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{{about||the city in Iran|Shal|the village in Iran|Chal, Zanjan}}
{{Infobox prepared food
| name             = Chal
| image            = [[File:Shubat vs Kumis.jpg|250px]]
| caption          = Bowls of shubat (left), beverage of fermented camel milk, and [[kumis]] (right), beverage made from fermented mare's milk
| alternate_name   = Shubat
| country          = [[Turkmenistan]] and [[Kazakhstan]]
| region           = 
| creator          = 
| course           = 
| type             = 
| served           = 
| main_ingredient  = [[Camel milk]]
| variations       = 
| calories         = 
| other            = 
}}

'''Chal''', or '''shubat''' ({{lang-kk|шұбат}} {{IPA-kk|ʃʊbɑ́t|}}), is a [[Turkic people|Turkic]] (especially [[Turkmen people|Turkmen]] and [[Kazakhs|Kazakh]]) beverage of [[fermentation (food)|fermented]] [[camel milk]], sparkling white with a sour flavor, popular in [[Central Asia]] — particularly in [[Kazakhstan]] and [[Turkmenistan]].<ref>{{cite book|author=Anatoly Michailovich Khazanov|title=Nomads and the outside world|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PPumUjpp--UC&pg=PP49 |date=15 May 1994|publisher=Univ of Wisconsin Press|isbn=978-0-299-14284-1 |page=49 |edition=2nd}}</ref> In Kazakhstan the drink is known as ''shubat'', and is a staple summer food.<ref>{{cite book |author=Aliya Meldebekova |author2=Gaukhar Konuspayeva |author3=Emilie Diacono |author4=Bernard Faye |chapter=Heavy Metals and Trace Elements Content in Camel Milk and ''Shubat'' from Kazakhstan  |chapterurl=http://www.springerlink.com/content/p1k3768315n87201/ |editor=Yuriy Sinyavskiy |editor2=Bernard Faye |title=Impact of Pollution on Animal Products (NATO Science for Peace and Security Series C: Environmental Security) |publisher=Springer |location=Berlin |year=2008 |pages=117–123 |isbn=1-4020-8357-2 |doi=10.1007/978-1-4020-8359-4 |url=http://www.springerlink.com/content/978-1-4020-8357-0/}}</ref> Due to preparation requirements and  perishable nature, chal has proved difficult to export.<ref>[http://foodfind.ru/dictionary/1393/ Great Culinary Dictionary. Chal in Russian, retrieved April 11, 2007]</ref> ''Agaran'' (fermented cream) is collected from the surface of chal.<ref>[http://turkolog.narod.ru/info/trkm-32.htm I.Barkhanov. Neutral Turkmenistan newspaper, in Russian, August 9, 2001].</ref>

Fermented chal is reputed to possess [[virucidal]] and virus inhibiting properties{{Citation needed|date=June 2012}} not found in fresh camel or cow milk, both in its [[liquid]] and lyophilized form — a characteristic which is (reputedly) unaffected by shelf life.

Chal is typically prepared by first souring camel milk in a skin bag or ceramic jar by adding previously soured milk. For 3–4 days, fresh milk is mixed in; the matured chal will consist of one third to one fifth previously soured milk.<ref>[http://www.dawn.com/weekly/science/archive/041009/science7.htm Prof Zafar Iqbal Chaudhary & Dr Shahan Azeem, Is camel milk good for human health? DAWN Sci-tech world, October 9, 2004] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927221516/http://www.dawn.com/weekly/science/archive/041009/science7.htm |date=September 27, 2007 }}.</ref>

Camel milk will not sour for up to 72 hours at temperatures below 10&nbsp;°C (50&nbsp;°F). At 30&nbsp;°C (86&nbsp;°F) the milk sours in approximately 8 hours (compared to cow's milk, which sours within 3 hours).

