Why is yogurt useful, a recipe with a photo

Matsoni, according to the principle of preparation, is the closest relative of kefir. Both adults and children love this product in the Caucasus. Interest in him has increased in recent years. People are interested in the benefits and harms of yogurt, since the geography of the use of this fermented milk product has grown and covered almost all of Russia. They began to prepare it on an industrial scale.

What a drink

Given its consistency and rich composition, yogurt can hardly be called a drink. Rather, it is food. A thick fermented milk product made from boiled milk. The etymology of this word has 2 explanations. The word was introduced together with the Persians who conquered Georgia, and assimilated into the Georgian way. In ancient Persian, the product was called māst, which translates as yogurt. Georgians believe that the word matsoni is derived from the Georgian მომწონს (mamtsens) - to like.

The nomadic Turks were the first to develop it, and among different peoples this food is called gatykh, katyk, katuk. At first, the nomads accidentally noticed that milk, poured into poorly washed furs, where yesterday's milk was, was fermented, and a product was obtained that was consumed for several days.

They did not think about beneficial bacteria or Bulgarian bacillus, but simply began to add a little of the remaining gatyha to the milk in order to take with them a ready-made fermented milk product on their hikes. For several centuries, this useful and irreplaceable product has been prepared in such a primitive way. In the territories of Asia Minor, Central Asia, the North Caucasus and Transcaucasia, in the Turkic-speaking republics of Russia, katuk, or yogurt, is considered one of the most necessary and favorite food products.

For what the nomadic tribes fell in love with the fermented milk product of yogurt, what is the use of it, and why this product was and remains indispensable in the diet of these peoples, especially on hot summer days, this will be discussed below.

The chemical composition and calorie content of yogurt

The calorie content of 100 grams of yogurt made from cow's milk is 65.3 Kcal. The calorie content of buffalo katyk is higher than that of a cow - 106 Kcal. From buffalo milk, the fermented milk product is thick, like butter. If you stick a spoon in a pot with a dead end, it will stand. The fat content of buffalo milk is 7–8%, which is almost 2 times higher than that of cow milk.

The beneficial properties of yogurt are determined by its composition. Protein in cow's milk makes up about 3% of the total content. Carbohydrates - 4.7%. So low, in comparison with other foods, the carbohydrate content makes gaty useful for diabetics.

Of the vitamins in a cow's gat there is a large amount of beta-carotene - 274% of the daily value, vitamin A - 3.6%, riboflavin - 5.6%, vitamin K - 5.7%. Trace elements contain calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, iron. 87% of the product is water. For comparison, the water content of the buffalo milk carton is 79.9%.

The benefits of yogurt for the human body are as follows:

• amino acids help to assimilate nutrients that are so necessary for people engaged in hard physical labor;
• vitamin B and choline stimulate the central nervous system;
• calcium is necessary for the growth and strengthening of bones;
• organic acids normalize metabolism.

Thanks to amino acids and the same bifidobacteria and lactobacilli, the fermented milk product is absorbed faster and better than milk.

In the Caucasus and Asian countries, gaty, or katuk, is also prepared from lamb's milk, and its calorie content is higher than the calorie content of cow and buffalo, since lamb milk turned out to be the fattest of all. Its energy value is 111 kcal. The fat content is almost the same as buffalo milk - 8%. But it does not contain carbohydrates, and thus this product becomes not only useful, but invaluable for diabetics. Lamb gatykh contains the same amount of carbohydrates as cow's.

The benefits of yogurt for men are in strengthening bones, thanks to calcium, and muscle tissues.

The benefits of yogurt for the body

It is no coincidence that matsoni was born in the south. A glass of cool product cools pleasantly and lowers the temperature. Gatikh sauce with crushed garlic lowers blood pressure, and therefore in Azerbaijan it is served with mutton dolma, whose meat increases blood pressure.

Gatykh is useful for hypertensive patients. It is able to temporarily replace vasodilator tablets.

A fresh drink is given to drink for indigestion, intestinal poisoning and vomiting. Bifidobacteria and lactobacilli will ease the condition, benefit a tired stomach. It can also be drunk for constipation, it softens the stool, facilitates their exit.

The fact that this drink contains useful bifidobacteria and lactobacilli, Bulgarian bacillus, or other microorganisms, people learned a couple of decades ago. And before that they did not think about it. All the beneficial properties of the product have been identified as a result of its daily use. The people engaged in cattle breeding ate katuk and other fermented milk products and lived for a long time. They hardly knew any problems with the stomach and intestines.

Let me reveal another small but useful secret. A glass of cool gatikh or ayran with a pinch of salt can relieve a hangover in the morning.

Is it possible to drink yogurt for pregnant and lactating women

You can, without a doubt. It will benefit the expectant mother by reducing the effect of toxicosis, relieving the feeling of nausea in a pregnant woman. The exception is women with lactose intolerance, patients with pancreatitis and ulcers. Mom will have to give up yogurt while breastfeeding if the use of this product is reflected by an allergy on her baby.

At what age can yogurt be given to children

In Azerbaijan, gaty are given to children from about 6-7 months. An important condition is that it is not overexposed and too sour. Such a product can cause indigestion in an adult. A little sugar is added to the yogurt for sweetness, bread or mashed cookies.

