The Kyrgyz Food Dictionary

Kyrgyz cuisine reflects the country’s heritage of pastoral nomadism. Life was spent moving livestock from pasture to pasture and living in collapsible, transportable yurts. The livestock themselves were the primary, sustainable food source. Everything else was either gathered from the land or traded for. The Kyrgyz did not engage in intensive settled agriculture until forced to do so under the Soviets in the early 20th century.

Kyrgyz dishes to this day center heavily on dairy, meat, and grains. Flavor profiles concentrate on rich fats, accentuated with salt. Onions, garlic, and carrots could be gathered locally. Today, dill and cilantro are common (introduced by Russians), as are chillies (Chinese influence), pepper and vinegar.

Vegetarians and vegans traveling to this part of the world are likely to struggle a bit, but plan ahead and generally accommodations can be made and options found. As for the meats used, mutton and beef are most common, horse is a delicacy, and pork is rare in this historically Muslim country. Poultry is gaining popularity, but is not yet a preferred meat.

Hospitality and socialization in Kyrgyzstan focus on food. Guests are offered tea and dried fruits and/or boorsok (fried dough pieces) as a way of welcoming them. Deserts and sweets tend to be simple in traditional Kyrgyz cuisine – focusing on dried fruits and grain-based dishes lightly sweetened with honey.

The Kyrgyz and Kazakh cultures have much in common – including in their cuisine. Most of what is listed below holds true for Kazakh culture too, although the names might be slightly different.

 

Aralash: (Drink) Aralash is a drink made by mixing two traditional Kyrgyz drinks: chalap and maksym. It was created by the Shoro company, a Kygyz company that makes Kygyz traditional drinks commercially.

Ashlyanfu: (Soup) Ashlyanfu is the signature dish of Karakol, a town on the eastern end of lake Issyk Kul, but it is so esteemed that you can find cafes dedicated to it in Bishkek. This cold soup features lagman noodles mixed with strips of congealed starch (usually potato or corn), topped with sauteed garlic, onion, sweet red pepper, and scrambled eggs, then seasoned with vinegar, paprika, and chili pepper paste. Packed with sweetness, spiciness, and bitterness, even Kyrgyz people agree that meat is not necessary to turn this into a true meal. Brought from China by Uyghurs, its name comes from the Chinese words for “cold starch” (liang fen) to which the Kyrgyz added “ash”, which means “food” in Kyrgyz.

Atkanchay: (Drink) To strong tea, milk is added in a one-to-one proportion. The mixture is boiled and cooled. Then, butter, salt, and sour cream is added and the mixture is boiled again before serving. Particularly associated with Uyghur cuisine.

Beshbarmak: (Main) Also known as “naryn,” this is the Kyrgyz national dish. Its name, meaning “five fingers,” refers to the traditional way of eating it, i.e. with one’s hands. Beshbarmak starts with slow-boiled horse meat (beef and mutton are also sometimes used), often with potatoes and carrots, and seasoned with bay leaves and onion. Wide-cut homemade noodles are boiled in this broth and laid on a large platter with the meat on top, a sprinkle of black pepper and some of the broth poured over. It is garnished with horsemeat sausage and the rest of the broth is often served as an accompanying drink. It is a mainstay of celebratory meals, but also often eaten for family dinners.

Boorsok: (Bread; Appetizer) Considered a national food and expression of hospitality in Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan, these slightly-larger-than-bite-sized triangles of dough are served freshly fried, usually with honey and/or jam.

Bozo: (Beverage) This traditional Kyrgyz fermented drink is made from boiled, mashed millet, barley, or corn, which is left to ferment for several days. It has a slightly thick consistency and a mildly sour, tangy flavor. It also has a low, but noticeable alcohol content. It is thus a refreshing drink typically reserved for adults and sometimes added to tea.

