How is Sana used in traditional cuisine?

What is sana?

Sana is a fermented milk from Romania. It is similar to yogurt but tastes sweeter and is thicker and denser. A description of the product gives a fat content of at least 3.6%. Traditionally it needs raw whole milk straight from a farm, and one source says the pasteurized milk sold in shops does not give an authentic result.

Searches for “sana” often mix up unrelated things, such as flours or software. In food, this is the dairy product.

How is sana made?

Acid fermentation lowers the milk’s pH, and the milk proteins set. In the traditional home method, whole milk is boiled with a little salt and cooled. Half of it is left covered at room temperature for up to 24 hours, until a layer of cream forms. The cream is skimmed off, and the thickened milk below it is whisked into lapte batut. The cream then serves as the starter: a few tablespoons are stirred into the chilled half of the milk, which is warmed first and left to thicken at room temperature. Do not copy any raw-milk method without understanding the risk; see the safety note below.

How is sana used in traditional cooking?

• Eaten plain: by the spoon, like yogurt, often at breakfast or as a snack.
• As a drink: thinned or served cold.
• In baking: some recipes for breads and pastries call for sana. Check the recipe, because sana is thicker than plain milk or buttermilk.

Sana, lapte batut, kefir and yogurt compared

Buying and safety

Look for sana in Romanian or Eastern European shops. Check the label for the milk type and fat content, because the names sana and lapte batut are used loosely. Raw-milk versions carry the risks the FDA describes for all raw milk, which are higher for children, pregnant women, older adults and people with weakened immune systems. This is general information, not medical advice.