Suusac

Ingredients

Milk

• 2 litresraw camel’s milk, or whole cow’s milk
• 4 tbspsuusac or live plain yoghurt from a previous batch, as starter

Smoking the vessel

• a dried gourd, or a clean wooden or glazed clay vessel
• a few green acacia twigs, or any hard aromatic wood

Directions

1. Light a small handful of acacia twigs and let them burn down to embers, then drop them into the empty gourd and stopper it or cover the mouth so the smoke stays inside.
2. Roll the gourd so the smoke reaches every part of the inside, and leave it 10 to 15 minutes until the wall is coated and hot. Tip the embers out and wipe away the ash.
3. The smoking is not for flavour alone. Phenolic compounds from the smoke coat the inside of the vessel and hold back spoilage organisms, which is what allows a milk ferment to run safely in desert heat with no cooling at all.
4. Pour the milk into the still-warm gourd, add the starter, and stopper it loosely.
5. Leave at warm room temperature for 24 to 36 hours, shaking or rolling the gourd several times a day. It is ready when it has thickened and tastes sharply sour with a faint prickle.
6. Serve cool, poured straight from the gourd. Keep a few spoonfuls back to start the next batch; a gourd used continuously eventually needs no starter at all.

Technique

• Smoke the vessel every time, not once. It is a step in the recipe, not a seasoning of the container.
• Camel’s milk is naturally lower in fat and higher in salt than cow’s, and it never gets truly thick. Do not expect a yoghurt set.
• Do not seal the vessel tight. The ferment produces gas and a sealed gourd can build real pressure.

Substitutions

• Whole cow’s milk, which sours the same way though it sets thicker.
• A glass jar with a few drops of liquid smoke as a poor stand-in, if there is no gourd — it flavours but does not do the same work.

Variations

• Garoor is the same ferment left thinner and drunk rather than spooned.
• Some Somali and Afar households add a little sugar at serving.

History

The gourd is fumigated with burning acacia twigs, which flavours the milk and suppresses spoilage bacteria; the smoke method predates refrigeration across the Horn.

Frequently asked questions

What is Suusac?

Suusac is a cheese & dairy from Djibouti: camel milk soured in a smoked gourd until tangy and slightly fizzy. The gourd is fumigated with burning acacia twigs, which flavours the milk and suppresses spoilage bacteria; the smoke method predates refrigeration across the Horn.

How long does Suusac take to make?

Suusac 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 medium to make.

What can I substitute in Suusac?

Yes, within limits. Whole cow’s milk, which sours the same way though it sets thicker. A glass jar with a few drops of liquid smoke as a poor stand-in, if there is no gourd — it flavours but does not do the same work.

What is the most important thing to get right in Suusac?

Camel’s milk is naturally lower in fat and higher in salt than cow’s, and it never gets truly thick. Do not expect a yoghurt set.