Byzhy: (Main) This blood sausage is common across Turkic cultures. Sheep’s blood is mixed with grains (often rice), minced meat, fat, garlic, salt, and various herbs and/or spices. The mixture is stuffed into cleaned intestines and then boiled until firm and sometimes smoked. It is particularly associated with special occasions, when an animal is slaughtered for a feast, and is made as a way of using the fresh blood.

Chak-chak: (Dessert) Fried noodle pieces are doused in honey and sometimes sprinkled with raisins or sesame seeds.

Chalap: (Dairy, Beverage) This drink is common to many Turkic cultures. It starts with suzmo, a yogurt-like fermented dairy product, which is mixed with water (sometimes carbonated) and salt. It has a cool, slightly sour, and salty taste, making it a popular beverage during hot summers.

Chillies: (Ingredient) Chilli flakes, chilli oil, and chilli paste are common condiments in Kyrgyzstan, as they are in many Asian countries.

Chuchpara: (Soup) Small, hand-rolled dumplings filled with minced lamb or beef, onions, and seasoned with black pepper and salt are cooked in meat broth with potatoes, carrots, and/or tomatoes for added depth. Often garnished with dill or cilantro before serving.

Chuchuk: (Appetizer; Ingredient) Chopped horse meat and fat are stuffed into cleaned intestines along with seasonings that can include salt, black pepper, onion, garlic, paprika, and cumin. It is then boiled, dried, or smoked and eaten as a delicacy, typically served sliced and cold or as garnish to beshbarmak. See also Kazy.

Dairy Products: According to a 2022 study, the Kyrgz, on average, get half their daily nutrition from dairy products. This reflects the country’s nomadic pastoral traditions, which depended on sustainable, animal-based foods. Many types of milk are used including cow, horse, goat, yak, and sheep to make a stunning array of products using fermentation, heating, drying, salting, and other methods. Yogurts, butters, soft cheeses, and drinks are all popular and traditional.

Dastorkon: (Food Culture) A festive meal, especially one marking a toi.

Dried fruits: (Ingredient; Dessert) Enjoyed as a snack, used in desserts, or served alongside tea. The ancient Kyrgyz planted mixed forests of walnut, apple, apricot, pear, almond, and cherry trees in well-watered areas. They were harvested when the tribe passed them on their nomadic rotations.

Dymdama: (Main) Enjoyed across Central Asia, this ragu is slow cooked in a kazan with chunks of lamb or beef, potatoes, carrots, bell peppers, onions, tomatoes, and/or cabbage seasoned with salt, black pepper, and sometimes cumin. More common in Ferghana valley and other warmer places of Kyrgyzstan where vegetables have been typically more abundant.

Eggplant Salad: (Appetizer) Thinly sliced eggplant is breaded and fried, then spread with a garlic-mayonnaise mixture and folded around a fresh tomato slice.

Food Preservation: (Food Preparation) Traditional Kyrgyz food preservation also focuses on meat, dairy, and grains. The Kyrgyz have a dizzying number of fermented dairy and grain products. Meat was traditionally salted, smoked, dried, or fermented to ensure that all of an animal could be consumed with as little waste as possible. Pickling vegetables was introduced only under socialism and only became popular in Kyrgyzstan in the 1960s.

Ganfan: (Main) Ganfan is vadzha layered over steamed white rice. Ganfan was originally brought from China by the Uyghurs but is now well-integrated into Central Asian cuisine

Grains: (Ingredient) Kyrgyz cooking uses a wide number of grains including wheat, millet, barley, rye, rice, and corn. Grains were most often traded for although the nomadic Kyrgyz did use some passive agriculture. Grain fields were not often actively tended; instead, when the tribe’s nomadic rotations brought the tribe back to the grains, they would be harvested, with some seed left on the ground to sprout the next crop.

Gyuro Lagman: (Main) A generous portion of thick, very chunky vadzha is added to lagman noodles, enough sauce that it pools at the bottom, but not enough to submerge the noodles.

