Chapter 7 - National Food
(Ұлттық тамақ) – These foods come from a variety of Asian nationalities
бесбармақ орама кеспе шҧжық лағман
бауырсақ плов\палау самса шашлық бҽліш
манты\мҽнті шелпек қуырдақ чебурек сорпа
Kazakh people are known for their hospitality.
The guest in a Kazakh home was traditionally treated to kumys, shubat or airan, then to tea with milk or
cream, baursaks, raisins, irimshik, and kurt. This was followed by appetizers made of horseflesh or
mutton – kasy, shuzhuk, zhal, zhaya, sur-yet, karta, and kabyrga. And also, flat cakes made of flour were
served without fail.
The adornment of any dastarkhan (Kazakh table) and the most popular dish among the Kazakhs has
always been meat. The meat was usually boiled and served in large pieces. The ranking guest of honor
would be presented a sheep‟s head cooked in a special way by the host. This guest had to distribute parts
of the head among those present while observing a certain ritual reflecting the ancient custom concerning
guests – old men, children, close and distant relatives.
The meat is eaten with small pieces of dough which are rolled and boiled. An excellent addition to this
dish is the fragrant meat broth called sorpa which is usually served in pialas. At the end of the meal
kumys is served which is again followed by tea.
Present-day Kazakh cuisine includes not only traditional Kazakh dishes but also dishes of the Uzbek,
Uigur, Russian, Tatar, Korean and other nationalities that caught the Kazakhs‟ fancy. Therefore it is easy
to note the international features in present-day Kazakh cooking along side of national ones.