Cuisine
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Delicious Traditional Cuisine of Kyrgyzstan
Kyrgyzstan being the country of great historical significance, nomadic heritage, mountains and diversity of landscapes and people, has a wide range of traditional cuisines absorbed from about eighty cultural exchanges that took place between countries like China, Russia, India, Iran, Pakistan, etc. You are sure to find lovely food here to suit any person's appetite.
Kyrgyz food is usually meat-based and the cooking of the food is carried out without much use of spices. Dairy products also constitute a large part of the diet.
The eating etiquette of Kyrgyzstan includes the placement of a white cloth “dastorkhwon” over the eating area (may be a table or the floor). The meal is ended with a thanksgiving to God with a loud saying of, “omin”.
Food of Kyrgyzstan
Appetizers:
Appetizers of Kyrgyzstan begin with a special tea. Place on the dostorkhwon (table) are different sorts of bread and dairy products like: Boorsuk - conventional bread, Katama - deep-fried refined-starch bread, Lapeshki - round bread, Kaimuk- sour cream, dry fruits, dairy products like butter, and sugary edibles.
After tea, Kumys and other delicious appetizers are served like, Chuchuk (a special dish that includes cooked horse fat sausages) and a lot of baked, boiled fried and meat. Following the appetizers, the main course is served.
Special dishes:
Besh barmak (five-fingers)
It is the national dish of Kyrgyzstan. For readying, the meat of a horse or a sheep in usually boiled in a big cookware. This is presented as the meal's first course. Then the food is divided amongst the people. Every attending individual gets the piece of the broth according to their social position. The leftover broth is blended in with onion and noodles, and is then conventionally consumed from a sizable common bowl with hands (five fingers), however presently much often a spoon or fork is preferred. Kyrgyz citizenry prefer soupy food; the sort of food that is eaten in the form of pasta by Russians, Kyrgyz like it in the soupy-form.
Plov
The most special dish to serve the honored guests, after Besh barmak, is Plov. It is specifically served as a large hill of cooked rice with carrots, garlic and onions, served with sliced boiled meat cooked with spices.
Manty
Steamed pasta filled with onions and mutton.
Lagman
A Dungan meal of heavy homemade noodles in a fairly spicy flavor, with onions, cabbage and tomatoes
Shorpo
Soupy dish with vegetables like potatoes, served with mutton hunk.
Snacks :
Kuirook-boor
Pieces of sheep fat and liver, served together with spices.
Shashlik
smoked kebabs of mutton (or beef, chicken, liver, or various fishes), served with onions in vinegar.
Samsa:
Dough including onion, meat and lamb-tail fat baked in an especial clay-oven known as ‘tandyr’. Samsa is presented directly as it is out-dished from tandyr and is consumed with hands.
Drinks
Chai
A special Kyrgyz tea is heavily consumed in the region as it is the most popular refreshment and pre-meal appetizer too. Chai (tea) is brewed strong with boiled water added according to the person's preference.
Jarma
A cold drink for summer, made from dry wheat and water, with Salt added and boiled. It is a special ancient drink made from additional special ingredients. During the ancient period, to make the drinks more exciting, the nomads included sugar, honey, buckthorn, aconite roots, black tea, and barberry.
Chagyrmak
Vodka made of Kumys and other delicacies as Kyrgyz prefer vodka drinking. Their vodka is derived from the Russians and the expensive ones are really good. However, cheap ones are to be avoided as they run the risk of horrible hangovers.
Kumys
It is the national drink made up of mare's fermented milk. A horse's fresh milk is fermented in the stomach of a horse. This fermented milk is mixed with roasted local grass (chi) to prepare the drink.
Airan
A cold drink made from yogurt. It tastes like yogurt and beer and is sour.
Beers
Local beers are Nashe Pivo, Arpa and Karabalta. These are not-so-excellent but worth a try.
Cuisine