Soured milk

Soured milk, sour milk, spontaneously soured milk, or naturally soured milk is the milk product fermented with indigenous microorganisms (chiefly mesophilic lactic acid bacteria), as opposed to cultured milk of which the production involves controlled fermentation with starter cultures. Lactic acid produced by the bacteria causes milk to coagulate and thicken, inhibiting the growth of harmful bacteria and improving the product's shelf life.

Examples include amasi from southern Africa, clabber from Ireland, aludttej from Hungary, Dickmilch (thick milk) and Herbstmilch (autumn milk) from Germany, gruševina from Yugoslavia, prostokvasha from Russia, laban rayeb from Egypt, maziwa lala from Kenya.