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[[File:Horsemeat platter.jpg|thumb|right|A platter of [[horse meat]] served traditionally as an appetizer]]
[[File:Almaty - Kazakhstan.jpg|thumb|Preparation of a meal in Kazakhstan]]
[[File:Kasachischer Kurt.jpg|thumb|[[Qurt|Kurt]]]]
[[File:Kazakh quwyrdaq.jpg|thumb|[[Kuurdak|Quwyrdaq]]]]
[[File:Kazakstan cusine Besjbarmak.jpg|thumb|[[Besbarmak|Besjbarmak]]]]
[[File:ShelpekKZ2.JPG|thumb|[[Shelpek]]]]

'''Kazakh cuisine''' is the cuisine of [[Kazakhstan]], and traditionally is focused on [[mutton]] and [[horse meat]], as well as various [[Dairy products|milk products]]. For hundreds of years, [[Kazakhs]] were herders who raised fat-tailed sheep, Bactrian camels, and horses, relying on these animals for transportation, clothing, and food.<ref>"Kazakhstan," Food in Every Country, accessed April 18, 2011,
http://www.foodbycountry.com/Kazakhstan-to-South-Africa/Kazakhstan.html.</ref> The cooking techniques and major ingredients have been strongly influenced by the nation's [[Nomad|nomadic]] way of life. For example, most cooking techniques are aimed at long-term [[Food preservation|preservation of food]]. There is a large practice of salting and drying meat so that it will last, and there is a preference for [[sour milk]], as it is easier to save in a nomadic lifestyle.<ref>"Kazakhstan food and national meals," About Kazakhstan, accessed April
18, 2011, http://aboutkazakhstan.com/about-kazakhstan-food.</ref>

[[Meat]] in various forms has always been the primary ingredient of Kazakh cuisine, and traditional Kazakh cooking is based on boiling. Horse and mutton are the most popular forms of meat and are most often served in large uncut pieces, which have been boiled. Kazakhs cared especially for horses which they intended to slaughter—keeping them separate from other animals and feeding them so much that they often became so fat they had difficulty moving.<ref>"National Dishes and Meals," Oriental Express Central Asia, accessed May 3, 2011, http://www.kazakhstan.orexca.com/kazakhstan_culture6.shtml.</ref>

==Common and traditional dishes==
[[File:Манты.jpg|thumb|240px|[[Manti (dumpling)|Manti]]]]
[[File:Plov122.jpg|thumb|right|[[Pilaf]] (''palaw'') being prepared in a ''[[Kazan (cookware)|kazan]]''.]]
[[File:Beschbarmak.jpg|right|thumb|240px|[[Besbarmak]], Kazakhstan's most popular dish.]]
[[File:Pitir nan.JPG|thumb|[[Tandyr nan]]]]
[[File:Tokach nan.JPG|thumb|[[Tohax|Tokash]]]]
The base of Kazakh cuisine is {{lang-kk|төрт түлiк мал}} (''tort tulik mal'') - four kinds of cattle (i.e. four kinds of meat): horses, [[Bactrian camel|camels]], cows, and sheep. [[Horse meat]] is the main festive meat, while sheep's meat is used as common meat. [[Camel meat]] is also a kind of festive meat, but not the main (as camels in Kazakhstan are not as common as horses). Cow's meat is also a kind of common meat.

''[[Besbarmak]]'', a dish consisting of boiled horse or [[mutton]] meat, is the most popular Kazakh dish. It is also called "five fingers" because of the way it is eaten. The chunks of boiled meat are cut and served by the host in order of the guests’ importance. Besbarmak is usually eaten with a boiled [[pasta]] sheet, and a meat broth called ''[[sorpa]]'', and is traditionally served in Kazakh bowls called ''[[kese]]''. ''[[Kuurdak|Quwyrdaq]]'' is another Kazakh's national dish.

