“I won’t have it without yogurt.” My grandfather complained, pushing away the curry I ordered from a newly opened restaurant.
You know, old people and their insistence on having everything according to them. And to be honest, when it comes to throwing tantrums, he always gets the better of my younger sibling, who was licking his fingers dipped in curry. That was cringe and an eye-sore act, though.
“Give it a try, Grandpa; it’s not spicy. You will love it.” I tried in vain.
“If you want me to leave the table, say it to my face.” He got angry for such a childish reason.
To say he loves yogurt would be an understatement. From acting as a cooling aid for spicy curries to softening dips for breads, it offers politeness that surpasses expectations. No one ever dares to call it just another dairy product in front of my grandfather.
So, I signaled my brother to bring my savior in the form of a small white bottle that I am glad I brought the other day. He placed it on the table, and my grandfather eyed it as if it contained poison.
“It’s Kashk, a better and tastier form of yogurt,” I answered the question in his eyes.
“Oh yeah? Renaming old things and calling them modernism, do you guys seriously think I’ll be fooled?” He mocked, clearly against our generation’s trends and choices.
Who said, ‘Don’t judge a book by its cover’? Was it you, Grandpa?” I smirked and then opened the bottle to show him the smooth, natural consistency of the product.
“Let me explain before you pass judgment. It’s from Homa Food.”
“As expected.” He muttered under his breath, clearly annoyed by my obsession with this brand.
“It’s a traditional fermented yogurt, made in California, from fermented cream of whey. Basically, a staple food in Persia. It’s actually known as dried yogurt because the procedure for making it involves removing moisture and allowing it to concentrate over time. This is how it is formed into yogurt balls.”
Now, I know my grandfather is a real old man from times when experimenting with foods equated to wasting them, and upon hearing the process, his expressions gave away the same thing. But I didn’t hold back.
Because my obsession with Homa Food is not just superficial, it’s based on my experience. This Afghani-Persian brand takes pride in bringing authentic and rich flavors to its foods. Crafted with love and passion, their aim is to keep the soul of Kashk, CA, alive. Its high-protein, nourishing content, paired with its probiotic effects, makes it a most demanding product in traditional Persian recipes.
“Alright, but what about this weird, tangy aroma that is coming off? Yogurt never gave off any smell.” He nitpicked, to which I had no answer.
“Let’s not just pass any judgment before we actually taste it.” I took a spoon, added it to the meal, and mixed it. Just like the butter melts in a hot dish, it melted smoothly, giving the meal an overall softened texture and deep aroma that enhanced the taste of the food.
My grandfather couldn’t help but enjoy the deliciousness of that one spoon of Kashk CA could offer. I could clearly read his face, so before he got morphed into that grumpy old man again, I decided to make him try different variations. So, I poured it on vegetables, used it with plain rice, and drizzled it on curries, and every time, it proved its worth, usefulness, and taste.
To be honest, I have already tried different forms of kashk, dried yogurt, or yogurt balls, but doing it all again to prove its worth felt as if I were the owner of Homa Foods when it’s clearly just a brand I accidentally came across. But I believe in acknowledging and appreciating good things, and that is exactly what I am doing with this brand.
“So, how’s it?” Now, it was time to get the much-awaited reviews.
“Good. Not like yogurt, though, in fact much better than that.” He smiled sheepishly.
“Really?” To say I was shocked would be an understatement.
“Yes. To me, tampering with food and its flavors is a sin. But, with this, it feels like giving the final touches to the meal. Without these touches, it seems incomplete.” With that, he took a spoonful of it and added it to his plate while I smiled in pride.
Sometimes, the simplest things are underrated when they are the exact things that bring comfort and joy to the table. Next time, if you see something new and peculiar, do give it a try. It will change your taste and the way you think about it.
And one guarantee I can give you about Homa Foods is that they never disappoint and bring to the table authentic tastes and value for money. I have tried their different products, including red hot sauce, pure saffron spray, pomegranate vinegar, yogurt balls, and many others. In fact, for starters, you should try their green chutney, which stands out as their best-selling product.
Every food speaks for itself, but dried yogurt surpassed expectations. To experience the true soul of Kashk ca, try it with beloved Persian dishes like Āsh Reshteh and Kashk-o-Bademjan. Then you’ll know how food can taste like heaven.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
In Middle Eastern and Central Asian cuisines, kashk, often referred to as dried yogurt or whey, is a traditional, nutrient-dense fermented dairy product. It is typically found in liquid form, powder, or dried balls and has a unique acidic, salty, and savory (umami) flavor. It is frequently used in stews, dips, and soups; Persian kashk-e bademjan is one of its most well-known uses.
In Middle Eastern cooking, especially Iranian cooking, kashk, also known as Persian whey or yogurt stone, is a fermented, boiled, and dried dairy product. When liquid, it has a thick, creamy consistency and tastes sour, salty, and tangy. It is often marketed as a thick paste or in dried chunks.
You can buy authentic, Persian-style Kashk from Homa Foods. Since it is an Afghani-Persian brand, they use modern techniques to make sure that the final product offers creamy texture, deep umami flavor, and high-protein content.
The traditional way to use dried Kashk is to soak the chunks in warm water for at least six hours, or soak them for a short time and combine them into a thick paste that resembles cream, adding salt to taste.
Eggplants (bademjan) and kashk, a fermented dairy product frequently used in Iranian cooking, are the primary ingredients of kashk-e bademjan. Kashk has a rich, creamy texture and a pronounced salty-sour flavor.
Traditionally, kashk was made from the surplus milk used to create cheese. The process involves deducting butter from milk, leaving behind doogh, which can be utilized as the foundation for kashk. After deducting the water from this white liquid, kashk, which can be dried, remains.