Kyrgyz Food and Beverages

KYRGYZ FOOD & BEVERAGES AND OUR HABITS

1. Your allergies, preferences in food & drinks

Before coming to Kyrgyzstan do not skip to tell your guide about your allergies and if you're vegetarian or you do not eat some food/or drinks that a guide should take them into account.

2. Kyrgyz mentality

A Kyrgyz table is full of food at any time (B, L or D): bread, candies, jams, various nuts, fruit, and other sweets and even butter. The more we have on the table, the more respect we show to our guests. 

Don’t be shocked by watching how we put the jam into our tea. Our domestic jams are quite sweet without jelly and sometimes we can put it instead of sugar.

Some families, like mine, don’t use a knife during meals; only when we have pieces of meat that should be cut by a knife. Sometimes we like to have such meals as besh barmak (short noodles with meat), manty (dumplings with meat), oromo (dough roll with vegetables) with fingers.

We use one spoon for tea, putting jam, butter, or anything on the table. It means that we do not have the spoons to each food separately. 

If you want to make the host happy, it is great to have the meal till the end on your plate. You show your respect to the hosts. Sometimes, you can be very full, then you have to say the truth and do not force yourself to eat too much.

Our food is halal, quite simple, not spicy and most of the meals are made with beef meat. If you would like to have western foods, then there are some cafes or pubs to have it in Bishkek city only.  If you like chicken or mutton/lamb or you're vegetarian, just inform your guide about it before your tour.

During the trip, you will have time to observe the local bazaars or you can see locals selling their fruit & vegetables along the street. Definitely, you will like this food since it is domestic and so fresh. Do not forget to stop and purchase some, it will be a proper diet for your health rather than having chips during your tour.

3. Food that you have to try in Kyrgyzstan: (please find the pics from the internet)

1) Kyrgyz food:

• Besh Barmak (Five fingers): It is the main meal in any Kyrgyz events or big celebrations. It includes short homemade noodles with fresh meat. Mostly it serves with huge pieces of meat (but it is only among Kyrgyz people)
• Kuurdak: fried fresh beef/or mutton with vegetables or only potato. It is better to eat with fresh salad since it is quite fat
• Manty: dumplings with meat or pumpkin
• Plof with Uzbek rice: fried meat, carrots, and rice
• Kebabs (we say shashlik):  with fresh meat
• Boorsok: the small square shape fried bread made in  special events or big celebrations. It is great to have with creamy fresh butter or jam

2) Uigur food: (Chinese whose root is Turkish)

• Lagman: long homemade noodles with meat and vegetables. We have special local cafes for Lagman where you can try it

3) Dungan food: (Muslim Chinese)

• Ash-lyamfu: homemade noodles with starch. It can be spicy or less spicy. It is a kind of appetizer. We have it with Pirojki (fried dough with mashed potatoes in it)

4. Having a meal in a yurt camp.

If you are lucky to experience staying in a typical Kyrgyz yurt without any modern conditions, you will sit on the warm thick special blankets (made for sitting or lying like a mattress) in front of the table. The table, in its turn, is low and comfortable. If you have some problems with your knees, certainly, you can ask for a small low chair which can be found in any yurt.

5. Kyrgyz drinks

Our general drink during meals is black tea. We drink it during breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Most of the local guesthouses, homestays, and yurts have instant coffee.

Don’t skip to try our national drinks like kymyz, jarma, airan, chalap, bozo. Just try! It doesn’t mean that you have to drink! You will taste our ancestors’ drinks which is so interesting!

6. What you should not do during the meal among Kyrgyz people

• Don't blow your nose! -It's recommended going out and blow your nose as much as you want, but not during the meal.
• Do not enter into home or yurt with your shoes.
• Do not step any food with your legs if it's on the floor
• Do not stay too much at yurt kitchen after dinner since the hosts should clean the table and have a rest. 

7. Phrases to say your gratitude to the food and service in Kyrgyz

• Thank you a lot = "Chong Rahmat"  (Put your hand to your chest and say) Pronounce A in rahmat like in 'SUN'. Say it loud! Some people don't expect that you can speak Kyrgyz and can't hear you.
• It was delicious = "Daamduu boluptur"  Daamduu = delicious, Boluptur = it was. Pronounce A in daamduu like in a word "sun", but long; Pronounce U in daamduu like in "BOOK", long sound.

Now you know two phrases that you can use like this: Daamduu boluptur. Chong rahmat! It was delicious! Thank you very much! See you in Kyrgyzstan!