Roadmilk, (
Aradal:
oçtäńarän) is climpy fermented
goat milk soup, primarily produced and consumed by the
Ara people.
Production
Raw goat milk spoils easily, and thus is consumed almost exclusively by goat herders, and various types of cheese are produced to conserve it for longer. The Ara have developed an alternative way to preserve it in a beverage form. To conserve the milk, it is poured in a goat skin, and left to sour for a couple of days. Meanwhile the skin is gently turned to produce more even texture in the milk. The finished product can be stored in an amphora, and easily be consumed for a week more if stored cool
On the Road
Roadmilk is commonly made on travel, when there is no access to fresh milk. It can be left to sour on its own in hanging containers on goatback, and is considered a refreshing and nutritious beverage for travellers. The Ara say it gives you the strenght of the
Mountain goat, the sacred animal of
Áfawarsal.
In the Cities
While the consentration of soured milk is abhorred by proper
citizens, the taste seems to be befitting those with a more rustic palate. Thus, the poor of the cities, who now no longer have the access to fresh milk, have found a taste for the beverage. It is commonly sold in the Low Market, where it sells for half as much as cheap wine, and is more pure than the water of the fountains. Road Milk is drunk as it is, or used as a common sauce for vegetables. It can also be strained to make simple home cheese that conserves for even longer.
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