A comparison of the composition of camel milk and camel chal:<ref>{{cite journal |author=Grigoryants, N.N. |title=Composition of camel milk and chal |journal=Vop. Pit. |volume=13 |issue= |pages=41–5 |year=1954 <!-- Same? |pmid=13187930 --> |language=Russian}}</ref>

{| width="50%" align="center"
!
! <u>Camel milk</u>
! “<u>Chal</u>”
|-
| acidity
| 18°D
| 28°D
|-
| fat
| 4.3%
| 4.3%
|-
| lactose
| 2.75%
| 1.32%
|-
| non-fat solids
| 8.2%
| 6.6%
|-
| ash
| 0.86%
| 0.75%
|-
| ethyl alcohol
| 
| 1.1%
|-
| ascorbic acid
| 5.6&nbsp;mg%
| 4.8&nbsp;mg%
|}

Dornic acidic degrees are used to describe acidity in milk products, with 1 Dornic degree (1°D) is equal to 0.1g of lactic acid per liter.<ref>[http://www.idfdairynutrition.org/Files/media/Glossary_documents_PDF/ENG/L/Lex_EN_-_lactic_acid_071226-2008-00159.pdf]</ref> The chal contained [[Lactobacillus|Lactobacilli]] lactic; [[Streptococcus|streptococci]] and [[yeast]].<ref>{{cite journal |author=Kieselev, N. |title=Bacteriological examination of chal |journal=Mol. Prom. |volume=17 |issue= |pages=31–4 |year=1956 |language=Russian}}</ref>

Chal may be cultured with lactobacillus casei, streptococcus thermophilus and lactose-fermenting yeasts incubating in inoculated milk for 8 hours at 25&nbsp;°C (77&nbsp;°F), and then subsequently for 16 hours at 20&nbsp;°C (68&nbsp;°F). Holder [[pasteurization]] does not affect the quality of the milk, but pasteurization at higher temperatures ( 85&nbsp;°C/185&nbsp;°F) for 5 minutes negatively impacts flavour. Chal made from pure cultures of lactobacillus casei, streptococcus thermophilus and species of torula has markedly less not-fat solids and lactose than the milk from which it is made.<ref>{{cite web |author=Kuliev, K. |title=The utilisation of camels' milk |journal=Mol. Promyslenn |volume=20 |issue=28 |pages= |year=1959 |doi= |url=}}<br/>cited in {{cite book |author=R. Yagil |title=Camels and Camel milk |publisher=Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) |location=Rome |year=1982 |isbn=92-5-101169-9 |series=FAO animal production and health paper |issue=26}}</ref>

==See also==
*[[Ayran]]
*[[Cuisine of Kazakhstan]]
* [[List of yogurt-based dishes and beverages]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{cite journal |author=Brigor'iants NN |title=[Chemical composition of chal (fermented camel's milk)] |language=Russian |journal=Vopr Pitan |volume=13 |issue=4 |pages=41–2 |year=1954 |pmid=13187930 }}
*{{cite journal |vauthors=Konuspayeva G, Faye B, Loiseau G, Levieux D |title=Lactoferrin and immunoglobulin contents in camel's milk (''Camelus bactrianus'', ''Camelus dromedarius'', and Hybrids) from Kazakhstan |journal=J. Dairy Sci. |volume=90 |issue=1 |pages=38–46 |date=January 2007 |pmid=17183073 |doi=10.3168/jds.S0022-0302(07)72606-1 |url=http://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0022-0302(07)72606-1}}
*{{cite journal |author=Martinenko, N.l. |author2=Yagodinskaya, S.G. |author3=Adhundov, A.A. |author4=Charyev, K.C. |author5=Khumedov, O. |last-author-amp=yes |title=Content of trace elements, copper, manganese, molybdenum in culture of chal and camel's milk and their clinical significance |journal=Dairy Sci. Abst. |volume=40 |issue=7802 |pages=824 |year=1977 |doi= |url=http://www.greenstone.org/greenstone3/nzdl;jsessionid=3373D1F2BB80999BC21D600A4A7E6D54?a=d&c=hdl&d=HASH01a561fe8c8ed1299b760e82.11&sib=1}}
*{{cite book |editor=Palmated Esenov |editor2=Bernard Faye |title=Desertification Combat and Food Safety: The Added Value of Camel Producers |publisher=IOS Press |location=Amsterdam |year=2005 |pages= |isbn=1-58603-473-1 |oclc= |doi= |url=http://www.iospress.nl/flyers_b/fl9781586034733.pdf}}
*[http://www.eurasianet.org/departments/culture/articles/eav102502.shtml Filip Noubel, "Golden Century of the Turkmens:" A Bleak Picture of Village Life in the Desert. EurasiaNet photo essay, 10/25/02]

{{Yogurts}}

[[Category:Central Asian cuisine]]
[[Category:Kazakhstani cuisine]]
[[Category:Turkish cuisine]]
[[Category:Yogurt-based drinks]]
[[Category:Turkish words and phrases]]
[[Category:Turkmenistan cuisine]]
[[Category:Fermented drinks]]
[[Category:Camel products]]