Dishes of Kyrgyz cuisine. Kyrgyz cuisine - “golden” recipes Kyrgyz sweets
Compared to other Asian countries, the cuisine of Kyrgyzstan is unlikely to be rich in seafood, since the country is landlocked and transporting such products is expensive.
Therefore, the traditional cuisine of Kyrgyzstan consists of meat, flour, dairy products and rice.
Of course, traditional Kyrgyz cuisine includes lamb and horse meat, but today in Bishkek you can find many dishes that use lamb for flavor.
In fact, Kyrgyz cuisine has long been influenced by different countries and cultures, resulting in the inclusion of Russian, Turkish, Asian, Georgian and Central Asian cuisines.
Here are some traditional dishes of Kyrgyzstan:
Palo
Perhaps it would be better to call this dish “pilaf”.
Palo is a rice dish with pieces of fried meat, carrots, garlic and onions, seasoned with herbs and chili peppers.
For lovers of fatty foods, rice with meat and vegetables is the best option. For vegetarians there is a special pilaf with dried fruits.
Lagman
There is no better dish in the cuisine of Kyrgyzstan than Lagman. Lagman is a dish of the Dungan people, whose roots lie in Western China.
To prepare Lagman, homemade noodles are used, and the broth in Lagman gives it some piquancy.
Forget about the soy sauce that is added to noodles in Chinese restaurants. Instead, a spicy, salty broth with meat, pepper, onions, carrots and herbs is added to Lagman.
It is very difficult to eat thick noodles, as they splash with broth as they fall. So be careful. It’s better not to wear a white shirt if you want to order Lagman.
Manti
Manti are dumplings. As a rule, they are slightly smaller than the palm of your hand. Manti are stuffed with meat (usually lamb), onions and potatoes. This is a fatty dish (fatty food tastes better, right?).
These dumplings are served with vinegar or ketchup, but it is better to try them with sour cream.
If you're trying them for the first time, be careful! The fat and juice inside the manti may be hot and splatter.
Shashlik
Shish kebab can bring good revenue to sellers. Sellers grill meat on skewers over coal smoke right on the street, allowing the smell to mesmerize all passers-by.
Usually shish kebab is made from fatty lamb, but making shashlik from chicken and beef is quite easy. Cooking such kebab is practiced in many restaurants and large cities.
Shish kebab is usually served with chopped onions or sliced cucumber.
Beshbarmak
Beshbarmak is not for everyone. If you like meat, you will like it.
Beshbarmak is made from horse meat or lamb, which is cooked in its own broth and fat. This broth is then served with the noodles. This dish is eaten with your hands.
Beshbarmak will be very tasty if you add spices to it. But this is a traditional dish, usually eaten only on special occasions such as birthdays or funerals. Also, according to tradition, a boiled lamb's head is served on the table in front of the guest of honor.
As mentioned earlier, if you are a meat lover, then this dish is for you.
Kyrgyz cuisine is very close to Kazakh cuisine and many dishes of these peoples repeat each other and often have the same name.
The national type of meat is horse meat, but now the Kyrgyz mainly eat lamb (pork is completely excluded). Some horse meat dishes are very popular. For example, chuk-chuk. It is prepared from chilled horse meat and roasted fat. Meat cut from the ribs and fat from the flank are cut into pieces 25 cm long, sprinkled with salt and pepper, garlic is added, mixed and left for a day. The processed intestines are turned inside out with the fatty part and filled (at the same time in two layers) with marinated meat and fat. The ends of the intestines are tied with twine, combined and cooked over low heat for about an hour. Then make several punctures and continue cooking for another 1.5 hours.
The famous beshbarmak (in Kyrgyz – “tuurageenet”) is prepared, unlike the Kazakh one, with a more concentrated sauce (chyk). In Northern Kyrgyzstan, dough is not added to beshbarmak, but instead a lot of onions and ayran (katyk) are added, and this dish is called “Naryn”. They prepare beshbarmak and naryn from freshly slaughtered sheep, and eat them following a certain ceremony. The dish is served with a piece of boiled liver with a fatty piece of meat with a bone and broth separately, in bowls. Bones with meat are distributed among the participants of the meal depending on age, respect and position. Very often, fat tail fat is added to all meat dishes and especially to minced meat. Kyrgyz people like to flavor their meat with ground red and black pepper and herbs.
Meat in combination with dough (hoshan, goskiyda, goshnan, manti, samsa) is as popular as dishes made from natural meat.
Kyrgyz cuisine is rich in soups. They are usually prepared very thick with a variety of fillings from meat, flour products, and vegetables. The peculiarity of Kyrgyz soups is that they first fry the base and then fill it with water.
The Kyrgyz have a wide range of flour products. On holidays and celebrations they are a table decoration. These are baursak, brushwood, turntables, kattama, chak-chak, etc. Flatbreads are prepared in various ways. Here is one of them, characteristic only of Kyrgyz cuisine - kemech nan. The technology for preparing this dish is as follows. Prepare ordinary yeast dough, then place it in a layer of medium thickness in a special oblong cauldron and bake at low heat. Kemech is also prepared in a different way. They make small butter cakes the size of a large coin, bake them in ash, put them in hot milk and flavor them with butter and suzma.
Flour dishes are often combined with dairy products - ayran, kumiss, homemade cheeses.
In recent years, the national Kyrgyz cuisine has consumed noticeably more potatoes and vegetables, various cereals, canned foods, and fruits.
The assortment of cold dishes and snacks has been replenished with new meat, fish, and vegetable dishes, while at the same time retaining the features inherent in them since ancient times. This is the abundant use of meat, offal, and spices. A particularly common appetizer is “byzhy” – blood sausage made from lamb lungs.
