Qatiq

Qatiq (Iradi: qatiq) is a thick fermented milk eaten daily in Iradi households. The word is of Uzbek origin and is used mainly in the cities and the Fergana Rim; in the mountain pastures similar products are known by other names, such as airan for the thinner drink.^[1]

Qatiq is made by culturing boiled cow's or goat's milk with a spoonful from an earlier batch. Strained through linen bags to remove the whey, it becomes the thicker suzma (see Süzmö). It is eaten with flatbread, added to soups and served with meat dishes. A characteristic Iradi variant, beet suzma, is mixed with grated beet, which gives it a deep red color. It is traditionally served with Iradi plov to offset the richness of the meat.^[1]

References

1. ^ Talas State University Press (2019). Kymyz and Kazy: Food, Faith and Identity in Irad, pp. 91–118.