Mongolia, Mare’s Milk, and Motivation

Awhile ago I read a great book, Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World by  Jack Weatherford.  It was a fascinating account of the Mongolian empire that came about from recently rediscovered original documents that shed light on the life of Genghis Khan, mongolian culture, and the far reaching effects that the regime has had on the world.

Reading the book was partially inspired by my existing interest of nomadic cultures and horse archery.  I was fascinated by imagining their way of living which includes eating and drinking a good amount of food derived from fermented mare’s milk.  You can imagine why this would be a good source of food for a nomadic culture that rides horses on the steppes of Mongolia.

This fascination with culture led me to research milk fermentation.  I learned more about kefir and other types of fermented milk.  I learned that people of the caucasus mountains would hang leather bags of kefir outside of their tents so anyone who walks by could punch them.  This is done because periodic agitation is necessary during the fermentation process of kefir.

Googling how to make kefir, most links tell you to keep it in a jar and stir it periodically.  This seems way less fun to me so I bought a boda bag, filled it with milk and kefir grains, and hung it from the ceiling where I could combine production with the stress relief of having a punching bag.

A fascination with fermentation then spurred on a phase of experimentation with kefir, yogurt, kombucha, and beer.  Thus interest leads to interest; and an interest in archery can apparently lead to an interest in beer making.

What are some interests you have had that have led to unexpected other interests?  What are some benefits to encouraging this natural flow of curiosity?  What are some blocks to the flow of curiosity and motivation?

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