Other popular meat dishes are ''[[kazy]]'' (which is a horse meat sausage that only the wealthy could afford),<ref name="National Dishes and Meals">"National Dishes and Meals"</ref> ''[[shuzhuk]]'' (horse meat sausages), ''[[kuyrdak]]'' (also spelled ''kuirdak'', a dish made from roasted horse, [[sheep]], or [[cow]] [[offal]], with the heart, liver, kidneys, and other organs, diced and served with [[onions]] and [[Bell pepper|peppers]]),<ref>[http://www.foodbycountry.com/Kazakhstan-to-South-Africa/Kazakhstan.html Kuyrdak] on ''Food in Kazakhstan''</ref> and various horse delicacies, such as ''[[zhal]]'' (smoked [[lard]] from horse's neck) and ''[[zhaya]]'' (salted and smoked meat from horse's hip and hind leg).<ref>[http://www.zheruik.kz/rus/traditions/meet1.php#zhal Traditional horse meat dishes] {{ru icon}}</ref> Another popular dish is [[pilaf]] (''palaw''), which is made from meat fried with [[carrots]], onions or [[garlic]], then cooked with [[rice]].

{{Clarify|date=April 2013}}, also known as crackler, is melted fat in a large bowl with [[sugar]], eaten by dipping it with bread and is often served with [[tea]]. ''Kylmai'' is a [[sausage]] made during fall and winter slaughtering and is made by stuffing intestines with pieces of [[ground meat]], fat, blood, garlic, [[salt]], and [[black pepper]]. ''Zhauburek'', also known as [[kebab]], is popular among hunters and travelers and is a dish in which small pieces of meat are roasted over a fire. ''Ulpershek'' is a dish made from the heart, aorta, and fat of a horse, prepared in a [[kettle]], and is often shared between sisters-in-law as a sign of unity. ''Kazy'' is a sausage eaten in the spring when a cow has a new calf; it is a giant sausage sometimes served with [[rice]] or [[Qurt|kurt]]. ''Mypalau'' is a dish made from sheep's brain, made by putting the brain in a wooden bowl, adding marrow, pieces of meat, salted fat in broth, and garlic, and this dish is then often served to honored guests. ''Akshelek'' is a large [[camel]] bone distributed to children after slaughtering and cooking meat from a camel.

''Kylmai'' is another kind of sausage eaten later in the year after it has aged—if smoked it will last a long time, something important in Kazakh cooking. ''Zhal'' is the layer of fat under a horse’s mane and is served only to special and honored guests, as it is such a rare commodity. ''Zhaya'' is the rump of a horse, probably served boiled. ''Ak Sorpa'' is a white broth made in the fall, and is a special meal for rich men. ''[[Kuiryk-bauyr]]'' is a meal which used to be served to kinsmen at wedding parties. It is made from boiled meat, sliced thinly, then [[sour milk]] and salted broth are added.<ref name="National Dishes and Meals"/>



Traditional milk products include ''sut'', which is boiled [[milk]]. ''[[Kaimak]]'' is [[sour cream]] made from boiled milk, and is sometimes served with tea. ''Sary mai'' is [[butter]] made from old milk, often in a leather bag. ''Kurt'' is prepared by pressing thick sour cream, and is dried until white and salty. ''Irimzhik'' is a [[cottage cheese]] processed in the spring, made from boiled, unskimmed milk and added sour cream. ''Suzbe'' and ''katyk'' are strained and thickened sour milk. ''Koryktyk'' is a herdsman’s food, which is thickened milk made out on the steppe. ''Tosap'' is made from the scum on the sides of a metal pot and is used as medicine. ''[[Ayran|Airan]]'' is sour milk used in winter and summer. ''[[Shalgam]]'', which is radish salad, and finally, ''shubat'' and ''kumys'' (fermented [[camel]]’s milk and fermented [[mare]]’s milk) are seen as good for one’s health and are imbibed often.<ref name="National Dishes and Meals"/>


