The cuisine of Kazakhstan was formed under the influence of Central Asian culinary traditions, and since there is also a Russian population in the country, elements of Russian cuisine can also be traced here.
National cuisine of Kazakhstan
After serving ayran or kumis, in Kazakhstan, guests are served tea with cream (for example, baursaks - deep-fried donuts and “irimshik” - local semi-hard cheese are served with it), then mainly meat snacks, after which it is the turn and hot dishes. Among the appetizers, it is worth trying “kazy” (horse meat dish), “kurt” (small balls made from dry cottage cheese) and “shuzhuk” (a gut stuffed with salted pieces of meat - it is boiled before serving), from the main dishes - “palau” (pilaf) or “kuyrdak” (fried kidneys, liver, lungs and heart, and the addition to this dish is Kazakh noodles “kespe”).
As for traditional sweets, in Kazakhstan it is worth trying “shertpek” (a mixture based on honey and horse fat from “kazy”) and “shek-shek” (a product made from dough with honey).
Popular dishes of Kazakh cuisine:
- “Beshbarmak” (a dish made from pieces of beef, lamb or horse meat with noodles - depending on the region, it is supplemented or not supplemented with broth);
- “Kabyrga” (a dish of lamb brisket with a vegetable side dish);
- Sirne (a dish in the form of fried lamb and potatoes);
- Sorpa (meat soup, often mixed with vegetables, herbs and onions);
- “Kazakh manti” (a dough in which minced mutton, spices and a piece of fat tail fat are wrapped).
Where to try Kazakh cuisine?
In upscale restaurants, a tip of 5-15% is automatically included in the bill, while in other dining establishments it is left to the discretion of visitors.
In Almaty you can visit the “Gakku” restaurant. He specializes in cooking Kazakh dishes (beshbarmak, steamed manti, kuyrdak, horse meat steaks), including old ones. It is worth noting that here you can order dishes that will be cooked for you on a grill on volcanic stones. And if you wish, you can stay here in the VIP-zone in the form of a real Kazakh yurt with a table inside.
Cooking courses in Kazakhstan
While vacationing in Almaty, you should look into the culinary studio "Compote", where master classes are held for those who wish and they are taught to cook Kazakh and other cuisines of the world. Important: it is necessary to sign up for cooking courses of interest in advance, classes last from 10:00 to 18:00, and at the end of the course, “students” are given personalized certificates and flow charts, according to which they cooked in the culinary studio.
A trip to Kazakhstan can be timed to coincide with the “The Good Life” Gastronomic Festival (May, Almaty), during which visitors will be offered to taste the culinary works of titled chefs and will be taught how to cook them in the framework of master classes.