The Kyrgyz sweet table has its own characteristics and is as traditional as that of the Kazakhs. Here, sweets are served before and after meals, or rather, they are not removed from the table at all. In addition to fresh fruits, melons, grapes, berries, tea also accompanies the entire meal. The Kyrgyz drink this drink not only at lunch, but also in the morning, at noon, and after dinner. Tea is usually served with boursaks (sour dough balls fried in fat) or other flour products - gokai, sanza, yutaza, tanmosho, zhenmosho, kinkga. Kyrgyz people drink mostly green tea with milk, salt, pepper and flour fried in butter. The most common is atkanchay: tea leaves, milk, salt. Tea must be brewed in a porcelain teapot and served in bowls.
The Kyrgyz love a sweet hot drink - bal, made from honey with the addition of ground black pepper, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and bay leaves.
Recipes for Kyrgyz cuisine
1. Salad “Susamyr”
Cabbage, radish and dzhusai (parsley) are chopped into strips and marinated separately. Boiled potatoes are cut into cubes, combined with pickled vegetables, green peas are added and mixed. When serving, the salad is placed in a mound, seasoned with salad dressing and decorated with egg and herbs.
White cabbage 60, sugar 5, vinegar 3% 10, onions 40, canned green peas 20, potatoes 40, egg 1 pc., greens 5, radish 20, jusai (parsley) 10; for tomato dressing: vegetable oil 10, egg (yolk) 1, vinegar 3% 3, squash 50, sugar 2, spices, salt.
2. Naryn salad
The boiled meat is cut into strips, the onion into rings, the radish into strips and everything is mixed well. When serving, place in a mound and decorate with herbs.
Horse meat 100, onions 30, radishes 120, parsley 5, salt.
3. Chu-chuk (sausages)
Horse meat and horse fat are cut from the ribs and salted. The prepared intestines are cut into pieces 45 cm long and one end is tied with twine. Meat and fat are simultaneously placed in two layers into the intestine, and the ends of the resulting loaf are connected to form a round sausage. It is placed in cold water and boiled over low heat. After an hour, several punctures are made on it and cooked over low heat (1–1.5 hours). Then the sausage is removed and cooled. When serving, it is cut together with the shell.
Horse meat (fatty) 440, horse intestines 40, spices, salt.
4. Shorpo (soup)
Cut the lamb into portions (with bones), sprinkle with salt and pepper, put in a cauldron with fat and fry until golden brown, then add onions, cut into rings, and fresh tomatoes, pour in water, let boil for 5-10 minutes, add potatoes, cut into cubes, and boil until tender in a sealed container. When serving, sprinkle with herbs.
Lamb 170, potatoes 170, tomatoes 50, onions 20, lamb lard (raw) 30, pepper 0.5, herbs, salt.
5. Lagman in Kyrgyz (thick soup)
Noodles are prepared from unleavened dough and boiled in salted water. A sauce is prepared from meat and vegetables. The meat, cut into small pieces, is fried until a brown crust forms, add radish, onion, and pepper cut into small cubes and fry them together with the meat. Then add tomato puree, chopped garlic, pour in broth and cook until tender. When serving, the heated noodles are poured with sauce. You can add bell pepper to this sauce. Vinegar is served separately.
Beef 110, table margarine 15, wheat flour 100, onion 20, tomato puree 10, radish 80, garlic 5, soda 2, vinegar 3% 8, pepper 0.5, salt, herbs.
6. Kesme (Kyrgyz soup)
Lamb and fat tail fat are cut into cubes and fried until cooked with the addition of tomato. Onions, blanched radishes and jusai (parsley), cut into strips, are sautéed separately. Then add sautéed vegetables to the meat, add a little broth and simmer until done, then pour in the remaining broth and bring to a boil. Add noodles to boiling broth with meat and vegetables and cook for 3–5 minutes. Then add finely chopped garlic and season with spices. The soup is served in a kisa (bowl).
Lamb 110, tomato paste 5, radish 40, jusai 10, onion 20, fat tail lard 10, garlic 5, bones 100, flour 30, egg 1/4 pcs., salt, spices.
7. Batta (thick soup)
The sorted and washed rice is allowed to simmer. The sauce is prepared in the same way as for lagman (see description above). When serving, the rice is poured with sauce.
Meat 80, rice 100, radish 40, vegetable pepper 30, animal fat 10, tomato puree 15, onion 15, vinegar 3% 5, pepper 1, salt.
8. Beshbarmak in Kyrgyz
Lamb is boiled in large pieces in a small amount of water with the addition of salt and pepper, then cut into thin slices 0.5 cm wide and 5 cm long. Unleavened dough is thinly rolled out and cut into oblong rectangles, boiled in broth, combined with lamb and chopped onion rings and simmered in broth, add salt and pepper. The broth is served separately in cups (bowls).
Lamb 160, onion 30, ground red or black pepper 0.5, wheat flour 60, water for dough 20, salt.
9. Kulchetai (meat with broth)
Lamb (1.5–2 kg pieces) is boiled in water (3 liters of water per 1 kg of meat). The finished meat is cut into wide thin slices of 10–12 g each. Unleavened dough is rolled out as for noodles, cut into square pieces and boiled in broth. Onions, cut into rings, are boiled in a small amount of fatty broth with pepper. When serving, the noodles are mixed with onions and the meat is placed on it. The broth is served separately in bowls.
Lamb 120, wheat flour 80, onion 20, pepper 0.5, egg 1/2 pc.
10. Kattama (dough product)
Yeast is diluted in heated water, salt is added, a thick dough is kneaded and placed in a warm place to ferment for 3-4 hours. During the fermentation process, the dough is kneaded twice. The finished sour dough is cut into buns, rolled out as for noodles, chopped onions sauteed with butter are placed on it in an even layer, rolled up and folded 3-4 times in the form of a ball. Then it is rolled out again into a round cake 1 cm thick and fried in a frying pan in a small amount of oil. The broth is served separately.
Wheat flour 80, table margarine 15, onions 15, yeast 2, meat broth 150, salt.
