Koumiss

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈkuːmɪs/

Definitions

1. A beverage originating from Central Asia, made by fermenting mare's milk, which results in a light alcohol content and a unique taste
2. This traditional fermented drink, produced from the milk of female horses, offers a slightly intoxicating and refreshing quality appreciated in various cultures
3. This specific drink, typically derived from the milk of mares through fermentation, is known for its low alcohol percentage and distinctive flavor profile

Etymology: Koumiss is a fermented drink, and its name passed into English by a long road. Turkic peoples of the Eurasian steppe produced it from mare's milk, and the Turkic word for it, related to forms like Kazakh "qımız" and Turkish "kımız", travelled north into Russian as "кумыс" (kumys). From Russian it reached German as "Kumiss" and French as "koumis", and English took it from one of those continental forms. The drink itself has a much longer history on the steppe than the word does in Europe. Its low alcohol content, produced by a mild fermentation of the milk, is what distinguishes it from stronger spirits made from the same base, and that gentle quality is part of why travellers from Western Europe often described it with curiosity when they first encountered it.