Sayram Traditional Yogurt

Sayram Traditional Yogurt

　　In supermarkets, various types of "traditional yogurt" sell well. The so-called "traditional" refers to yogurt served in bowl-shaped plastic containers, slightly thick and semi-solid. But the authentic traditional yogurt I love is made in Sayram Town, Bai County. It’s served in ceramic bowls—the milk is poured into the bowl after boiling, mixed with starter culture, and fermented, all the way until it reaches the diner’s mouth, entirely within the ceramic bowl. This is the genuine traditional method. The taste is incredibly rich, fresh, smooth, and unforgettable once you’ve tried it.

　　Sayram is a small town not far from the county seat. The word "Sayram" comes from Turkic, meaning "blessing" or "peace." Bai County has a saying: "Sayram existed before Bai County." The *Bai County Annals* record: "Historically, Bai County was part of the shifting sands during the Tang-Yu era. In the Tang Dynasty, it was known as A’e Yan City, referred to in the *Current Canon* as Bai City. The city had a perimeter of one li and three fen, with an eastern section, the Tang Ju Pilo City, also called Sayram in the *Current Canon*." Sayram was once an important town on the Silk Road, serving as a commercial hub, smelting center, and military stronghold for the Kingdom of Kucha, and it was quite large in scale. However, there is still no definitive conclusion about when and why Sayram City disappeared.

　　What’s the secret to making delicious Sayram yogurt? Visiting a local household in Sayram Town revealed the mystery. Making this traditional yogurt involves five steps: milking, boiling the milk, pouring it into bowls, adding starter culture, and fermenting.

　　The quality of the milk directly affects the taste of the yogurt. Locals prefer to use milk from local yellow cattle to make yogurt. These cows produce very little milk, but the quality is excellent—this is a key reason why Sayram yogurt tastes so extraordinary. The town is located on the southern slopes of the Tianshan Mountains, with higher terrain in the north and lower in the south. The northern part is mountainous, while the southern part is plains, with an average elevation of 1201–1396 meters. The area features vast grasslands and wild plants such as licorice, which grow abundantly. The yellow cattle graze on herbal plants and drink mountain spring water, naturally ensuring high-quality milk.

　　When boiling the milk, the milk skin must never be skimmed off. The water ladle is used to stir continuously, lifting the milk high and letting it fall back down. This process drives off excess moisture from the milk, increasing its concentration and resulting in thicker yogurt.

　　Next, once the milk cools to a warm temperature, it is poured into small bowls. A small spoonful of "kunag (yogurt starter)" is added to each bowl and stirred evenly. Then, a small wooden board is placed over the bowl, covered tightly with a thin woolen blanket. After about eight hours, the delicious Sayram yogurt is ready. This yogurt is extremely thick—if stirred and lifted, it can even stretch into threads, which is quite astonishing.

　　Every household in Sayram sets aside a small bowl of yogurt each time they make it to use as starter for the next batch. Many families have yogurt starters that are several years old, which speaks volumes about how much the people of Sayram love and rely on their yogurt.

　　Sayram yogurt is famous far and wide, and its legends are widely known. The most popular version of the story revolves around "donkey milk." Legend has it that hundreds of years ago, a band of robbers raided Bai County. Advance troops arrived in Sayram and found the local yogurt incredibly delicious, so they forced the villagers to serve them yogurt every day. Since local yellow cattle produced very little milk, the supply quickly became insufficient for the large army. People began to flee, and the soldiers started searching door-to-door for yogurt. One day, a clever housewife came up with a plan to teach the greedy soldiers a lesson. When another group of soldiers came demanding yogurt, the housewife deliberately shouted loudly to her family, "We can’t make yogurt today—the nanny goat’s milk was all eaten by the kid!" Upon hearing it was donkey milk, the soldiers were instantly disgusted and never bothered the villagers for yogurt again.

　　Because yellow cattle in Sayram Town produce very little milk, it’s hard to find Sayram yogurt in the county seat—even in Sayram Town—except on market days. Locals usually make it for their own consumption, rarely selling it, and when it does appear at markets, it sells out instantly.

　　For centuries, Sayram yogurt has been made by local women, with this traditional skill passed down from mother to daughter through generations. Today, the craft of making Sayram yogurt is being preserved. Bai County has nominated the "Uyghur Ketek (yogurt)" production technique from Sayram Town as part of the first batch of regional-level intangible cultural heritage. However, to enable more people to enjoy delicious Sayram yogurt, better promotion and wider market access are still needed.