11. Trout fried Issyk-Kul style
The processed fish is cut into portions, breaded in flour and fried. Blanched radish is fried along with onions. Separately, fry the bell pepper, shredded into strips, sauté the tomato and combine with radish and onion. When serving, the fish is garnished with green peas, squash, tomatoes and herbs.
Trout 150, flour 5, vegetable oil 20, onions 120, fresh tomatoes 80, radish 70, bell pepper 30, tomato puree 10, squash 50, green peas (passivated) 20, herbs 6, spices, salt.
12. Lamb stuffed with fat tail
The lamb is stuffed with pickled tail fat, garlic, dzhusai (parsley) and fried, then brought to readiness in the oven. Lamb is served with vegetables fried in fat tail fat and shredded into strips. Decorated with squash and greens.
Lamb 180, garlic 5, jusai 10, fat tail lard 20, vegetable oil 2; for garnish: fat tail lard 15, radish 70, onion 40, bell pepper 30, fresh tomatoes 20, tomato paste 10, eggplant 30, squash 50, spices, salt.
13. Cutlets “Ala-too”
The meat is prepared into minced meat with the addition of milk and yolks, then cut into circles, in the middle of which the white of a hard-boiled egg filled with green oil is placed, and zrazy is formed. The products are coated with leison, breaded and deep-fried. The zrazy is cooked until ready in the oven. When serving, sprinkle with herbs.
Lamb 170, milk 30, egg 1 pc., butter 20, herbs 3, flour 5, egg 1/2 pc., milk 5, bun 30, bun for crouton 20, melted butter for frying 15; for garnish: olives 20, green peas 40, greens 3, squash 50, oil for basting 10, French fries 50, spices, salt.
14. Susamyr (steak)
Beef tenderloin is cut across the grain, lightly beaten, trying to give each piece the shape of a flat cake. Fat tail or kidney lard is cut into small cubes, sprinkled with salt and ground black pepper. Prepared lard is placed on the meat flatbread, the edges are folded, and the product is given a round shape. The steaks are lightly dusted with flour and fried in melted butter.
Beef (tenderloin) 125, fat tail lard 20, flour 5, melted butter 10, pepper, salt.
15. Asip (sausage)
Lamb intestines are turned out, thoroughly processed and washed. Finely chop the liver, heart, lungs and lamb fat, add chopped onions, pepper, salt, raw rice and mix everything. The intestines are stuffed with this minced meat in such a way that about 150–200 g of water per serving can be poured into them, after which the intestines are tied. When boiling, the intestines are pierced with a needle.
Rice 80, liver, heart and lungs 140, lamb lard (raw) 30, onions 25, lamb intestines (thick) 0.5 m, pepper, salt.
16. Goshnan (pies)
The yeast dough is cut into round flatbreads, small pieces of raw young lamb meat are placed on them, mixed with onions and seasoned with pepper and salt, covered with another similar flatbread, the edges of the flatbread are joined and pinched. Fry in a frying pan in a small amount of fat. When serving, cut into several pieces. The broth is served separately.
Lamb 100, flour 120, vegetable oil 15, onion 30, ground red pepper 1, yeast 3, salt.
17. Hoshan (pies)
The flour is divided into two parts, yeast dough is kneaded from one, and unleavened dough from the other. When the sour dough is suitable, it is mixed with unleavened dough, divided into pieces of 40–50 g, rolled out, put in minced meat and pinched, gathering the edges of the dough towards the middle in the form of a knot, then fry on both sides in a deep frying pan with fat, then pour in add water to one third of the height of the hoshan, quickly cover with a lid and leave the hoshan in this position for 5 minutes. When serving, pour vinegar over it or serve it separately. Minced meat is prepared as follows: meat and lard are passed through a meat grinder or chopped, onions, salt, pepper and water are added (15% of the weight of the meat).
Lamb 100, fat tail lard 15, butter 15, onion 70, flour 120, soda 1, yeast 2, vinegar 3% 25, ground black pepper, salt.
18. Goshkiyda (pies)
Steep unleavened dough is kneaded in salted warm water, cut into pieces, which are rolled out into round flat cakes.
Prepare the minced meat: pass the meat through a meat grinder with a large grid (or chop it), mix with chopped onions, pepper, salt, adding a little water. The raw minced meat is placed in the middle of the flatbread, pinched, giving the whole product the shape of a ball. Baked in tandoor. After baking, the still hot products are brushed with melted table margarine on top.
Beef meat 130, wheat flour 100, onion 50, table margarine 4, ground black pepper, salt.
19. Gokai (dough product)
Soda mixed with flour is added to the finished sour dough, the dough is rolled out as for noodles, cut into strips 6-7 cm wide, pulled out and rolled into a tube, which is mixed again and rolled out into a flat cake, and fried in a frying pan in a small amount fat Served with tea.
Wheat flour 80, melted butter 10, soda 0.5, yeast 2, sugar 10.
20. Sanza
Unleavened dough with the addition of butter, eggs, soda and salt is cut into small round buns. Holes are made in the middle and greased with oil. After this, the edges are turned out and twisted until a thin ring of dough is obtained, which is rolled into a shape and fried in fat. Served with tea.
Flour 80, butter 5, vegetable oil or cottonseed oil for frying 15, soda 0.5, egg 1/2 pcs., salt.
21. Yutaza (dough product)
The finished sour dough is rubbed with flour, then rolled out, cut into strips, greased with oil and pulled out strongly, after which it is rolled into a tube and the ends are pressed down. The product is given a round shape, placed on cascans and steamed, like manti. Served with tea.
Wheat flour 80, cottonseed oil 15, yeast 2.
22. Samsa (dough product)
Unleavened dough and minced meat are prepared from raw meat chopped into pieces, chopped raw onions, and pepper is added. The pies are formed and baked in a tandoor.
Wheat flour 80, lamb 80, onion 50, melted lamb fat 3, red pepper 0.5, salt.
23. Kinkga (dough product)
Unleavened dough is kneaded with the addition of butter and baking soda, then rolled into a layer 4–5 mm thick, cut into various shapes and fried in hot fat (deep fat). Served with tea.