Halal: (Food Preparation) Halal means “permissible” in Arabic and refers to food and practices that are allowed under Islamic law. In Kyrgyzstan, with its significant Muslim population, halal foods are the norm. Meat must be sourced from animals that have been slaughtered in a specific, humane way while reciting a blessing. This practice reflects a deep respect for life and gratitude for the sustenance provided. Halal also generally emphasizes cleanliness, health, and ethical consumption and requires the avoidance of pork, alcohol, and blood (although many Kyrgyz take a somewhat lax attitude to prohibitions against alcohol and blood).

Horse: (Ingredient) Nomadic life revolved around horses – for transport, warfare, and sustenance. Horse meat and milk are valued for their rich flavors and as unique components of Kyrgyz cuisine. Horses were typically not raised for meat, as they had other uses that were generally more valuable. However, the meat was valued when available.

Honey: (Ingredient; Dessert) Honey is part of many Kyrgyz desserts, and sometimes eaten plain with tea as a dessert in itself. Alot of Kyrgyz honey is produced from wildflowers, meaning that the local honey often has a deep floral taste.

Kaskan: (Cooking Method) A multi-tiered steamer used for cooking dumplings and meats. Can be made of aluminum (most common today), wood, or bamboo.

Kattama: (Bread) This flaky, buttery, fried round bread is often sold at roadside cafes or stands. Kattama is most often baked in a savory version with onion or chives but cheese, egg, and meat are also sometimes used. These can also be made as sweet, buttery pastries with fillings of dried fruit, preserves, and/or dusted with sugar or drizzled with honey.

Kaymak: (Dairy) Similar to clotted cream, Kaymak is made by slowly simmering fresh milk and skimming off the thick layer that forms on top. That layer has a smooth, slightly tangy flavor and is commonly eaten with bread, honey, pastries, or as an accompaniment to tea.

Kazan: (Food Preparation) A kazan is a large cooking vessel traditionally made of cast iron and resembling a wok. It distributes heat evenly, making it ideal for slow-cooking stews, soups, and fried dishes, especially over an open flame. Traditional Kyrgyz meals prepared in a kazan include plov, beshbarmak, and deep-fried treats like boorsok.

Kazy: (Appetizer; Ingredient) Long strips of whole horse rib muscle and fat are salted and slid into cleaned horse intestines. Sometimes the meat is also peppered and/or garlic added, but the rich taste of horse is what is valued in good kazy. The end result is then boiled, dried, or smoked. Because whole muscle is used, Kazy is thus not so much sausage (which usually uses chopped or ground meat), as it is a way of preserving whole cuts of high-grade meat. It is a delicacy and typically served sliced and cold or as garnish to beshbarmak. See also Chuchuk.

Kesme: (Main; Soup) Very similar to lagman, this noodle-and-vadzha dish can be served as a soup or as noodles with sauce. The main difference is that the vadzha for kesme always contains Bulgarian red peppers and white radish.

Khvorost: (Desert) Khvorost is deep fried pastry dough made of flour, water, egg, and salt. These are then dusted with sugar or drizzled with honey and served with tea. Enjoyed widely within Central Asian and Slavic cultures.

Kulchotay: (Main) Very similar to beshbarmak, this dish focuses on meat and noodles, usually leaving out any vegetables. The meat is cut into small pieces and sometimes shredded. The noodles as well are usually smaller than in beshbarmak – often cut into thin shreds.

Kurut: (Dairy) Milk is boiled and strained to a fine cottage-cheese mass. Generous salt is added and the mass is then rolled into small balls and dried. The result is a hard ball that looks and feels a bit like chalk. It can be eaten straight or dropped into hot water to produce a drink. Kurut can be made from any type of milk: sheep, horse, cow, yak, etc. It can keep all winter, travels well, and provides lots of calcium and fat in a compressed format. It remains a favorite snack among Kyrgyz children and adults alike and can be found sold from roadside stands.

