SOUR MILK(MALA) AND YOGHURT BENEFITS

Kenyans are not huge fans of cheese but we love our sour milk and for those from the Rift Valley there is Mursik  which is fermented milk that is flavoured with an indigenous tree that has been charred in wood fire,it is then stored in a special holding gourd for its flavour to develop.

I love unsweetened Mursik .

It must be the reason behind the prowess of our long distance runners,majority f whom come from the Rift Valley and especially the Kalenjin community ,where this is an after dinner,lunch and anytime refreshment.

It is such  a delicacy in this community that it is served at weddings and when our athletes return from conquering the world athletic tracks,a gourd of refreshing mursik awaits them at the airport.

Sour milk benefits are similar to those derived from yoghurt,though their consistencies differ.

Both are products of treating milk with live cultures and result in products where the milk protein lactose is broken down into a simple sugar called lactase that people who are lactose intolerant can digest.

Benefits of including more yoghurt and sour milk in your diet include the fact that these two dairy products contain more protein and calcium than regular milk .

The live cultures in these foods also aid in digestion.

I  steer away from artificially flavoured yoghurt as it have too much sugar,you are better off buying the plain yoghurt and flavouring with your preferred fruit.

Just in-case you may be wondering what to do with these two dairy products,here are 5 ways to do it.

1.Instead of using mayonnaise for all your salad dressings,substitute half of it with a thick natural yoghurt.

2.Use sour milk/plain yoghurt to replace the water when making your pastries like doughnuts,pizza,samosas,chapatis even cakes.

When making cakes using sour milk/yoghurt,replace some of  the baking powder with bicarbonate of soda

3.Use a yoghurt base for your fruit salads,just a few spoons in the bottom of your salad bowl then top with your preferred fruit slices and an extra spoonful for garnish would not hurt either.

4.Make your own fruit shakes from non flavoured yoghurt by blending a glass of these milk products with your favourite fruits.

5.For women make yoghurt/sour milk  part of your diet,not only does it help protect against osteoporosis but the active cultures in these drinks offer some protection against yeast infections