Ryazhenka, or ryazhanka (Russian language: ; Belarusian: , ),[Also romanized riazhenka or riazhanka] is a traditional fermented milk product in Belarus, Russian cuisine, and Ukraine.[ ][ ГОСТ 31455-2012. Ряженка. Технические условия (International State Standard GOST 31455-2012. Ryazhenka. Specifications; in Russian)]
Origin and etymology
Russian and Soviet sources call it "
ryazhenka",
[ Reprinted in This milk product is called малороссийская ряженка (malorossiyskaya ryazhenka, 'Little Russian italic=no') in this book, with Малороссия (Malorossiya, Little Russia) being at that time a common geographical term referring to the territory of modern-day Ukraine.] "Ukrainian ryazhenka",
[ ] or "Ukrainian
soured milk" (украинская простокваша, ukrainskaya
prostokvasha)
[ ][ ][ ] and attribute its origin to Ukrainian cuisine.
[ ] The name is cognate with the Ukrainian "пряжений" as in "пряжене молоко" (pryazhene moloko, "baked milk").
[ ]
Similar dairy products
Similar traditional products made by fermenting baked milk have been known in Russia as
varenets.
While some dictionaries define both names as synonyms,
[ ] the industry standard
GOST distinguishes between the two products, specifying somewhat different production processes.
[ ГОСТ Р 53508-2009. Варенец. Технические условия (International State Standard GOST 53508-2009. Varenets. Specifications; in Russian)]
Similar products include qatiq and kaymak,
Production
Ryazhenka is made by first
pasteurizing milk before
simmering it on low heat for eight hours, at minimum. Historically, this was done by placing a clay pot (
glechik or
krinka) with milk in a traditional Ukrainian oven for a day, until it was coated with a brown crust. Prolonged exposure to heat leads to the Maillard reaction between the milk's
amino acids and
Lactose, resulting in the formation of
melanoidin compounds that give it a creamy color and caramel flavor. A great deal of moisture evaporates, resulting in a change of consistency. In household production,
sour cream (smetana) is subsequently added to trigger fermentation. In modern industrial production, pure
thermophile bacterial cultures (
Streptococcus thermophilus and
Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus) are used instead.
The mixture is then kept in a warm place; the fermentation occurs at temperatures above ca. 40 °C / 100 °F and usually takes from three to six hours.
The fat content of industrially produced ryazhenka is typically 3.5–4%, but in general, it is allowed to vary from <0.5% (if made from skimmed milk) up to 8.9%.
