How is dadiah different from other types of fermented milk products?

What is dadiah?

Dadiah, also spelled dadih, is a traditional fermented buffalo milk from West Sumatra, Indonesia, made by the Minangkabau people. It is soft, pale and yogurt-like, with a sour taste.

How is dadiah made?

1. Fresh buffalo milk is collected and filtered.
2. It is poured into a bamboo tube, traditionally a type of bamboo called gombong.
3. The tube is covered with banana leaves and tied shut.
4. It ferments at room temperature, around 28 to 30 C, for about one to two days (24 to 48 hours).

The bamboo takes up moisture so whey does not separate, and the leaf cover helps create the low-oxygen conditions the bacteria need.

How is it different from other fermented milks?

Buffalo milk has more fat than cow’s milk, which gives dadiah a softer, richer texture.

How is it eaten?

The Minang people eat it for breakfast, mixed into sumsum porridge, or as a snack with rice crackers, brown sugar and grated coconut.

Is it easy to find?

It is a regional food of West Sumatra and hard to find elsewhere. Outside it, a close substitute for texture is full-fat plain yogurt, but the flavor will differ. Because it is fermented without a controlled culture and often from raw milk, safety depends on hygiene, so buy it from trusted sellers.

Some pages call it probiotic or cholesterol-lowering. Treat such statements as unproven claims about a traditional food.