Wheat flour 80, butter 5, soda 1, vegetable lard or cottonseed oil 20.
24. Tak-mosho (turntables)
Tang moshuo is made from sour dough. On a table greased with vegetable oil, pinwheels are formed - intertwined ropes of dough. Fry in a large amount of vegetable oil. Hot pinwheels are served sprinkled with granulated sugar.
Majestic mountains, fertile green valleys, fast mountain rivers - this is what modern Kyrgyzstan looks like. Time passes, but the traditional way of life of local residents remains virtually unchanged. All the same white yurts, herds of wild horses and untouched pristine nature around. Just as the lifestyle of the Kyrgyz people does not change, their national cuisine remains just as original and original.
DISHES OF KYRGYZ CUISINE
Initially, it is worth noting that the formation of local culinary traditions was significantly influenced by the nomadic way of life of the Turks, as well as centuries-old neighborhood and interaction with other peoples. As a result, in terms of the composition and technology of preparing dishes, Kyrgyz cuisine is close to Kazakh and Uzbek cuisine. It is characterized primarily by the presence of a wide range of meat dishes. The Kyrgyz prefer lamb and horse meat, and actively use small poultry and game. A lot of herbs and spices are used to season food. Mint, thyme, sorrel and mountain onion perfectly reveal the taste of local dishes and fill them with an alluring aroma.
Along with meat foods, fermented milk products are also popular. Kumis, ayran, kaymak and byshtak are frequent guests on the festive table. Kyrgyz cuisine is unthinkable without flour delicacies. Fragrant flatbreads, lush pies, bread baked in tandoor ovens - these are some of the favorite treats in Kyrgyzstan. And, of course, the highlight is the oriental sweets. Halva, navat, sweet pastries - the taste of these dishes is difficult to compare with anything. Naturally, local cuisine stores many interesting recipes, but since it is simply impossible to list them all, it is worth highlighting the most popular and extraordinary dishes.
Snacks
Ideally, an appetizer is a light meal that is presented to guests before the main course is served. In Kyrgyz cuisine, on the contrary, it is quite filling and high in calories. It is characterized by the use of large quantities of meat, offal and vegetables. Seasoned with spices and herbs, fragrant with various aromas, it can amaze the most fastidious gourmets. One of the popular Kyrgyz snacks is byzhi - the oldest dish of Turkic hunters, which is a blood sausage made from sheep's lungs. It is served cold, cut into thin rings.
Among offal snacks, they are in great demand chook sausages. They are based on horse intestines stuffed with finely chopped meat. They undergo a long heat treatment process, which eliminates the unpleasant odor. They are boiled, then fried in hot oil, as a result of which the sausages acquire a golden brown color and a crispy crust. At first glance, the dish may not look very attractive, but its taste and spicy aroma immediately make you forget about what it was prepared from.
Since the Kyrgyz people love lamb, their table is not complete without asypa- These are aromatic sausages made from lamb offal. They are filled with liver, heart and boiled rice. All this is richly sprinkled with spices, herbs and onions. The national dish has an incredible taste that will be remembered for many years.
Among meat delicacies, it stands out especially Jergem. The appetizer looks simple, but has a magical taste. It is a boiled beef or lamb tongue. It is served cold, cut into thin slices and garnished with herbs and spices. Kyrgyz cuisine has several options for hot appetizers. These include susamyr - lamb liver baked in the oven with sour cream sauce. The signature dish of the Kyrgyz people is zashtyk - the stomach of a small bird baked with cheese and cream.
First meal
In Kyrgyz cuisine, as in any other national cuisine, the first courses are represented mainly by soups. The technology for their preparation consists of two stages, which ensures a thick consistency and increased fat content. They are characterized by the use of a wide range of basic ingredients. So, the composition necessarily includes lamb, milk, flour and different types of cereals. Vegetables used include potatoes, carrots, radishes, peppers, tomatoes and green onions. For a richer aroma, everything is seasoned with spices and herbs.
Depending on the characteristics of heat treatment of the main components, two types of Kyrgyz soups are distinguished - kainatma(with frying) and kuurma(without frying). The former are characterized by preliminary frying of vegetables and meat using fat tail or beef fat, followed by boiling them in a small amount of water. As a result, the dish turns out to be satisfying, rich and with a high content of fatty components. Soups without frying are lighter; they are prepared on the basis of meat broth or milk. Often, in addition to vegetables, a lot of fruits are added here, as well as ayran or kumiss. Kuurma has a delicate taste and pleasant fruity aroma.
The most popular first course in Kyrgyz cuisine is considered shorpo- a rich filling soup based on lamb broth with the addition of potatoes, fresh tomatoes and green onions. It is prepared exclusively from fresh meat, always seasoned with spices and a lot of herbs are added, in particular parsley, cilantro, basil and cumin. The food is served only hot, along with flatbread or pita bread.
Depending on the set of main ingredients, there are several varieties of shorpo. Ak-shorpo And Shorpo-Arashan classified as dietary dishes. They are prepared on the basis of meat broth, but a little sour cream or suzma is added. Ayran is often used as a dressing here. Paprika, ground pepper and aromatic oriental spices add piquancy.
Popular in autumn in Kyrgyzstan ermen-shorpo. The meat of a young goat and its entrails are used for it. According to ancient traditions, before slaughter, the animal is grazed for several days in fields where wormwood grows, and then fed with ordinary grass for a couple of days. This technology makes it possible to make the meat as healthy as possible, and the soup itself, with a slight bitter taste, according to local residents, has healing properties. Ermen-shorpo truly has a unique taste. Many additional herbs such as mint, thyme, herbs and spices give it a special aroma. The food is eaten warm, and the meat is usually served separately from the broth.
