Kazakh cuisine

Kazakh cuisine is the traditional food prepared by the Kazakh people, primarily in the country of Kazakhstan. The cuisine is heavily influenced by the nation's nomadic way of life, and includes a wide variety of meats and dairy products.

History

Kazakh cuisine has its roots in the culture of Turkic tribes that inhabited the territory of present-day Kazakhstan thousands of years ago. The harsh climate and nomadic lifestyle of these tribes influenced the development of a cuisine that relies heavily on meat and dairy products, which could be easily obtained from livestock.

Ingredients

The main ingredients in Kazakh cuisine are mutton, beef, horse meat, and various dairy products. Vegetables and cereals, while used, are not as prevalent due to the traditional nomadic lifestyle and the harsh climate, which makes it difficult to grow crops.

Dishes

One of the most famous dishes in Kazakh cuisine is beshbarmak, a dish made of boiled meat (usually mutton or beef) served over pasta. Other popular dishes include kuyrdak, a dish made from various offal, and shashlik, a type of kebab.

Beverages

Traditional Kazakh beverages include kumis, a fermented dairy product made from mare's milk, and shubat, a similar beverage made from camel's milk. Tea is also a common beverage, often served with milk or cream and a variety of sweets.

See also

• Cuisine of Central Asia
• List of Kazakh dishes