The introduction of [[flour]] to Kazakh cuisine brought about dishes such as ''[[Baursaki|baursak]]'', ''[[shelpek]]'', ''[[Manti (dumpling)|manti]]'', and ''[[Naan|nan]]''. ''Baursak'' is made by frying dough balls, and ''shelpek'' is a flat cake made in a similar fashion.<ref name="Cuisine of Kazakhstan">“Cuisine of Kazakhstan"</ref> ''[[Manti (dumpling)|Manti]]'', a very popular Kazakh dish, is a spiced mixture of ground [[Lamb and mutton|lamb]] (or [[beef]]) spiced with black pepper, enclosed in a dough wrapper. ''Manti'' are cooked in a multi-level steamer and served topped with butter, sour cream, or onion sauce. ''[[Tandyr nan]]'' is a type of traditional bread made in the [[tandoor]] oven, popular in cities along the Silk Way. ''[[Kuimak]]'', ''[[kattama]]'', and ''[[oima]]'' are flat puff [[cakes]] fried in oil then covered in [[cream]].

==Beverages==
{{See also|Kazakh wine}}
[[File:Kumys-bottle.jpg|left|thumb|150px|A bottle and glass of ''[[kumys]]''.]]
The traditional drinks are fermented [[mare]]'s milk (''[[kumys]]''),<ref>[http://www.zheruik.kz/rus/traditions/cumis.php Kumys] {{ru icon}}</ref> camel's milk (''[[shubat]]''),<ref>[http://www.zheruik.kz/rus/traditions/shubat.php Shubat] {{ru icon}}</ref> cow’s milk (''airan''), and [[sheep's milk]], as well as their products ''[[kaymak]]'' ([[sour cream]]), ''[[katyk]]'' or ''[[ayran]]'' ([[buttermilk]]), ''[[Qurt|kurt]]'' (which is made from dried [[cheese]] and [[whey]] rolled into balls),<ref name="Cuisine of Kazakhstan"/> and ''irimshik'' (dried sour milk product similar to kurt, but not rolled into balls).<ref>[http://www.zheruik.kz/rus/traditions/irimshik.php Irimshik] {{ru icon}}</ref> These drinks were traditionally consumed with the main course. However, meals often end with kumys and then [[tea]].<ref name="Cuisine of Kazakhstan"/> In the summer, ''[[chal]]'' is one of the staple drinks of the Adai [[Kazakh people|Kazakhs]].<ref>Ishchenko et al., Osobennosti selskogo khoziaistva Adaevskogo uezda. Materialy komissii ekspeditsionnykh issledovanii. Issue 13, Leningrad, Izdatelstvo Akademii Nauk SSSR, 1928, p. 146.</ref> [[Black tea]] was introduced from [[China]] after the foundation of the [[Silk Way]] and was traditionally consumed with sweets after the main course. Nowadays it has virtually replaced other traditional drinks and every meal is accompanied with tea. The tea ceremony, taking its roots from the nomads many centuries ago, is a special dastarkhan ritual in Kazakhstan. Kazakh tea represents strong black tea with milk or cream. Consumption of tea in Kazakhstan is one of the highest in the world - 1,2 kilograms a year per person. In comparison, tea consumption in India is 650 grams per person.

==Desserts==
{{Expand section|date=February 2012}}
The most common traditional sweets are ''[[Baursaki|baursak]]'', ''shelpek'', ''[[Çäkçäk|sheck-sheck]]'' (also known by the Tatar name ''chack-chack''), and ''zhent''.<ref name="zhent">{{cite web|url=http://www.vkusitsvet.ru/tovarisch-est/esh-i-pomni/zhent-kazaxskij-desert/|title=Жент. Казахский десерт|accessdate=2011-05-01}}</ref>
They are easy to prepare in nomadic conditions - in a cauldron, and today are traditionally prepared for any celebration undoubtedly being an additional decoration of the festive table.

