Traditional knowledge and cultural contexts of making Maksym, a traditional Kyrgyz beverage

Overview

Maksym is a thick fermented drink that is often consumed in local communities in Kyrgyzstan and valued for its nourishing qualities. The preparation process involves roasting flour (usually wheat, barley or corn) in sheep fat, mixing it with water and salt, and leaving it to ferment for several hours using natural cultures. Although women traditionally prepare Maksym and men gather the ingredients, these roles are flexible and vary by household. Regional variations reflect local climates and ingredients. The related knowledge and skills are passed down within families, especially by older women. They can also be acquired through group preparation, festivals and community events in rural areas and cities. Maksym is also taught in vocational schools and promoted through books, blogs and films. Organizations, scholars and traditional knowledge holders work together to safeguard and...

This record is imported from the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage public dataset as discovery metadata. ARED has not independently verified community authority, access protocols or local naming beyond the source record.

Community and Authority

Communities: Kyrgyzstan
Languages: Not specified in UNESCO dataset
Cultural territories: Kyrgyzstan
Countries: Kyrgyzstan

How the System Works

Food, Agriculture and Seasonal Practice Ways of Knowing and Knowledge Transmission

Sources and Evidence

Imported from UNESCO DataHub dataset ich001. Field-level provenance is retained in the record metadata.

UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage ListsDataset

Open original source record

Field-Level Provenance

title: UNESCO DataHub field title_en
preferredTitle: UNESCO DataHub field title_fr
summary: UNESCO DataHub field description_en
type: UNESCO DataHub fields type_of_element_en and type_acronym
countries: UNESCO DataHub field countries, ISO codes resolved with ISO-3166 regional metadata
categories: ARED category inference from UNESCO concepts_primary_names, concepts_secondary_names and title
relationships: UNESCO concepts_primary_names, concepts_secondary_names, type fields and World Heritage links
sourceUrl: UNESCO DataHub field http_url_en
rights: UNESCO DataHub dataset metadata license and license_url

Original Source Metadata

uuidd9370f33-f6be-438d-8554-5a8e34f16d69

ich_public_ref2123

inscription_year2025

title_enTraditional knowledge and cultural contexts of making Maksym, a traditional Kyrgyz beverage

title_frLes connaissances traditionnelles et contextes culturels de la fabrication du maksym, une boisson traditionnelle kirghize

type_of_element_enRepresentative List

type_acronymRL

countriesKG

http_url_enhttps://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/02123

concepts_primary_namesFermented beverages

concepts_secondary_namesCommunity participation, Family, Food preparation, Nomads, Social inclusion, Vocational education

main_image_urlhttps://ich.unesco.org/img/photo/thumb/17656-LRG.jpg

main_image_caption_enMaksym, a Kyrgyz traditional beverage made of coarsely ground wheat, barely or corn. It is a calorie-rich and nutritious beverage beloved by people.

main_image_copyrightNational Commission of the Kyrgyz Republic, 2019

main_image_authorNot supplied

videos

images[object Object], [object Object], [object Object]

Why This Record Is Credible

This public record is connected to 1 source and has been labelled Source Supported. ARED separates evidence sources from cultural authority so users can see both provenance and review limits.

Cultural Access

Use this as public discovery metadata only. It does not replace community authority or local access protocols.

Relationships

Fermented beverages Community participation Family Food preparation Nomads Social inclusion Vocational education UNESCO representative list

Review and Corrections

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