In the spring-summer period, the favorite dish of the Kyrgyz people is green shorpo. In addition to lamb, the composition here includes paprika, potatoes and carrots. The broth is seasoned with many spices; herbs are always added, mainly sorrel, parsley, dill and coriander. In addition to the above options, in Kyrgyz cuisine you can find shorpo with fish, meatballs, small poultry meat (chicken and goose), tomatoes, walnuts, chickpeas, radishes and cabbage. There are incredibly many options for preparing it - each individual region of the country has its own recipes. 
Besides shorpo, another pearl of Asian cuisine is kesme- vegetable noodle soup prepared with fresh lamb broth. It is characterized by a thick consistency and rich orange color, which is achieved through the use of large amounts of fat and homemade noodles. Thanks to the many spices, the soup turns out to be moderately salty, but quite spicy.
Among cereal soups it is often found mung cordo. Prepared on the basis of lamb, or less often beef broth, with the addition of rice, as well as finely chopped vegetables, it turns out to be quite thick. Oriental spices give it a pleasant, even refined aroma. This dish is served in small clay bowls, brightly decorated with herbs.
Mash Cordo may well compete umach ash, which has Tatar roots, and when translated literally means “stir soup.” Its main components are small crumbs formed by grinding flour lightly moistened with salt water. They are boiled in fresh water, adding sautéed onions and tomatoes. For a richer aroma, add a lot of spices and a few crushed cloves of garlic. It is served hot along with finely chopped herbs.
First courses include batta- an ancient Kyrgyz dish, which is a thick soup of rice and lamb. Its peculiarity lies in the separate preparation of the cereal and meat parts. Lamb meat along with vegetables (onions and radishes) are pre-fried, rice is boiled separately. When serving, the cereal part is sprinkled with stewed meat and poured with a sauce similar to that prepared for lagman. As a result, the dish turns out to be satisfying and high-calorie.
There are also many varieties of milk soups in the cuisine of Kyrgyzstan. They are not only tasty, but also extremely healthy. Such dishes are rich in vitamins and minerals and are easily absorbed by the body, so they are often classified as dietary dishes. A simple version of such research is shurugan- light milk soup with green onions. It is served to the table along with unleavened flatbread. No less popular is syut boorsok - a sweet broth with noodles. It is prepared on the basis of whole milk with the addition of pieces of dough; when served, it is seasoned with fresh cream and honey (sometimes replaced with sugar).
A tasty, sweet dish is umach sut ash, or milk butter. It is prepared according to the same principle as umach ash. Pre-made flour tortillas are boiled in boiling milk and finally seasoned with melted butter. This dish is easy to prepare, but incredibly tasty.
Soups with milk dressing are also in demand among the Kyrgyz people. For their preparation, various types of cereals (rice, millet, sorghum), pasta and fresh whole milk are used. The most revered variants of such culinary execution include capturme- thick soup made from millet porridge. It is characterized by a soft consistency and delicate taste, which is achieved through the use of honey and cream. From talkan (cereals based on grains of wheat, oats, barley and corn), the Kyrgyz prepare kymyran ash and kuruttap - types of unleavened milk stew.
Talkan also serves as the basis for jarma soup. Depending on the cereal base used, several varieties are distinguished in Kyrgyzstan: Arpa Zharma(from barley talkan), Tobuya(from chickpeas), atala(from corn). To prepare it, in addition to cereals, fresh milk or ayran is used. The food is served both cold and hot. And on hot summer days it is used as a refreshing drink.
Ubay- another original dish of Kyrgyz national cuisine. To prepare it, they use kurut - dry curd balls. Boiled in boiling milk, mashed kurut has a pleasant aroma and goes well with salty flatbreads. Ubay is a universal soup, it can be consumed both cold and hot, the taste in this case does not change at all.
Second courses
The range of hot second courses in Kyrgyz cuisine is quite rich. For their preparation, they mainly use horse meat and lamb, small poultry meat and all kinds of offal. Can't do without vegetables, fresh and dried fruits. A variety of spices and spices highlight and complement the taste of key ingredients. When preparing, special attention is paid to heat treatment of products. By combining its different options - boiling, frying and stewing, the masters manage to end up with juicy, tender and aromatic dishes. 
The most revered among the Kyrgyz is called beshbarmak. Nourishing, aromatic, tender lamb meat combined with thin homemade noodles and spicy sauce - this dish is undoubtedly a worthy decoration for any table. In Kyrgyzstan, it is always prepared for holidays or as a treat for dear guests. According to local traditions, food preparation is carried out exclusively by men. The process of preparing the noodles and sauce is entrusted to women. For beshbarmak, mainly young lamb meat is used, and offal - liver, lungs and stomach - are often added. The noodles and finely chopped meat are seasoned with onion and black pepper sauce, as well as a number of spices, which significantly improves the taste.
To prepare beshbarmak, not only lamb is used, but also other types of meat. The Kyrgyz especially love this dish made from horse meat, because it is quite easily digestible and crumbles well. In the north of Kyrgyzstan, they prefer the option of camel meat and wild animals - deer, roe deer, ibex. In some regions, part of the horse's rectum and some belly fat are added to the base during the cooking process. The latest culinary invention of the Kyrgyz people was the vegetable beshbarmak. Young lamb meat combined with stewed vegetables and thin noodles looks quite good. And although this option does not occur too often, such a recipe has a right to exist.
The second most important national dish of the Kyrgyz people is pilaf. Just like in other Asian countries, Kyrgyzstan has developed its own technology for its preparation. The main ingredients are lamb meat, vegetables and durum rice. To improve the taste, tomatoes, paprika and garlic are often added here. Of course, you can’t do without spices and herbs. Each region has different options for preparing pilaf. Ayim paloo is popular in the south. For it, in addition to lamb, offal and fat tail fat are used. And to give it a rich aroma, add a few slices of fresh quince and a sprig of barberry.