Kuurdak: (Main) This simple dish consists of meat fried in its own fat together with onions and potatoes. It is a typical weekday dinner and staple of Kyrgyz cafes and restaurants.

Kurma Chai: (Beverage) Particularly popular as a winter drink in rural Kyrgyzstan, kurma chai is made by frying flour in butter and adding it to black tea along with milk and salt.

Kymyz: (Beverage) This fermented mare’s milk is the Kyrgyz national drink. The milk is churned, so that the fats become smooth, and allowed to ferment until it has an alcohol content similar to beer. Traditionally, any major occasion required large amounts of kymyz – including weddings and meetings between tribes. Smaller amounts were often kept at hand by keeping milk in a special leather container called a kookor that was strapped to one’s horse so the milk could churn and ferment as the horse trotted along. See also saamal.

Lagman: (Main; Soup) The most traditional lagmans will pour vadzha over freshly pulled flour noodles, sometimes as thick sauce and sometimes as part of a soup in which the noodles float. Lagman is one of the few dishes often offered with a vegetarian option in Kyrgyz restaurants. Introduced to the Kyrgyz by the Uyghurs and/or Dungans, there are endless variations.

Manty: (Main) These dumplings are commonly filled with ground or minced meat, onion, potato, pumpkin, and/or greens such as spinach, chives, or cilantro and steamed in a kaskan. They come in vegetarian varieties. Usually about the size of a child’s fist, they are typically eaten with a spicy chili-tomato sauce, yogurt, and/or sour cream. Manty originated in China.

Maksym: (Beverage) Zharma, once prepared, is allowed to cool, then mixed with a sourdough ferment, more flour, and allowed to ferment for a day, creating a slightly sour, tangy, and fizzy beverage that is both nutritious and refreshing. It is often sold as a street drink and is believed to aid digestion.

Mai Tokoch: (Bread) This flatbread follows the recipe of barsook, but rather than deep frying it in small pieces, the bread is cooked in a tandyr oven or on a griddle. This is often made for a toi marking death. For such an occasion, it is divided into seven or nine pieces after baking (significant numbers in the Koran) and then called zheti tokoch (seven bread) or toguz tokoch (nine bread). It is often served warm with tea, honey, and kaymak (clotted cream).

Mayda Manty: (Main) Especially popular in Kyrgyzstan’s south, they follow the basic recipe for manty. However, instead of being fist-like, they are folded into small rectangular packets. The result is smaller, more delicate, and with a greater dough-to-filling ratio.

Milk Soup: (Main Dish; Soup; Dessert) Milk soup is a category of milk-based foods. Savory versions might include milk and salt added to fried onions and/or meat. Sweet versions might include grains boiled in milk and mixed with pumpkin, dried fruit, sary mae, and/or honey.

Nan: (Bread) This round bread is cooked in a tandyr oven. The outer circle is fluffy, while the center is compressed and more chewy or even crispy, pressed with a wooden stamp called a chekich. This makes each loaf a visual work of art in addition to a tasty one. Note that when speaking Russian, Kyrgyz will use the Russified term “lepyoshka,” but are far more likely to say “nan” or “tandyr-nan” in their native Kyrgyz with other Kyrgyz.

Offal: (Ingredient) Offal is a word that refers to non-muscle, usable parts of an animal. It includes everything from hooves to intestines, lungs, and brains. All of these things are edible and, while rarer now and more often considered delicacies, have been part of Kyrgyz cuisine for centuries. Nomadic culture traditionally put great value on using every part of the animal. We do not list Kyrgyz recipes here for lung, tripe, and intestines, for instance, but they do exist.

Oromo: (Main) Oromo is a steamed roulette with ground meat and potato in between the layers of dough. Green onion and carrots are sometimes added as well.

