ABSTRACT
The origin of fermentations involving the production of lactic acid are lost in the ancient
times, but it is not difficult to imagine how nomadic communities gradually acquired the
art of preserving their meager supplies of milk by storing them in animal skins or crude
earthenware pots. Initially, the intention could well have been simply to keep the milk cool
through the evaporation of whey from the porous surface, but the chance transformation of
the raw milk into a refreshing, slightly viscous foodstuff would soon have been recognized
as a desirable innovation resulting in yogurt-like products.
