ASTANA – The Kazakh capital’s Kazanat Hippodrome will host the first national cuisine gastrofestival titled BaiQymyz – baptalgan kymyz on July 19-20, dedicated to kymyz, the traditional Kazakh drink made from fermented mare’s milk.
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The event will also feature an international scientific-practical conference titled Mare’s Milk and Kymyz – the Basis of Health and Longevity of Nomads, aimed at exploring the health benefits of kymyz, reported Astana Akimat (administration) on July 10.
The conference will gather experts from Kazakhstan and abroad, including gastroenterologists, nutritionists, microbiologists, ethnographers, and kymyz producers, to examine kymyz as a medicinal and dietary product.
Around 50 kymyz producers from across Kazakhstan will participate in the festival, which also includes a competition for the Best Kymyz with a prize fund of 45 million tenge (US$85,757). Visitors can enjoy tastings, exhibitions of horse breeds, and ethno-cultural performances.
The event aims to revive traditional food culture and promote kymyz on both medical and international cultural levels, with hopes of developing the festival into a global brand similar to Oktoberfest.
