Ingredients
Milk
- 2 litreswhole milk
- 4 tbspsoured milk from a previous batch, as starter
The gourd
- a dried gourd or a wooden vessel
- a few sticks of hard aromatic wood, for smoking it
Directions
- Smoke the inside of the gourd first: burn a small handful of sticks down to embers, drop them in, cover the mouth and roll it so the smoke and soot coat the whole inner wall. Leave ten minutes, then tip out the embers and wipe away the loose ash.
- That smoking is a preservation step rather than a flavouring. The phenolic compounds left on the wall hold back spoilage organisms, and it is how Dinka and Nuer cattle camps ferment milk safely in heat with no refrigeration.
- Pour the milk into the warm gourd, add the starter, and stopper it loosely — never sealed tight, since the ferment gives off gas.
- Leave at warm room temperature for 24 to 36 hours, shaking or rolling it several times a day.
- It is ready when it has thickened and tastes sharply sour, with a distinct smoky note from the gourd.
- Drink it cool, or stir it into millet or sorghum porridge.
- Keep four spoonfuls back to start the next batch. A gourd used continuously carries the culture in its wall and eventually needs no starter at all.
Technique
- Smoke the gourd every time. It is a step in the recipe, not a one-off seasoning of the vessel.
- Do not seal it tight. Gas has to escape.
- The smoky taste and greyish tinge are correct, not a fault.
Substitutions
- A clay pot or a glass jar smoked the same way, if there is no gourd.
- Buttermilk as the starter.
Variations
- The Kenyan mursik and Djiboutian suusac are the same smoked-vessel ferment.
- Churned to separate the butter, leaving a thin sour liquid to drink.
History
Cattle are the centre of Dinka and Nuer life; milk from the cattle camps is soured in smoked gourds that carry the cultures for the next batch.
Frequently asked questions
What is Sour milk?
Sour milk is a cheese & dairy from South Sudan: cow’s milk soured in gourds, drunk plain or stirred into porridge. Cattle are the centre of Dinka and Nuer life; milk from the cattle camps is soured in smoked gourds that carry the cultures for the next batch.
How long does Sour milk take to make?
Sour milk takes 20 min plus 1 to 2 days souring of preparation and no cooking at all. The recipe makes makes about 1.5 litres. It is rated easy to make.
What can I substitute in Sour milk?
Yes, within limits. A clay pot or a glass jar smoked the same way, if there is no gourd. Buttermilk as the starter.
What is the most important thing to get right in Sour milk?
Smoke the inside of the gourd first: burn a small handful of sticks down to embers, drop them in, cover the mouth and roll it so the smoke and soot coat the whole inner wall. Leave ten minutes, then tip out the embers and wipe away the loose ash.
