ICAR AICE-JRF/SRF Traditional & Indigenous Dairy Products of the World: practice questions

1 · Khoa and khoa-based sweets: peda, burfi, kalakand, gulab jamun · medium

100 kg of buffalo milk (6.5% fat, 9.5% SNF) is made into khoa of 30% moisture, with all solids retained. What mass of khoa is obtained?

1. 22.9 kg
2. 16.0 kg
3. 20.8 kg
4. 53.3 kg

2 · Dulce de leche and cajeta · hard

Milk for dulce de leche (100 kg) has an acidity of 0.16% lactic acid, to be lowered to 0.12% with sodium bicarbonate (84 g neutralises 90 g lactic acid). How much bicarbonate is needed?

1. 37.3 g
2. 373 g
3. 42.9 g
4. 40.0 g

3 · Classification of traditional dairy products · hard

Why were most traditional dairy products developed?

1. To make milk suitable for factory cheese plants with rennet
2. To increase milk volume for sale using water and starch additions
3. To preserve milk unrefrigerated by heat, acid, salt, sugar or drying
4. To remove milk fat for sale as cream before using the skim

4 · Khoa and khoa-based sweets: peda, burfi, kalakand, gulab jamun · medium

Oily appearance on overcooked khoa is caused by:

1. Free fat from damaged globules
2. Lactose melting into a syrup on the surface
3. Whey protein dissolving into the fat phase
4. Ghee added to the khoa during cooking

5 · Chhana and chhana-based sweets: rasogolla, sandesh · medium

Chhana is commonly coagulated at about what pH?

1. About 5.4
2. About 7.0
3. About 4.0
4. About 6.6

6 · Chhana and chhana-based sweets: rasogolla, sandesh · hard

What happens to chhana texture if the coagulation temperature is raised well above 80 °C?

1. The curd dissolves back into the whey
2. A harder, coarser, drier curd
3. No curd forms at all at high temperature
4. The curd becomes softer, smoother and moister

7 · Rabri, basundi and khurchan · hard

Skin formation on simmering milk in rabri making is caused by:

1. Protein and fat aggregating at the hot, drying surface
2. Bacteria growing in a film on the warm milk
3. Lactose crystallising on the surface as it cools down
4. Calcium phosphate precipitating as a mineral film

8 · Dulce de leche and cajeta · easy

Why is sodium bicarbonate added to milk for dulce de leche?

1. To prevent coagulation and promote Maillard browning
2. To crystallise lactose into fine crystals
3. To preserve it instead of concentration
4. To sweeten the product in place of part of the sucrose

9 · African fermented milks: amasi, nunu, suusac · hard

Why is spontaneous fermentation of raw milk in traditional containers not a reliable safety step?

1. Fermentation always raises the pH and feeds pathogens
2. pH falls unevenly and pathogens or toxins persist
3. Lactic bacteria themselves may be pathogenic
4. Containers sterilise the milk completely

10 · Shelf-life extension of traditional products · hard

Why are preservatives such as sorbates not a universal answer for traditional sweets?

1. They react with sugar to form toxic compounds
2. They can stop Maillard browning, which consumers dislike
3. They raise water activity and speed spoilage
4. Their use is legal only for certain products and levels