Abstract
For centuries, the nomads of Mongolia have been producing various kinds of traditional fermented dairy products. In Mongolia, the traditional “Airag" is made by the fermentation of mare's milk by its indigenous lactic acid bacteria (LAB); this is followed by alcoholic fermentation of residual sugar by yeasts. Not only Airag, but also various kinds of traditional yogurt, which are called “Tarag" and are made from cow, yak, goat, or camel milk, have played extremely important roles in the Mongolian diet from ancient times. To date, here are many research studies in order to evaluate the usefulness of Mongolian traditional fermented milk products as probiotics. This paper reviews the diversity of LAB and yeasts in Airag and Tarag, traditional fermented milk products of Mongolia.
