National Cuisine

Kazakh Staple Meals

The food culture in Kazakhstan is one of the strongest indications of the people\'s nomadic roots. Nomads eat the food most readily available: shashlyk (kebab), laghman (noodles), manty (steamed stuffed dumplings) and plov (rice mixed with carrots and meat) made with dried apricots, raisins and prunes or Kazak apples which are famous throughout Central Asia.

The national dish is besbarmak, chunks of long-boiled beef, mutton or horse meat and onion, served in a huge platter atop flat squares of pasta. It is mostly served for the guests and eaten by hands (bes barmak-means five fingers). The bouillon broth from the meat is drunk separately. Don’t forget that eating by hands is pretty common in Central Asian countries unlike in Europe and the States.

When You Are a Guest

The sheep’s head is placed before the most honoured guests for them to serve. The esteemed guest (usually the oldest one) cuts bits and parts from the head and offers them to the other guests at the table. The secret of distribution of parts of the meat from the head lies in traditional wishes. When given, the palate, expresses the wish - "be wise and eloquent", the larynx - a gift to sing, skin of forehead- "be the first among equals". 

In the bazaars and restaurants you will come across kazy (smoked horsemeat sausage); kazy is served on special occasions sliced with cold noodles. Kuurdak is a fatty meat, offal and potato stew, cooked in a boiling pot for two to three hours.

Popular Drinks

Such drinks as kumys (fermented mare’s milk) and shubat (fermented camel’s milk) enjoy popularity with local people. Tea is also a Kazakh favorite. There is also a popular snack called baursaki, fried dough balls, not unlike heavy doughnuts.

The present-day Kazakh cuisine includes not only traditional Kazakh dishes but also dishes of the Uzbek, Russian,  Korean, and other cuisines.