Do you have a plan to visit Kazakhstan? You may ask yourself, what to eat in this land of nomads? Let’s learn about Kazakh cuisine and meet this colorful country via food. Kazakhs were nomads in the past; food is based on traditional nomad cuisine. As they travel more, their food is easy and simple to prepare.
Is Kazakh cuisine spicy? Keep on reading to know the answer! Traditional cuisine in Kazakhstan is meat, usually horse and lamb, based on bread, dairy, and milk products, though many other components are present in the cuisines today.
Is Kazakh Food Spicy? Answer Revealed
So, is Kazakh Food Spicy? No. It is not spicy. The simplest way to express Kazakh cuisine flavor is rich to the level of being heavy sometimes, but not spicy. They never ate spicy food because”
- Historically, Kazakhs didn’t farm the land and nor did not grow vegetables and fruits or any spices until the 19th century. They would obtain dried fruits for meat products from Uzbeks and other settled nations.
- Even if Kazakhs chose to grow herbs for a crazy reason, rather than tending to their livestock, the herbs would not endure in some mountainous areas and on the steppes. I hope this explains the main reason why Kazakh food is not spicy.
Top 8 Kazakh Dishes To Try For Spicy Lover
Even if Kazakh cuisine is not spicy, you don’t need to worry because, at this point, there are some spicy foods in Kazakhstan that you can give a try, such as:
Lagman
Many like it hot; Lagman or lamian is a noodle made by stretching, twisting, and folding the dough into thin strands and is the perfect choice for everyone. Historically, this cuisine is not Kazakh because it was of immense fame with Dungan and Uyghur people in the nation; today, it is regarded as Kazakhstani.
Lagman is served in a hot broth, which makes it look like a ramen noodle soup. Other versions of Lagman come and veggies like carrot, eggplant, and many peppers.
Beshbarmak
This is considered one of the most popular dishes in Kazakhstan. It means five fingers as you are assumed to eat it using your hands. Old generations call it meat; however, at this point, Beshbarmak is a commonly used name. The popularity of this cuisine comes from its ease of preparation and the fact that it is abundant in proteins and fats. Usually, it is served at weddings or other special events.
Any meat is used in making Beshbarmak; many use fish. But, the classic one is either made of dry or fatty mutton.
The bone-in meat is slowly boiled on a low fire to create a broth to which carrots, onions, potatoes, and green and red peppers are added. The veggies and meat are then eliminated and served with rich sauce from the broth.
Rolled Lamb Breast with Intestines
Even if Ormetos might appear like an appetizer, this is a traditional celebratory dish of lamb rolled in the intestine, usually served to guests or newly met friends.
You can add chili to the sauce for a twist. It’s a lamb breast dish, seasoned with salt and black pepper and stuffed with tomatoes, carrots, onions, and potatoes, and then rolled into a cleaned intestine marinated in Aryan yogurt. Lastly, the intestine is laced into the dish and boiled for 120 minutes until it becomes tender.
Shurpa
This is a lamb soup you will find in every country. Aside from lamb chunks, you can look forward to thick slices of carrots, potatoes, and onions. It also contains spices like fresh dill and parsley for extra flavor.
This is an excellent starter to any meal, mainly if you visit the country during the wet seasons, and a way to warm up after a day of discovering the stunning countryside.
Kazy
This is an incomparable classic food of Kazakh- boiled sausage from a particular type of horsemeat that is a slice from the ribs, as the meat, there’s the fattiest and the tenderest. This cuisine acquires a lovely aroma and taste along with a specific set of spices. It’s impossible to break away from it, particularly while the dish is dripping juices and hot.
Kazakh Manti
This is a steam dumpling stuffed with minced meat. The filling is flavored with lots of onions and spices that make it spicy and then put in the middle of a small cut of dough that is then wrinkled around the meat. This is cooked in a tiered steamer and often consumed with sour cream; some prefer tomato sauce to balance the spiciness and the sweetness. If you want vegan food in Kazakh, manti can also be found stuffed with veggies like potatoes instead of meat.
Dolmas
You may think of dolmas as grape leaves with rice and ground beef, but the name refers to many different stuffed dishes. Some of them come with lots of peppers and cabbage leaves that make them spicy. Maybe you have tried this dish in the past as it is popular in all parts of the world, such as in Turkey and the Mediterranean.
Qazy
This is one of the most popular dishes in Kazakhstan and is also considered a traditional sausage made from horse meat. This is a true delicacy of Kazakh. You cannot find authentically prepared qazy in the nearest store, just at the bazaar. And just those who are familiar with this dish can pick the best one. So, it is not simple op taste the culinary pride of the country.
The dish takes account of horse intestine with meat and fats from the ribs and a lot of spices to make it hot and balance the taste. The meat utilized for this cuisine is usually kept intact, and rib can be added to the intestine. This is cooked in many ways, such as boiled, dried qazy, and dry-cured.
Conclusion
Kazakh food provides a rich and fascinating insight into the history, culture, and daily life of the Kazakhs; it doesn’t matter if it is spicy. Kazakh food is a good reminder of why food is an excellent communicator. It can show you much about the culture.
Looking at dishes like beshbarmak and qazy, you know this: a dish and culture primarily shaped and molded by nomadism and a good sense of community. The lists of foods were simple, but they were made to last, intended to be shared.
If you plan to visit this county with friends or family, seek out as many of these fantastic dishes as you can. If you are lucky enough to stay with locals, there is an excellent opportunity you will be able to try a lot of these foods, prepared with love, precision as well as warmth from the host.
