Kurt and Sheep’s Milk: A Vanishing Kazakh Tradition ^{CEFR A2}

Until the beginning of the 20th century, sheep's milk was the base for most dairy products in Kazakhstan. In the late 17th century horses and sheep dominated herds, and cows and camels were only about 1 percent of livestock. A 1922 survey found cow's milk was about 10 percent of a family's dairy use. During Russian colonization and the Soviet era, cows became more common because of resettlement policies, changing trade, and industrial processing.

The author and a team went to find people who still milk sheep. They travelled into a valley that is accessible only on horseback. The summer pasture was too steep, so the flock came down to the village. Rozikul milked while Elzhas helped catch a sheep. The scene showed elders passing practical knowledge to younger people.

The milking season starts in early August when lambs are separated from their mothers. After separation farmers milk every other day, then every two days. After three to four weeks the milk largely stops. Milking 250–300 sheep can yield around 70kg of kurt and a couple of karyn mai, each 5–6kg.