FERMENTED MILK II7 



try by law, having the flavor and the sparkle, but lacking 

 the alcohol. 



Fermented Milk. A mild fermented beverage is occa- 

 sionally made from milk by means of a yeast. It is called 

 kumiss, and is regarded as useful for invalids, since it 

 is supposed to be more easy of digestion than raw milk. 

 Its preparation is as follows. Into a quantity of milk is 

 placed a little common sugar, — from four to eight table- 

 spoonfuls to a gallon of milk, — and yeast is added just as in 

 homemade beer, one fourth of a cake of compressed yeast 

 in a little water being sufl&cient for a gallon of milk. The 

 mixture is put in a warm place and fermentation sets in. 

 After twenty-four hours' fermentation the material is bot- 

 tled and placed on ice; when cool it is ready for use. 

 The milk becomes slightly soured, giving a taste much 

 relished by some people. It is filled with carbon dioxide 

 and contains a small amount of alcohol, and is thus a sort 

 of beer made from milk. It is not much used in this coun- 

 try except for invalids. Other types of fermented beverages, 

 kefir, matzoon, and some others, are made from milk by the 

 use of special ferments, always containing yeast, whose 

 preparation is hardly within the reach of the ordinary 

 household. 



