David Zilber
A team of anthropologists made “ant yogurt” from a traditional recipe that has been used for centuries in Balkans. The delicacy is being served in a Michelin two -star restaurant in Copenhagen.
In a new study, a team of investigators revealed as the simple addition of a handful of Viva Ants Warm milk can create yogurt.
By mixing ants with milk, the team of anthropologists and eating scientists recreated the so -called “ant yogurt”And eventually found that it contains the same bacterium used in a type of bread very popular.
The bacteria present in the “ant yogurt”, produced according to a traditional Balkan method, belong to a strain currently used as a natural bread yeast, the investigators concluded.
The yogurt was later served to clients at a restaurantas a way of showing historical methods of food fermentation.
The process of making this delicacy, which is radically different The way yogurt is manufactured industrially today, it was presented in a wrote published this Friday in the magazine iScience.
“Modern yogurts are usually produced with two bacterial strains,” explains Leonie Jahnresearcher at the Technical University of Denmark and co -author of the study, in a statement published in.
The bacteria strains used in the process, Lactobacillus bulgaricus e Streptococcus thermophilusare introduced into warm milk as base yeast.
These bacteria ferment the sugars of milk, producing lactic acidwhich increases acidity and causes milk coagulation. This process gives yogurt its characteristic texture and flavor.
“In traditional yogurts, There is a much greater biodiversitybecause different bacterial strains provide distinct flavors and textures, ”explains Jahn.
Love Mutlu Sirakovaresearcher at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, and co-author of the study, had previously collected oral testimonies of people in Türkiye and Bulgaria on Old methods of making yogurtincluding the use of Red ants of the woods (Formica sp.) To start the process.
The investigators visited the village of Sirakovain Bulgaria, where there was still memory of the tradition of using ants in the preparation of yogurt.
“We put Four whole ants in a vial with warm milkfollowing the instructions of Sevgi’s uncle and other members of the local community, ”says the microbiologist Veronica Sinotteresearcher at the University of Copenhagen and also co-author of the study.
The bottle was left in the anthill at night. The next morning, milk had become yogurt, which is described by scientists as “slightly acidic and with a herbaceous flavor ”.
After the experience, the team studied the product to understand the role of “HolobionteOf ants – that is, the set formed by the insect and the microbial communities that live in and over it.
The chemical analysis of yogurt revealed that the dominant bacteria responsible for fermentation was the Fructiactobacillus sanfranciscensisa species well known for being essential in the manufacture of mother bread.
In addition, the investigators said high Formic acid concentrations in yogurt. Grove ants produce this acid in large quantities in the poison glands and can use it as a defense mechanism.
It was this acid that gave yogurt its Single Flavor and Texture.
To explore the gastronomic possibilities of ant yogurt, the investigators collaborated with the experimental kitchen restaurant in Copenhagen, which two Michelin stars.
Alchemist chefs created Three dishes inspired by yogurt: An ant -shaped ice sandwich, cheese with acidic notes and a “washed milk cocktail” based on a recipe from the early eighteenth century.
However, scientists warn that You should not try to reproduce the process at home, since Ants may contain parasites. Before yogurt was delivered to the restaurant, it was filtered to eliminate any risk.
The use of ants in yogurt production remains a current practice in certain regions of the Türkiye and Bulgaria. Now scientists finally understand how ants interact with milk to originate fermentation.
“I hope people recognize Importance of the community And that may listen more carefully when a grandmother shares a recipe Or a memory that seems strange, ”concludes Sinotte.