Paloo: (Main) Known better as plov internationally, this is the national dish of Uzbekistan. It is also a staple in Kyrgyz cuisine, where it also consists of meat chunks (usually lamb or beef) cooked in oil in a kazan with rice, onion, carrots, and garlic. The Kyrgyz version is more likely to be served with spicy red peppers as a garnish. Paloo is eaten for celebratory dinners as well as everyday meals. More festive versions will add chickpeas, quail eggs, and/or raisins. Note that when speaking Russian, Kyrgyz will use the Russified term “plov,” but are far more likely to say “paloo” in their native Kyrgyz with other Kyrgyz.

Saamal: (Dairy; Beverage) Saamal is fresh mare’s milk. It can be drunk on its own or used to make kymyz, the Kyrgyz national drink. Saamal was an important part of the nomadic kyrgyz diet, although it has always also been something of a delicacy. Horses only lactate in connection with pregnancy, unlike dairy cows that lactate consistently throughout the year. See also kymyz.

Samsa: (Main) Samsa in Kyrgyzstan are most often meat-and-potato filled pastries that serve as great on-the-go snacks or meals. Freshly-baked samsa can be found at roadside stands, groceries, or restaurants in Bishkek.

Sanza: (Desert) A pastry dough is made of flour, oil, water, and salt. It is stretched into long noodles that are shaped into delicate swirled disks or flower shapes before being deep fried in a kazan. Typically served with tea after being dusted with powdered sugar or drizzled with honey. Known as a Uyigar contribution to Kyrgyz cuisine and a common dish at festive meals.

Sary May: (Dairy) Sary may is clarified butter and is a Kyrgyz staple food. Made by slowly heating fresh butter to separate the milk solids from the fat, the result is golden and aromatic with a rich, nutty flavor and a long shelf life. It is commonly used in cooking, added to beshbarmak, porridges, teas, or served with bread and honey.

Shakarap: (Salad) This the Kyrgyz version of what is THE Central Asian salad. The only required ingredients are chopped tomatoes and onions, most often seasoned with salt and dressed in vinegar. Other ingredients can include bell peppers, chopped dill, cilantro, or basil, black pepper, and/or lemon juice. Typically served alongside meat dishes like shashlik or plov.

Shashlyk: (Main) Meat (usually lamb or beef) is cut into chunks, marinated with onions, vinegar, and salt, then skewered and grilled over an open flame. The cooking process gives it a smoky, charred exterior while keeping the inside tender and juicy. This is a popular street food that most often comes with shakarap salad, marinated onions, and/or flatbread.

Sheep’s Head: (Main) A ceremonial dish in Kyrgyz and Kazakh culture, a boiled sheep’s head is served when an honored guest arrives. The guest (or oldest member of a group of guests), is invited to carve the head and serve the eyes, tongue, tender cheek meat, and brain, etc. to various guests, usually with wishes that they may help the person served to see opportunities better, or study better, or speak well. Brain is often given to children. There are certain rules about who should be offered what based on age and hierarchy. One can offend someone by offering them the wrong part, or jilik, as it is known in Kyrgyz.

Shirin Paloo: (Main) This is a vegetarian version of paloo – the meat is replaced by various dried fruits such as apricots, prunes, or raisins.

Shishkebek: (Main) This is the Kyrgyz national variant of shashlyk. It’s prepared the same way, but with lamb and, in particular, lamb liver.

Shawarma: (Main) This street food may not technically be Kyrgyz (the Turks and Greeks own claims to this one), but it dominates the fast food landscape of Kyrgyzstan. A wrap filled with chicken or beef, tomatoes, cucumbers, french fries, and generous amounts of mayo, shawarma is best when you are really hungry.

Shorpo: (Soup) This is Kyrgyzstan’s national soup. In fact, the name means “soup” in Kyrgyz. Lamb or beef is slow-simmered on the bone with potatoes, carrots, onions, tomatoes, and garlic. Black pepper, salt, and bay leaves are usually added. When done, the meat should fall off the bone and the bones themselves give the broth a particularly rich flavor. The dish is often garnished with cilantro or dill before serving.

