NARRATIVES OF KUMIS CONSUMPTION AND PRODUCTION IN CONTEMPORARY KAZAKHSTAN

Abstract

Kumis, a beverage made with fermented mare´s milk, is a part of national cuisine, symbol of health, and unique cultural identity in modern Kazakhstan. It is also a part of the traditional cycle of horse husbandry and the modern small business production that thrives in the countryside around big cities. In my study, based on the in-person and online survey of kumis consumers and on in-depth interviews with kumis producers in the two major cities of Kazakhstan, Astana and Almaty, I explore the dynamics of kumis supply chain and customer behavior and discuss how modern-day city dwellers make choices about kumis consumption while imagining the landscape, seasonality, and “natural-ness” of kumis production....