#67 Kazakhstan
- Jen
- Aug 4, 2024
- 3 min read
It’s been a while since Kiribati! I cooked Kazakhstan’s dish and wrote it up in February, but I somehow failed to save the document, which sadly derailed my passion for blogging. Luckily, my enthusiasm is back on track, so here we are, 6 months later, with country number 67.
Kazakhstan is the largest land-locked country, the ninth largest country by area, and one of the least densely populated, with a population of only about 20 million. Much of its land is arid plains, experiencing short hot summers and long (very) cold winters. Winter temperatures in the capital, Astana, can reach -30 °C, which is so chilly I was certain that it must be the coldest capital city in the world, but it’s actually only the second coldest; Ulaanbaatar gets even colder!
These harsh conditions make cultivation of crops on the plains difficult, which is why historically, nomadic ways of life were adopted, whereby extended families would roam the empty plains, herding fat-tailed sheep. Traditionally, food was solely based on meat and milk from the sheep they herded, and the horses and camels they used for transportation. Only basic cooking techniques were available so a typical meal could have been a large piece of boiled meat. That’s it, just boiled meat. Milk was often soured or fermented in various ways for preservation and ease of transport for communities on the move.
Today, many countries have overtaken Kazakhstan in terms of per capita meat consumption, but the Kazakhs cannot be beaten on their sheep consumption: the average Kazakh eats 8.5kg of sheep per year*.
*According to one random website I found.
Over the centuries the cuisine has evolved, with influence from neighbouring countries and people, resulting in the introduction of vegetables and cereals, as well as cooking techniques and dishes. Kazakh cuisine today includes dishes that are found all over central Asia, like pilaf - spiced rice with onions, carrots, raisins, chickpeas. A very important addition to the cuisine is bread, which is eaten daily, usually in the form of naan bread, or baursak, small chunks of fried yeasted bread.
Diverse though modern Kazakh cuisine has become, its nomadic roots continue to be honoured. Many traditional foods are still part of everyday life. Celebrations are marked with beshbarmak, a big old platter of boiled sheep, the country’s national dish, and the term for “five fingers” because it’s eaten using your hands. It’s also the national dish of Kyrgyzstan, and you can read all about it in my Kyrgyzstan blog.
Laghman
Laghman is an Uyghur dish, originally from north-west China, and common throughout central Asia, anywhere where there are Uyghur communities. It’s one of those dishes that has evolved into countless variations in different countries and regions. In its most basic form, laghman is a noodle and meat dish, which can be prepared as a soup, stir-fried with vegetables, or in a tomato sauce, depending on where in central Asia you are eating it. What makes laghman laghman is thick hand-pulled noodles and serving with Chinese black vinegar.
Although the dish’s roots are in the Xinjiang region, there are many Uyghur people living in Kazakhstan and so Kazakhs consider it to be a dish of their own.
I’m sorry to tell you that I did not hand pull my own noodles for this dish, and instead cheated with udon noodles from my local Asian supermarket, which made this dish very quick, easy, and produced very little washing up. I cooked lean pieces of lamb in simple sauce of fresh tomatoes, peppers, onions and garlic, and served with black vinegar on the side for dipping.
Where has Chinese black vinegar been all my life?! Laghman would be a pleasant and hearty, yet somewhat plain dish, but it is completely transformed with this treacle-coloured liquid delight. Black vinegar is less acidic than other vinegars, has a little sweetness and a load of umami, really hitting all the notes. Thick, slightly chewy noodles splashed in this and slurped up are just SO good.
To do list
1. Save this blog.
2. Choose the next country…The Gambia.
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