Varenets

{{Short description|Russian fermented dairy product}} {{Infobox food |name=Varenets |image=File:Varenets2.jpg |image_size=200px |caption= |alternate_name=Stewler, simmeler |country=Russia |region= |creator= |course= |type= |served= |main_ingredient=Milk |variations= |calories= |other= }} '''''Varenets''''' ({{langx|ru|варенец|lit=the stewed one}}), sometimes anglicised as '''''stewler''''' or '''''simmeler''''', is a fermented milk product that is popular in Russia.<ref name="Goldstein">{{cite book | last1=Goldstein | first1=Darra | title=A taste of Russia : a cookbook of Russian hospitality | date=1999 | publisher=Russian Life Books | location=Montpelier, VT | isbn=9781880100424 | edition=2nd | url = https://archive.org/details/tasteofrussia00darr| url-access=registration | quote=varenets. }}</ref><ref name="Molkhovets">{{cite book|last1=translated|last2=introduced|last3=Toomre|first3=annotated by Joyce | title=Classic Russian cooking : Elena Molokhovets' A gift to young housewives | date=1998 | publisher=Indiana University Press |location=Bloomington | isbn=978-0-253-21210-8 | edition=1st pbk. | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ttlCGJxfLRUC&q=varenets }}</ref> Similar to ''ryazhenka'', it is made by adding sour cream (''smetana'') to baked milk.<ref name="Molkhovets" />

== Production == ''Varenets'' is a fermented dairy drink with a caramel taste and creamy color. ''Varenets'' was traditionally produced by baking milk in a Russian oven and fermenting it with sour cream.<ref name="Molokhovets">{{cite book |last=Molokhovets |first=Elena |translator-last=Toomre |translator-first=Joyce Stetson |title=Classic Russian Cooking: Elena Molokhovets' ''A Gift to Young Housewives'' |year=1998 |orig-year=1861 |publisher=Indiana University Press |page=369 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ttlCGJxfLRUC&q=varenets |isbn=9780253212108}}</ref>

Commercially available cultured ''varenets'' is milk that has been pasteurized and homogenized (with 0.5% to 8.9% fat), and then inoculated with a culture of ''Streptococcus thermophilus'' to simulate the naturally occurring bacteria in the old-fashioned product.<ref name="GOST_Varenets">[http://protect.gost.ru/document.aspx?control=7&id=175734 ГОСТ Р 53508-2009]. Варенец. Технические условия (International State Standard GOST 53508-2009. ''Varenets. Specifications''; in Russian)</ref><ref name="GOST_Ryazhenka">[http://protect.gost.ru/document.aspx?control=7&id=181080 ГОСТ 31455-2012]. Ряженка. Технические условия (International State Standard GOST 31455-2012. ''Ryazhenka. Specifications''; in Russian)</ref>

== Similar dairy products == ''Ryazhenka'' is the Russian word for a very similar fermented dairy product. While some dictionaries treat these two words as synonyms,<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |author1=С. И. Ожегов |author2=Н. Ю. Шведова |title=Ряженка |encyclopedia=Толковый словарь русского языка |publisher=Российская академия наук. Институт русского языка им. В. В. Виноградова |location=Москва |date=1999 |isbn=5-89285-003-X |url=http://dic.academic.ru/dic.nsf/ogegova/211378}} [{{cite encyclopedia |author1=Sergey Ozhegov |author-link=Sergey Ozhegov |author2=Natalia Shvedova |title=Ryazhenka |encyclopedia=Dictionary of the Russian Language |date=1999 |location=Moscow |publisher=V. V. Vinogradov Russian Language Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences |language=Russian}}]</ref> the industry standard GOST distinguishes between the two products, specifying somewhat different production processes.<ref name="GOST_Varenets"/>

Also similar are qatiq and kaymak, commonly found in Turkic countries.<ref name="ST">{{cite book |author1=А. Сальникова |author2=А. Толиверова |title=Поваренная книга для молодых хозяек |date=1880}} [{{cite book |author1=A. Salnikova |author2=A. Toliverova |title=A Cookbook for Young Housewives |date=1880 |language=Russian}}] Reprinted in {{cite book |title=Пасхальный домашний стол. Блюда к Великому посту и Пасхе |publisher=Litres |date=2015 |isbn=9785457836976 |page=105 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UbkRCgAAQBAJ&q=ряженка&pg=PA105 }}</ref> The milk should be heated to a high temperature before fermentation. This is the main similarity of {{lang|ru|ryazhenka}}, {{lang|ru|varenets}}, {{lang|crh|qatiq}}, and {{lang|tr|kaymak}} that distinct it from other yogurt-based products, although kaymak and qatiq are thicker in consistency.{{Cn|date=February 2025}}

== References == {{Reflist}}

Category:Fermented dairy products Category:Russian cuisine Category:Russian drinks Category:Russian inventions Category:Yogurt-based drinks