Qatiq

Qatiq is a fermented milk product from the Turkic countries. It is considered a more solid form of yogurt than ayran.

Some of the local names include: katık in Turkey, qatıq in Azerbaijan, qatiq in Uzbekistan, ҡатыҡ in Bashkortostan, қатық in Kazakhstan and Tajikistan, катык or айран in Kyrgyzstan, катык in Tatarstan, gatyk in Turkmenistan. It is known as къатыкъ among the Crimean Tatars and as қатиқ among the Uyghurs. In Bulgaria, катък is not a drink, but a spread that has the consistency of mayonnaise.

In order to obtain qatiq, the boiled milk is fermented for 6-10 hours in a warm place. Sometimes red beets or cherries are used for coloring. The drink may be kept in a cool place for two or three days. If stored longer, the drink will turn sour; it may still be added to high-fat soups, though. The chalop soup is made from qatiq in Uzbekistan.

When sour milk is strained in a canvas bag, the resulting product is called suzma. Dried suzma, or kurut, is often rolled into marble-size balls.