The benefits of yogurt for weight loss

The product is used as a weight loss diet. If the calorie content or fat content of the product frightens, it is diluted with boiled cool water, in a ratio of 2 parts of yogurt to 1 part of water. Fasting days on gatikh will not allow the body to weaken, since this product contains essential vitamins and trace elements. For one day, you need to take 1.5 liters of gatikha and divide it into 4-6 servings. This product is included in therapeutic diets instead of kefir.

How to drink yogurt properly

Gatykh is almost never eaten for breakfast. This food is mainly for lunchtime. You can eat a bowl at night, an hour and a half before bedtime. It is quickly absorbed and there is no heaviness in the stomach.

Gatykh is added as a seasoning to dolma, kkuku, that is, a dish made from green beans and eggs, for khingali, or for boiled pasta.

Gatyh surprisingly evens out, softens the fat content of food, helps fats to be better absorbed.

The salad will become much healthier if you replace the spicy mayonnaise with vinegar with gatykh. They also serve borscht instead of sour cream or mayonnaise.

What can be made from yogurt

In Azerbaijan and Georgia, dovga is prepared from yogurt. This soup with rice and herbs is just a storehouse of vitamins and useful microelements. In hot summer, when the sun bakes over 40, it is better than cold dovga, it is difficult to come up with something.

Ayran drink is prepared from gatikh. Gaty is diluted with boiled, chilled water and a little salt is added. Ayran is also obtained from whey after beating the butter. The drink is useful because in the hot summer ayran restores the water-salt balance.

If you add fruit syrup or jam to the yogurt, you get a dessert that tastes very similar to store-bought yogurt.

How to make homemade yogurt

Matsoni or gaty is made from boiled milk. This fact alone deprives the product of the majority of pathogenic bacteria. Boiled milk is poured into clean jars or an enamel pot. And leave to cool. When it gets warm (40-50^aboutC), add sourdough. Sourdough is added at the rate of 1 tablespoon per 1 liter of milk. Then the milk is thoroughly mixed, covered, wrapped with something warm and left to ripen for 8-10 hours.

A yellowish or white foam forms on the surface of the yogurt, in which most of the fat is concentrated. It is denser, thicker than the foam formed by boiling milk, sweetish and tasty. Children especially like to collect foam.

Before boiling buffalo milk, the cream is skimmed (gaymag). But even in this case, the product is rich and thick.

The use of yogurt in cosmetology

In Central Asia, in Azerbaijan, in the Russian Muslim republics, people used to wash their hair with gatykh. Old women, out of habit, continue to wash their hair with gatykh now, despite the abundance of shampoos and balms. Young people make nourishing hair masks from yogurt before shampooing. The benefits of yogurt for hair is that it strengthens and nourishes the roots, makes the hair strong.

If someone is burned on a sunny beach, and there is no burn cream at hand, you can rub the burned parts of the body with yogurt. It cools and nourishes the burned skin, and thus is useful. Relief will come soon. And also knocks down the temperature obtained as a result of heatstroke.

Swarthy Azeri women, for whom light skin has always been the standard of beauty and prettiness, have long smeared their faces with a thick skin. The yogurt face mask has the following effect:

• brightens the skin of the face;
• cleanses pores;
• eliminates acne;
• nourishes dry skin.

The brightening effect will be stronger if freshly squeezed parsley juice is added to the yogurt in equal proportions.

Harm of yogurt and contraindications

Matsoni is practically harmless. But there are some contraindications:

• lactase deficiency; it does not produce an enzyme that assimilates milk and dairy products.
• allergy to protein of one of the types of milk (cow, goat, sheep);
• some forms of kidney disease, a tendency to stone formation.

But a few days after the recession of exacerbation, kefir or yogurt is one of the first to be introduced into the diet of patients with pancreatitis.

How to choose and store yogurt

The best matsoni is the one made in the village from fresh milk. In Azerbaijan, even now, homemade gaty, brought from the nearest villages, are sold at markets, transported to city courtyards.Some buyers have their own suppliers from whom they constantly take dairy products.

When prepared for sale, milk is poured into glass liter, two-liter and three-liter jars. The leaven is put there. Banks are covered with lids and wrap them up with a blanket, blanket. Thus, foam is obtained in every jar. Then the peasant women selling the gaty exchange the same type of jar with the buyer. The quality of the product is assessed by the condition of the foam. It should be white or light yellow.

If you shake the can, you can feel the degree of density of the drink. The buffalo yogurt doesn't even budge. The presence of water on top of the foam indicates flaking. This does not mean that the yogurt is stale. It is most likely made from low viscosity milk, or water has been added to the milk.

On an industrial scale, for the preparation of yogurt, milk powder is often taken, diluted and fermented. A milk powder product differs in taste and consistency. And it's best to cook the gaty ones yourself. Then you can be sure of the purity, freshness, and healthiness of the product.

Homemade yogurt can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks without losing the taste of the product. This is another of its advantages over milk.

Conclusion

Thus, yogurt is a nutritious, healthy and even healthful drink, especially indispensable on hot summer days. The benefits and harms of yogurt are incommensurable. The drink is useful for both children and the elderly, especially those suffering from fragility of bones. It is recommended for women of reproductive age. It returns physical strength to able-bodied men. First courses (dovga and okroshka), dessert are prepared from it, confectionery is baked. Matsoni will serve as a raw material for the preparation of secondary products (suzma, cottage cheese, butter). In short, yogurt is a useful product for every day that will never get bored, prolong life and improve health.