==Influential cuisines==
In addition to traditional nomadic practices and the internal development of Kazakh food and cuisine, other countries and ethnic groups have had a large influence on the food and food culture of Kazakhstan. These ethnic groups included Russians, Tatars, Ukrainians, Uzbeks, Germans, Uyghurs, Koreans, and many more.<ref name="ReferenceA">"Kazakhstan food and national meals"</ref> Although traditional Kazakh cuisine is based on meat and milk products, more recently, vegetables, fish and [[seafood]], baked dishes, and sweets have been added to Kazakh cuisine.<ref name="Cuisine of Kazakhstan"/>

==Practice and ritual==
In [[Nomad|nomadic]] cookery, the amount of equipment is minimal because it must be transported from location to location to follow the grazing herds. In addition, there are no luxuries such as electricity or running water. The iron kazan is the most indispensable piece of cookware—it is used for cooking [[pilaf]], soups, and even [[bread]]—if the kazan is shallow, it can be turned over to cook flatbread on the back. Many parts of the sheep and goat are used for holding milk products or for making [[cheese]].

The host of the meal cuts the meat himself (or herself) and gives the best cuts to more honored people, with the worst cuts going to children.{{Citation needed|date=June 2011}} This [[meat]] is most often eaten with thin boiled pieces of pastry. Sometimes the most honored guest at a meal will receive a cooked head of a ram, which is passed around in ceremonial or ritual practice.<ref name="ReferenceA"/> A guest is always given the place of honor and a special welcome in Kazakh practice.<ref>"Cuisine of Kazakhstan," Oriental Express Central Asia, accessed April 18, 2011, last modified 2011, http://www.kazakhstan.orexca.com/kazakhstan_cuisine.shtml.</ref>

Kazakhs traditionally eat at a low table called a [[Dastarkhān]].<ref>”Cuisine of Kazakhstan"</ref> Kazakhs also maintain a tradition of using beautiful dishware when possible. Kumys is served in wide bowls decorated with silver or in painted cups, and meat is often served on wide platters. [[Tea]] is steeped in ornate teapots and served in lovely cups. Unusual ingredients such as dried [[melon]] and small intestines were regularly woven into interesting patterns, and the breads boasted floral designs painted with berry juice. Bigger and deeper bowls are used to serve [[dairy products]], and small wooden basins are used for making [[dough]]. Further more, each family has their own [[Spoon (utensil)|wooden spoons]], which are cared for and transported in felt and wooden cases, showing their importance in food culture in Kazakhstan.<ref>Glenn Randall Mack and Asele Surina, Food culture in Russia and Central Asia (Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 2005), 112-13.</ref>

Kazakhs like other Central Asian nations have some special rules of "tea ceremony". Traditionally it is not allowed to pour tea to the brim of the cup called "piala". The less tea is poured the more respect is given to the guest. It is explained by saying that if the host pours too much tea, it looks like he wants the guest to leave sooner. The less tea is poured, the more the host has to pour it over and over again, so that the guest always has hot tea, which shows care for the guest. However, different regions may have different understandings of the amount of "tea with respect".

==See also==
{{Portal|Food}}
* [[Kazy]], a traditional [[sausage]]-like food of Kazakhs, [[Tatars]], [[Kyrgyz people|Kyrgyz]], and other ethnic groups mainly of [[Central Asia]], particularly those of [[Turkic peoples|Turkic]] origin.

==References==
{{Reflist|2}}

==External links==
* [http://www.kazakhembus.com/index.php?page=cuisine Kazakh food and traditions]
* [http://www.iexplore.com/dmap/Kazakhstan/Dining Kazakh dining]
* [https://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/26/international/asia/26horse.html?hp&ex=1135659600&en=ebc2553086dd95e4&ei=5094&partner=homepage New York Times article on the role of horses in Kazakhstan society and cuisine, describing a village horse slaughter and recipes]

{{Kazakhstan topics}}
{{Asian topic|| cuisine}}
{{European topic|| cuisine}}
{{cuisine}}

[[Category:Kazakhstani cuisine| ]]

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