Matzoon (, matsun, or ) or matsoni (მაწონი]], mats'oni) is a fermented milk product of
Etymology
The name of the product originates from Armenian
matz (sour, glue).
The etymology is provided by
Grigor Magistros, in his
Definition of grammar (11th century).
[Nicholas Adontz, «Дионисий Фракийский и армянские толкователи.», Saint Petersburg, 1915, p. 228. "Մածուն քանզի մածեալ է, սոյնպէս և անուանի." Approximate translation: "Matzoon, since it's gluey, hence it is called so."]
History
The first written accounts of matzoon are attested in medieval Armenian manuscripts by
Grigor Magistros (11th century), Hovhannes Erznkatsi (13th century), Grigor Tatevatsi (14th century) and others.
[ed: A. Desnitskaya, S. Katsnelson, «История лингвистических учений. Средневековый Восток.» . "Nauka", Saint Petersburg, 1981, p. 17] Matsoni is mentioned in the 15th century Georgian medical book
Karabadini by Zaza Panaskerteli-Tsitsishvili.
[ Probiotics of Georgia and "Caucasian Longevity"]
The Armenians immigrants Sarkis and Rose Colombosian, who started "Colombo and Sons Creamery" in Andover, Massachusetts, in 1929,
On 24 January 2012, Georgia registered a geographical indication on "matsoni".
Preparation
Matzoon is made from cow's
milk (mostly), goat's milk, sheep's milk, buffalo milk, or a mix of them and a culture from previous productions. Similar to
yogurt it is usually made with the following lactic acid bacteria;
Lactobacillus acidophilus (original only),
Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp.
bulgaricus and
Streptococcus thermophilus.
was found to be a dominant bacterial strain producing
that impart the characteristic high
viscosity of matzoon.
[
]
Preservation
In Armenian cuisine, matzoon can be Strained yogurt to obtain kamats matzoon. Traditionally, it was produced for long-term preservation by draining matzoon in cloth sacks. Afterwards it was stored in leather sacks or clay pots for a month or more depending on the degree of salting.[С. А. Арутюнов, Т. А. Воронина. Традиционная пища как выражение этнического самосознания, стр. 120—125. Наука, 2001 S.]
Matzoon is used for the production of butter. When it is churned it separates from the buttermilk (, Doogh). The tan can be further dried and the resulting product is known as Kashk.
Matzoon can be mixed with eggs and equal amounts of wheat flour and starch to produce tarhana. Small pieces of dough are dried and then kept in glass containers. They are used mostly in soups, dissolving in hot liquids.
See also
Notes
External links
