Ingredients
Milk
- 2 litreswhole milk, cow’s
- 4 tbspmursik or live plain yoghurt from a previous batch, as starter
The gourd
- a dried gourd (sotet), or a wooden or glazed clay vessel
- a few sticks of sekutet (African senna) or another hard aromatic wood
Directions
- Burn a small handful of sekutet sticks down to charcoal, then use a stick to rub the hot charcoal around the entire inside of the gourd until the wall is coated black with soot.
- This lining is not decoration. The soot’s phenolic compounds hold back spoilage organisms and give mursik its characteristic smoky taste and grey colour, and it is why a milk ferment can run safely for days in a warm climate with no refrigeration.
- Tip out the loose ash but leave the coating, then pour in the milk and the starter.
- Stopper the gourd loosely — never sealed tight, since the ferment gives off gas — and leave it at warm room temperature.
- Shake or roll the gourd several times a day. Over three to seven days it will thicken, turn faintly grey from the soot, and sour sharply.
- It is ready when it is thick, tangy and smoky. Longer gives a sourer, stronger mursik, which is what many Kalenjin households prefer.
- Serve cool, poured from the gourd, alongside ugali or on its own. A bowl of it is the traditional welcome for a returning champion runner.
- Keep four spoonfuls back to start the next batch.
Technique
- Line the gourd with fresh charcoal every time. It is a step in the recipe, not a one-off seasoning of the vessel.
- Do not seal it tight. The gas has to escape.
- The grey colour and the smoky taste are both correct. Mursik does not look or taste like yoghurt.
Substitutions
- Any hard aromatic wood charcoal in place of sekutet, though the flavour differs.
- A glazed clay pot in place of a gourd, charcoal-lined the same way.
Variations
- Some households strain it after souring for a smoother drink.
- Maziwa lala is the plain unsmoked version, soured in an ordinary container.
History
Kalenjin fermented milk cured in a gourd lined with soot from burnt sekutet wood; returning champion runners are greeted with a bowl of it.
Frequently asked questions
What is Mursik?
Mursik is a cheese & dairy from Kenya: kalenjin fermented milk soured in charcoal-lined gourds. Kalenjin fermented milk cured in a gourd lined with soot from burnt sekutet wood; returning champion runners are greeted with a bowl of it.
How long does Mursik take to make?
Mursik takes 30 min plus 3 to 7 days souring of preparation and no cooking at all. The recipe makes makes about 1.5 litres. It is rated medium to make.
What can I substitute in Mursik?
Yes, within limits. Any hard aromatic wood charcoal in place of sekutet, though the flavour differs. A glazed clay pot in place of a gourd, charcoal-lined the same way.
What is the most important thing to get right in Mursik?
Burn a small handful of sekutet sticks down to charcoal, then use a stick to rub the hot charcoal around the entire inside of the gourd until the wall is coated black with soot.
