Matzoon Beverage 381 



origin. Botli the fermented milk and tlie curd made from 

 it are used as foods. The microorganisms of matzoon 

 ■were investigated by Emmerling and Kalantarjanz, 

 who found them to consist of a mixture of yeast and 

 bacteria. Other investigators found that Saccharomyces 

 Pastorianus, one of the yeasts present in matzoon, 

 when inoculated into sterile skim-milk, caused the fer- 

 mentation of the milk-sugar and the formation of alco- 

 hol. It produced, likewise, an agreeable fruit-like aroma 

 that persisted even when the yeast grew together with 

 the other microorganisms isolated from matzoon. 

 Another organism prominent in the preparation of 

 matzoon is Bacterium mazun, a pronounced lactic-acid 

 ferment capable • of producing such large quantities of 

 acid as to make the milk too sour for use. Bacterium 

 mazun was found to be accompanied by other lactic 

 bacteria, among them, B. lactis acidi. 



It is stated that, on account of the vigorous flora of 

 matzoon and the desirable aroma produced by it in 

 milk, it is utilized by the natives of Armenia for the 

 preparation of butter. Laboratory experiments, carried 

 out in Europe with the microorganisms isolated from 

 matzoon, do not indicate, however, that they can be 

 employed to advantage in the making of starters for 

 cream ripening. This is true, particularly, of Bacterium 

 mazun, noted for its acid-producing power. 