Sumolok: (Desert) A special dish cooked once a year on the Zoroastrian holiday of Nooruz, sümölök is a sweet paste made of sprouted wheat, soaked until germinated, and cooked in a large kazan overnight. Women, sometimes from multiple households, will take turns stirring the giant pot through the night. The next day, the dish can be shared with the entire neighborhood.

Suzmo: (Dairy) Excess liquid is drained from yogurt, resulting in a creamy, tangy product similar to Greek yogurt. The straining process enhances its texture and flavor, making it quite versatile. It can be served as a spread or sauce (often mixed with herbs and garlic) or used as a base for soups and drinks. Mixed with honey, fruit preserves, and/or nuts, it also becomes a dessert.

Suiru Lagman: (Main; Soup) A version of lagman with the vadzha diluted with more broth, enough to submerge the noodles, creating something more resembling soup.

Talkan: (Ingredient) Talkan starts by first toasting grains, drying them, and only then grinding them. This imparts more flavor to the flour and extends its shelf life. Talkan is common among the Turkic peoples of Siberia, Asia, and the Caucasus.

Tandyr: (Food Preparation) This clay oven is widely used in Kyrgyz cooking to bake bread and roast meats. Often resembling a giant vase, it is heated by burning wood or coal inside, creating high temperatures that allow bread like nan (round flatbread) to cook quickly while sticking to the oven’s inner walls. Meat dishes, such as tandyr lamb, are also prepared in this oven, developing a crispy exterior and tender, juicy interior.

Tea: (Beverage) Called “chai” in Kyrgyz, tea is a fundamental part of Kyrgyz culture and cuisine, a symbol of hospitality and social connection. Black tea is most common. Common additives include milk, cream, butter, and/or salt, but can also be even more exotic, including sour cream, chalap, and bozo. The Kyrgyz most often drink tea from small bowls rather than cups.

Toi: (Food Culture) A ritual celebration usually marked with a large meal and invited guests, known as a dastorkon. A toi is held to mark an important event in the cycle of life: birth, marriage, and death.

Vadzha: (Ingredient) An important component to many Kyrgyz dishes, vadzha consists of some combination of meat (usually beef or lamb), peppers, onions, cabbage, tomato, potatoes, celery, and/or carrots which can be seasoned with fennel, cumin, garlic, star anise, and/or ginger. It is cooked until it develops a rich, concentrated flavor and is then spooned over noodles for lagman, rice for gyuro, or added to bouillon to make soups.

Walnuts: (Ingredient; Dessert) Enjoyed as a snack, used in desserts, or served alongside tea. The ancient Kyrgyz planted mixed forests of walnut, apple, apricot, pear, almond, and cherry trees in well-watered areas. They were harvested when the tribe passed them on their nomadic rotations. Walnuts grow abundantly in Kyrgyzstan. In fact, the Arslanbob Walnut Forest, located in southern Kyrgyzstan, is one of the largest natural walnut forests in the world and has been a major source of walnuts for centuries.

Zhansak: (Dessert) Crushed nuts (usually walnuts) are mixed with sary may and honey, formed into shapes, and allowed to dry. This dessert is most often enjoyed with tea.

Zharma: (Beverage) This traditional Kyrgyz drink is made by frying flour in fat (usually sheep’s), and then boiling that in water while adding course ground barley, wheat, or corn. The result is like a drinkable porridge that is said to be particularly good at energizing the body.

Zhentek: (Dessert) Best known as a Kazakh dish, this sweet mixes toasted millet flour, butter, honey (or sugar), along with crushed nuts or dried fruits. This is formed and allowed to dry. The result is simple, sweet, travels well, and pairs with tea. Zhentek is traditionally prepared to celebrate the birth of a child. The celebration itself is called a jentek toi. The dish is also sometimes referred to as just “zhent.”

Zhupka: (Dessert) This Kyrgyz bread pudding consists of a simple fried bread, served in a bowl with milk, sary may, and honey.

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