Can I make kiselo mlyako at home?

What is kiselo mlyako?

Kiselo mlyako means sour milk and is the Bulgarian name for yogurt. It is made with two bacteria, Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus. Bulgarians eat it on its own, as a side with banitsa (an egg and cheese pastry) and as the base of several cold dishes.

How do you make it at home?

A food site describing the method gives these steps:

1. Clean everything. Use clean jars and tools.
2. Heat the milk to 180 F (82 C). Then cool it to 115 F (46 C).
3. Add the starter. Whisk about a cup of the warm milk with a Bulgarian starter or a spoonful of a previous batch, then stir it back into the rest.
4. Keep it warm. Keep it warm for roughly 5 to 24 hours. A yogurt maker or an insulated container is a common way to hold the temperature (general guidance).
5. Chill. Pour into jars and refrigerate.

As general guidance, whole milk gives a thicker result, and you can save a few spoonfuls of each batch as the next starter. If a batch smells off, has pink or green spots or looks slimy in an unusual way, throw it away.

What do you need?

• Milk (usually cow’s milk; goat, sheep or buffalo milk can also be used)
• Starter: a packet of Bulgarian yogurt culture or plain yogurt with live cultures
• A thermometer and a warm, steady spot

How do Bulgarians use it?

• Tarator: a cold soup of cucumber and yogurt.
• Snezhanka: a yogurt-based cucumber salad with walnuts, dill and garlic.
• Yaitsa po panagyurski: poached eggs on yogurt with garlic, cottage cheese, butter and paprika.

Tips

This is general guidance: a steady temperature matters more than a precise one, and a draft or an interrupted warm spot will slow set. Exact times vary with the starter, so check after the shortest time and taste.