Often found in central regions pilaf in Uzgen. Its main difference from this is the use of durum rice varieties. After a long heat treatment, Uzgen rice does not boil over, making the food tender and crumbly. For the filling, stewed vegetables and lamb brisket (kirsen), previously fried over a fire, are used. It is also customary to add a little quince and a couple of cloves of young garlic to the dish, which gives the rice a special aroma. In general, in the national Kyrgyz cuisine there are about 20 options for preparing pilaf. The most popular types are with mung bean, noodles, chuchuk and kuurdak, raisins and dried apricots. The meat of quail, pheasant, partridge and snowcock is especially appreciated.
Second courses include shavlya- rice porridge, slightly reminiscent of pilaf. It is prepared on the basis of lamb or beef broth. There are two cooking options - with frying and without frying. The second is used as a side dish for beshbarmak. But as soon as you add a few spices, stewed vegetables and herbs, ordinary porridge immediately turns into an appetizing independent dish, without which not a single holiday would be complete.
The classic culinary delights of Kyrgyzstan include Oromo- one of the variants of Central Asian dolma. It is chopped minced meat wrapped in cabbage or grape leaves. Horse sorrel leaves or the greasy lining of the lamb's stomach are also used as a base for it. The filling includes minced lamb, boiled rice, spices and herbs. For a richer taste, add a little paprika, hot pepper and allspice. Among the residents of the Issyk-Kul Basin, a variant with fish filling is common, the basis for which is mainly trout fillet. Oromo is served hot, topped with a small amount of meat broth and fresh sour cream.
Among meat dishes, a place of honor occupies tash cordo- an ancient dish of Kyrgyz hunters. The technology for its preparation was formed a long time ago and has not changed much since then. The basis here is the lamb carcass. It is cut and marinated with mountain onions, garlic and other spices. The meat is fried in a specific way. To do this, dig a deep (up to 1.5 m) hole, which is lined with stones from the inside. A fire is made in it. When it burns out and a sufficient amount of coals is formed, the lamb carcass, suspended on a spit, is lowered into a recess, which is tightly covered with branches and animal skin. As a result of simmering on hot coals, the meat is well baked, becomes very juicy and simply melts in your mouth.
Kyrgyz cuisine is simply unthinkable without aromatic kebab(kebep). All types of meat are used for it, except horse meat. Often they even use sturgeon, stellate sturgeon and trout fillets. Often the dish is prepared from lamb or offal - liver, lungs, heart. Pre-marinated meat is fried on the grill, then additionally baked in the tandoor. Kebep cooked on hot stones or coals is especially popular. As a result, the meat turns out very tender and aromatic. It is served along with garlic flatbreads.
Light dairy dishes are popular in Kyrgyz cuisine. These include width-curly, which literally means “sweet rice.” It is prepared on the basis of milk and durum rice. In some versions, chick peas, raisins, dried apricots or mung bean are added.
Flour products
Dough dishes occupy a significant place in the traditional cuisine of the Kyrgyz people. The range of flour dishes here is very diverse. Flatbreads, bread products, pinwheels, brushwood, chak-chak and kattama are just a small part of what can be found on the Kyrgyz table. Dishes are prepared from wheat, less often corn grits. They are baked in tandoors or on special flat round cast iron baking sheets (kemechtan). The most famous flour products include manti, samsa and chuchvara. 
Manti- flatbreads made from thinly rolled, unleavened dough, stuffed with chopped minced meat, a traditional dish of Asian peoples. They have an oval, triangular or square shape. For the filling, young lamb meat is used, seasoned with spices and herbs. Sometimes a little pumpkin and potatoes are added there. Manti are cooked mainly by steaming in special pans - caskans. Sometimes they are fried in oil or boiled in water. The dish is served hot, garnished with finely chopped herbs and spicy tomato sauce.
Peculiar "relatives" of manta rays are Khoshani- flour tortillas with chopped minced meat. Unlike the first ones, they are not steamed, but fried in oil. The dough for them is very juicy and crumbly. The khoshans themselves have a light golden crust. Meat flatbreads are quite spicy in taste and are served together with kumis or table vinegar.
Considered the pearl of Kyrgyz cuisine samsa- delicious, satisfying and very cute pies made from unleavened puff pastry with a variety of fillings. They are filled with lamb or beef, vegetables and legumes. Spices, a lot of herbs, paprika and onions are definitely added here. Samsa is mainly triangular in shape, baked in tandoor ovens, and served with pickled onions.
Among products made from unleavened dough, it is in great demand chuchvara. In appearance, it resembles ordinary dumplings. It is made from thinly rolled dough, which is folded into envelopes and filled with chopped ground beef. The dish is always served with tomato broth, so it is more like a first course. Its taste is complemented by a spicy sauce based on tomatoes, red pepper and paprika. Ayran and table vinegar are served as seasonings for Kyrgyz dumplings.
Baking made from yeast dough is popular in the cuisine of Kyrgyzstan. An ancient ritual dish of the Kyrgyz people is boorsok- fluffy round flatbreads made from sponge dough, deep fried. They have a soft, porous structure and a barely noticeable sweetish taste. After frying in hot oil, they acquire a golden, crispy crust. They are served with tea, sprinkled with powdered sugar on top.
One of the varieties of boorsok is kattama- round puff pastries stuffed with sautéed, finely chopped onions and herbs. They are evenly deep-fried on both sides until golden brown and served as an addition to meat broths.
Sweet pastries
According to Eastern traditions, sweets are an integral part of any feast. Various delicacies are usually served both before and after a meal, and in most cases they are not removed from the table at all. The range of confectionery products in Kyrgyz cuisine is quite diverse and rich; the most popular include halva, nishalda, chekme, navad and parvarda, although the list does not end there.
Halva- an ancient oriental dessert with Iranian roots. The first mention of it dates back to the 5th century BC. To prepare it, molasses, honey and sunflower seeds are used. In the Kyrgyz version, sesame seeds, almonds, pistachios, apricot kernels and walnuts are also added.
