Overview

• The findings, published in the Cell Press journal iScience, show ant-derived bacteria, acids, and enzymes can coagulate proteins and sour milk.
• Researchers replicated the tradition in a Bulgarian village by placing whole ants into warm milk and incubating the jar in an ant mound overnight.
• Analyses identified lactic and acetic acid bacteria along with formic acid as key drivers of the yogurt-like coagulation.
• Live insects proved more effective than frozen or dehydrated specimens, but the team warned that ants may harbor parasites and advised against home attempts.
• Copenhagen’s two-star Alchemist restaurant translated the research into dishes such as yogurt ice-cream sandwiches, mascarpone-style cheeses, and milk-washed cocktails.