The simplest recipe is lepinja s kajmakom (pita bread filled with kajmak), consumed for breakfast or as fast food.
Bulgarians, Bosnians, Montenegrins, Serbs, and Albanians consider it a national meal.
In Serbia, it is stuffed inside a chicken or other meat cutlet, breaded, and fried into a dish called Karađorđeva šnicla, similar to a stuffed schnitzel.
Other (Serbia) traditional dishes with kajmak (sold in restaurants) include pljeskavica s kajmakom (the Balkans hamburger patty topped with melted kajmak), as well as ribić u kajmaku (beef shank simmered with kajmak).
In Albanian it is called ajkë.
Armenia
In
Armenia, kaymak is mostly called "sar" (սար) or "seruts’k" (սերուցք). It is mostly popular in
Western Armenia communities, but not a really commercialized product and mostly a product found in villages. It is a creamy dairy product made by simmering fresh
Water buffalo,
sheep, or
cow milk, then cooling it slowly, during which a thick layer of cream forms on top. This cream is then skimmed off and sometimes lightly fermented. It is often served with honey, bread, or fruit, especially at breakfast or during special occasions.
It is also used for desserts, like with gata (food), kadaif, or
baklava, but some eat It freshly. It can also be used as a filling for
Pancake.
Georgia
In the
Adjara region of Georgia, bordering Turkey, კაიმაღი (kaimaghi) is made from cow's milk in homes in the mountainous municipalities of Keda,
Shuakhevi, and
Khulo. It is typically eaten with
Georgian cheese and/or bread, and is only rarely served in restaurants.
Greece
Kaïmaki (καϊμάκι) is a soft cream cheese that can be spread on bread or used in cooking as a filling in food and for desserts. Kaïmaki can also be found as a chewy ice cream that is flavoured with mastic.
Iraq
In
Iraq, it is called geymar or qeimar (قيمر) and is very popular. Iraqi geymar is usually made from the rich fatty milk of cows or buffaloes, which are prevalent in the marshes of southern Iraq. It is available both factory-produced and from local vendors or farmers as geymar Arab.
Iraqis tend to serve geymar for breakfast with bread, honey or jam. The most popular way is to spread it on an Iraqi pastry bread called kahi and cover it with date honey. Qeymar on kahi with date syrup or honey is a long-standing traditional breakfast in Baghdad and throughout southern and northern Iraq.
Iran
In
Iran, sarsheer (سرشیر) is made using a different method which does not involve heating the milk, thus keeping enzymes and other cultures of the milk alive.
Turkey
Shops in
Turkey have been devoted to kaymak production and consumption for centuries. Kaymak is mainly consumed today for breakfast along with the traditional Turkish breakfast. One type of kaymak is found in the
Afyonkarahisar region where the water buffalo are fed from the residue of poppy seeds pressed for oil. Kaymak is traditionally eaten with
baklava and other
Turkish desserts, fruit preserve and honey (
bal kaymak) or as a filling in
.
See also
Citations
External links
