Kazakh Cuisine

Kazakh cuisine is the hearty, meat-rich food of a historically nomadic people of the steppe, built on the livestock they herded: horse, mutton, beef and dairy. The national dish is beshbarmak, meaning five fingers, for it is traditionally eaten by hand, a comforting plate of boiled meat, often horse or mutton, served over wide flat noodles in broth. Alongside come horsemeat sausages like kazy, plov, warm round breads, and the distinctive fermented drinks kumis, from mare's milk, and shubat, from camel's milk, all shared with legendary hospitality.

What you actually see

• Beshbarmak - the national dish of boiled meat over wide noodles.
• Kazy and horsemeat - the traditional horsemeat sausage and cuts.
• The breads and plov - the round baursak breads and rice plov.
• Kumis and shubat - the fermented mare's and camel's milk.

When to go

Year-round; a meal in a Kazakh home reveals the culture's deep hospitality, while restaurants and bazaars serve the national dishes. Sharing beshbarmak by hand is a communal ritual, and guests are honoured with the finest cuts of meat.

Honest expectations

Kazakh food is very meat- and dairy-heavy, with horsemeat central and vegetables scarce in traditional dishes, and the fermented mare's and camel's milk are an acquired taste, so it is hearty, nomadic fare rather than light or varied. Cities offer plenty of international and Central Asian options too. Experienced with the country's warm hospitality, though, a shared meal is a memorable cultural encounter.

Nearby

Almaty, Astana and every town have their restaurants and bazaars.