Ancient Kyrgyz delicacies include chekme, which is slightly reminiscent of American popcorn. Previously, these sweets were always given to wrestlers on the eve of important competitions, because it was believed that they were nutritious and gave strength and energy to athletes. A dish is prepared from corn grains, frying them in hot oil. Raisins and walnuts are often added to it. Serve with ayran or kumis, sprinkling sugar or powdered sugar on top.
An analogue of chekma in Kyrgyzstan is badirak- corn or wheat grains fried in hot vegetable oil. They are fried until small flakes form, then sprinkled with sugar and served. The dessert looks simple, but has a good taste, which is noted by numerous tourists. 
Exquisite oriental desserts include nishalda. It is prepared on the basis of egg white with the addition of sugar syrup and licorice root. For a richer taste, add cognac and a little lemon juice. As a result, the delicacy turns out to be very tender, light and aromatic.
An ancient Kyrgyz treat is bal kaymak. In structure and color it resembles condensed milk. A minimum of ingredients are used to prepare it. A little cream, sugar, flour - and from the hands of true housewives a real culinary masterpiece is born. Sugar is sometimes replaced with navat or honey. In some regions, fruit bal kaymak with dried apricots, raisins and wild berries is often found.
Particularly popular among the Kyrgyz are sweets such as zhansak And Balmanyz. They have healing properties, help restore strength and increase the body's protective functions. The first one is made from a honey-nut mixture; after cooling, it resembles regular candy. Balmanyz is the Kyrgyz version of kozinaki. Prepared only from natural products (walnuts and honey), this dessert is in great demand among both adults and children.
Baking represents a separate category of sweets. Popular among confectionery products sanza And kinkga- sweet flatbreads made from unleavened dough, deep fried. They have a golden brown, crispy crust and are served with tea. Analogues of sanza are yutaza and zhenmomo - steamed flatbreads made from yeast dough. Outwardly, they resemble manta rays. Served with tea or fermented milk drinks.
Puff pastry pies are popular in Kyrgyz cuisine - Bayanshi's tone And mayandi donmeme. They are baked in tandoors or deep-fried. Raisins, fruits or jam are used as filling. Among the variety of Kyrgyz treats, ton mosho stands out noticeably - small fluffy flatbreads in the form of pinwheels made from yeast dough. Like boorsok, they are fried in hot oil, which gives them a light golden crust. Tone mosho have a sweetish-salty flavor and go well with hot tea.
Beverages
In Kyrgyzstan, drinks made from talkan and based on fermented milk products are popular. The first group includes maksym, achym and bozo. All of them are ancient soft drinks based on sourdough, malt and wheat or corn talcan. Kumys, Suzma or beer are used as a starter. These drinks perfectly quench thirst, have healing properties, in particular, they can normalize blood pressure and increase hemoglobin. They taste harsh and resemble kvass. 
Among drinks with fermented milk base there are: ak serke, zharma, karaden, aladen, ezgen kurut and ezgen suzme. The technology for their preparation is to dilute suzma or ayran in broth with the addition of a small amount of warm boiled water. Drinking this improves digestion, so it is served after eating fatty foods. Also popular in Kyrgyz cuisine sherbet- a type of soft drink. The basis for it is fruit juice and ice cream, and for a more original taste, dogwood, rose hips, rose and a number of aromatic spices are added.
Among hot drinks it ranks first tea. In the East they believe that it has healing properties, so they always treat it to dear guests. To prevent tea from losing its taste, it is brewed only in porcelain teapots and infused for no more than 5-7 minutes. Over the years, Kyrgyzstan has developed its own tea drinking traditions. In the north of the country, preference is given to black varieties. For a more intense aroma, a number of spices are added here (cloves, cardamom, black pepper), as well as cream and milk. In summer, tea with kurut and suzma is popular.
More popular in the southern regions green tea. It is very strong, characterized by a light, bitter aftertaste. It is usually served as a refreshing drink. Meme tea represents a separate category. Prepared on the basis of mountain herbs, with the addition of aromatic berries and fruits, it is mainly used for medicinal purposes, because it is an excellent remedy for colds.
Kyrgyz cuisine really has a lot in common with the culinary traditions of other peoples. However, local chefs were able to diversify the range of dishes and introduce something new, giving them special national features!
The cuisine of Kyrgyzstan still retains its national identity. Of course, food has become much more varied, and many new products have appeared in the Kyrgyz diet: eggs, poultry, sweets, sugar, honey, fruits, potatoes, etc., but many dishes are still prepared in the same way as hundreds of years ago .
Basically, Kyrgyz cuisine is characterized by flour, dairy and meat dishes. Among the meats, the Kyrgyz prefer poultry, beef, lamb, horse meat and meat of wild horned animals. The meat is usually boiled.
The favorite dish of the Kyrgyz people is beshbarmak. It consists of young lamb meat cut into small pieces and boiled, poured with broth and mixed with rectangular noodles. Also quite popular dish kulchetai- boiled large pieces of lamb, cut into thin wide slices, served with thin square pieces of boiled dough. A special meat delicacy from the Kyrgyz cuisine - chuk-chuk, a fat-filled sausage made from horse meat. Also, Kyrgyz cuisine is characterized by dishes in which meat is combined with dough - Gashnan pies, potty and known to many Russians samosa
Recently, other meat dishes that the Kyrgyz borrowed from other peoples have become increasingly widespread:
- Shurpa– meat soup with onions and potatoes;
- Zharkop– potatoes fried with meat;
- Chuchbara– steamed dumplings;
- Lagman;
- And many other dishes.
When preparing dishes, Kyrgyz people often use vegetables: carrots, cabbage, cucumbers, tomatoes and, of course, onions. In the southern part of the country, pumpkin is popular - it is eaten with meat, added to dumplings and soup, and also prepared from it in independent dishes.
In Kyrgyzstan, many dishes are prepared from milk. Among them is sour cheese kurut, which is eaten dry or diluted with warm water, cottage cheese, unleavened cheese pishlak and boiled cream kaymak.
Flour products occupy a fairly large place in the national cuisine of Kyrgyzstan:
- Choymo tokoch– cookies similar to our “brushwood”;
- Zhupka– puff pastries that are eaten with cottage cheese and butter, dipped in hot milk;
- Kattama– puff pastries with cream;
- Pancakes;
- Flatbread, fried in oil;
- Boorsoki- pieces of rolled out dough, deeply fried in oil.
Beverages
The most popular soft drink among the Kyrgyz people is tea. In the summer they mostly drink coc tea- green tea. In some areas, lightly salted fresh milk is added to tea. Kyrgyzstan has its own special type of tea - atkanchay, cooked with salt, sour cream, butter and milk.
The national drink of Kyrgyzstan is koumiss. It is made from horse milk, which is taken from a mare at a certain time. Koumiss is low-alcohol, it perfectly quenches thirst and has certain medicinal properties. Quite popular ayran – slightly diluted fermented cow's milk, which is similar to liquid yogurt.
In addition to the usual alcoholic drinks for us, produced both in the country and abroad, Kyrgyzstan has its own alcoholic drinks - similar to beer made from millet and barley "bozo" and "dzarma".
Kyrgyz cuisine is related to Kazakh cuisine and has inherited many features of the common nomadic past of both peoples. Most dishes of Kyrgyz and Kazakh cuisine are completely identical to each other and are very similar or even the same in name. Characteristic features are the widespread use of rice and spices, and almost exclusively boiled rather than fried meat is consumed; local cooks have special respect for horse meat (previously it was the most popular type of meat in the local diet), all kinds of dough dishes, fermented milk products and thick porridge-like soups, vegetables, primarily radishes, turnips and legumes. Recently, horse meat has been replaced by beef and lamb, many borrowed recipes have appeared, but the Kyrgyz still prefer their ancient recipes.
National food
Lamb came here, it is believed, along with Chinese expansion. Today it can be found in traditional kebabs, pilaf (paloo), manti (large dumplings), numerous soups and broths, as well as dozens of types of boiled meat. It is worth trying the meat broth "shorpo" with potatoes, onions and herbs, "kuurma-shorpo" - a thick soup made from pre-fried meat and vegetables, "tuurama-shorpo" - a broth with meatballs and legumes, the traditional "tuurageen-et" - beshbarmak (thick broth with noodles and finely chopped lamb, broth and meat with noodles served separately), “naryn” - beshbarmak with ayran and onions instead of noodles, “lagman” - noodles and vegetables with a gravy of finely chopped and fried pieces of meat, “batta” " - rice with the same gravy as for langman, a dish of boiled liver and lard "kuyruk-boor" with herbs and vegetables, "goshkida" - flatbreads baked in a tandoor with meat and spices, "kulchetai" - boiled lamb with herbs , served on a kind of noodles in the form of large squares, rolls of stewed lamb "kabyrga", lamb sausages "asip", horse meat sausage "chuchuk", a complex puff dish "ashlyamfu" made from omelette, jellied meat, noodles and herbs, boiled horse offal " karta" and "karyn", rice with meat gravy and herbs - "gyanfan", large dumplings "hoshan" and "boman-boza" (differ from manti in the large amount of fat in the minced meat), "goshan" - peculiar small chebureks, and all kinds types of boiled meat with various side dishes, herbs and sauces. Meat is served with rice, noodles, meat-based sauces, flatbreads are a must, and, which is very important for food so rich in fat, greens and vegetables.
Throughout the year, "bozo" (a yeast mixture from fermented millet), oatmeal from a mixture of millet and barley, all kinds of porridge-like soups from grains and ayran - "zharma" (from barley) or "kezhe" (from millet), as well as " kurut" (cottage cheese made from salted milk) and complex fried flatbreads "kattama". In addition, the Kyrgyz make excellent salads, which often serve as independent dishes. But, unlike its neighbors in the region, only residents of the highlands love and know how to make cheese here.
There is a special attitude towards dough products in local cuisine - there are literally hundreds of types of them, and even widespread dishes are prepared in their own way in each region. There are always Uzbek flatbreads on the table, which, despite their apparent simplicity, are quite complex dishes. Local bread "nan" is baked in a tandoor ("tandoor-nan"), either over an open fire in ordinary frying pans ("komoch-nan"), baked over coals ("kyomech") or fried in oil ("boorsok"). All kinds of dough products are also good - a huge number of types of "samsa" (pies with various fillings), figured buns "sanza", puff pastries "gokai", "yutaza" or "zhenmomo" - a specially prepared and boiled dough, "halwaitar" ( a kind of jelly made from flour and sugar), pretzels fried in oil “tan-mosho”, deep-fried dough figures “kinga” and many other, no less original dishes.
Famous oriental sweets, such as halva, chak-chak, pashmak, baklava and sherbet, are complemented here with sweet balls “kandolat”, a sweet mass of eggs and sugar “kuyma-kant”, very sweet products made from sugar and sesame seeds “sesame-kant”, baked apples with sugar and shirin-alma jelly and all kinds of baked and candied fruits.
Beverages
Kymyz (kumys) is the national drink of Kyrgyzstan. It is made in a special way only from horse milk taken during a certain period. This low-alcohol drink not only perfectly quenches thirst, but also has medicinal properties. Also widely used is ayran ("chalap" or "shalap") - somewhat diluted and fermented cow's milk, reminiscent of liquid yogurt (often prepared with mineral water, sugar and salt).
Most Kyrgyz people prefer green “brick” tea. It is often prepared with milk, salt, pepper and flour fried in oil (“kuurma-chai”), or milk, butter, salt and sour cream are added to obtain “atkan-chai” and “shir-chai” (with ayran). In Southern Kyrgyzstan they prefer green long tea, and in the north, around the capital, black tea of a completely European look is in great demand.
As for alcoholic drinks, locals prefer “dzarma” and “bozo” - beer-like drinks made from barley and millet. Beer, vodka and brandy, both local and imported, are readily available in restaurants and shops.
