Beshbarmak (; ; ) is a dish in

Central Asian cuisine Central Asian cuisine has been influenced by Persian, Indian, Arab, Turkish, Chinese, Mongol, and Russian cultures, as well as the culinary traditions of other varied nomadic and sedentary civilizations. Contributing to the culinary diversi ...

. It is also known as

naryn Naryn ( ; ) is the regional administrative center of Naryn Region in central Kyrgyzstan. Its area is , and its estimated population was 41,178 as of January 2021. The town was established as a fortress on the caravan route in 1868. It is situated ...

Xinjiang Xinjiang,; , SASM/GNC romanization, SASM/GNC: Chinese postal romanization, previously romanized as Sinkiang, officially the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (XUAR), is an Autonomous regions of China, autonomous region of the China, People' ...

Uzbekistan , image_flag = Flag of Uzbekistan.svg , image_coat = Emblem of Uzbekistan.svg , symbol_type = Emblem of Uzbekistan, Emblem , national_anthem = "State Anthem of Uzbekistan, State Anthem of the Republ ...

Kyrgyzstan Kyrgyzstan, officially the Kyrgyz Republic, is a landlocked country in Central Asia lying in the Tian Shan and Pamir Mountains, Pamir mountain ranges. Bishkek is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Kyrgyzstan, largest city. Kyrgyz ...

and

Kazakhstan Kazakhstan, officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a landlocked country primarily in Central Asia, with a European Kazakhstan, small portion in Eastern Europe. It borders Russia to the Kazakhstan–Russia border, north and west, China to th ...

, as ''turama'' in

Karakalpakstan Karakalpakstan, officially the Republic of Karakalpakstan, is an autonomous republic and part of Uzbekistan. It spans the northwestern portion of Uzbekistan. Its capital is Nukus (' / ). Karakalpakstan has an area of , and has a population of a ...

and

North Caucasus The North Caucasus, or Ciscaucasia, is a subregion in Eastern Europe governed by Russia. It constitutes the northern part of the wider Caucasus region, which separates Europe and Asia. The North Caucasus is bordered by the Sea of Azov and the B ...

, as ''dograma'' in

Turkmenistan Turkmenistan is a landlocked country in Central Asia bordered by Kazakhstan to the northwest, Uzbekistan to the north, east and northeast, Afghanistan to the southeast, Iran to the south and southwest and the Caspian Sea to the west. Ash ...

, as ''kullama'' in

Bashkortostan Bashkortostan, officially the Republic of Bashkortostan, sometimes also called Bashkiria, is a republic of Russia between the Volga river and the Ural Mountains in Eastern Europe. The republic borders Perm Krai to the north, Sverdlovsk Oblast ...

and

Tatarstan Tatarstan, officially the Republic of Tatarstan, sometimes also called Tataria, is a Republics of Russia, republic of Russia located in Eastern Europe. It is a part of the Volga Federal District; and its capital city, capital and largest city i ...

. It is one of the main

national dish A national dish is a culinary Dish (food), dish that is strongly associated with a particular country. A dish can be considered a national dish for a variety of reasons: * It is a staple food, made from a selection of locally available foodstuffs ...

es of both

and

. The term ''beshbarmak'' means "five fingers" because nomads traditionally eat this dish with their hands. Another name for beshbarmak in Kyrgyz is ''tuuralgan et'', which means crumbled/chopped meat. Beshbarmak is usually made from finely chopped boiled

meat Meat is animal Tissue (biology), tissue, often muscle, that is eaten as food. Humans have hunted and farmed other animals for meat since prehistory. The Neolithic Revolution allowed the domestication of vertebrates, including chickens, sheep, ...

, mixed with

dough Dough is a malleable, sometimes elastic paste made from flour (which itself is made from grains or from leguminous or chestnut crops). Dough is typically made by mixing flour with a small amount of water or other liquid and sometimes includes ...

(typically egg noodles) and ''chyk'', an onion sauce. It is typically served on large communal platters, shared between several people, after shorpo, which is a first course of mutton broth served in bowls called kese. It is also followed by a broth called ak-serke (shorpo mixed with

kymyz ''Kumis'' ( , ), alternatively spelled ''coumis'' or ''kumyz'', also known as ''airag'' ( ), is a traditional fermented dairy product made from mare milk. The drink is important to the peoples of the Central and East Asian steppes, of Turk ...

ayran Ayran ( ) is a cold savory yogurt-based beverage that is consumed across Central Asia, and the Balkans, in Turkey and Iran. The principal ingredients are yogurt, water and salt. Herbs such as mint may be optionally added. Some varieties are ...

), which is thought to help with settling the stomach. Festive beshbarmak can be cooked together with

Qazı Qazı (, ''qazı'', قازى ; ; , ''Kazy-karta''; , , ) is a traditional sausage-like food of Bashkirs, Kazakhs, Tatars, Kyrgyz, Uzbeks and other Turkic or Central Asian ethnic groups.chuchuk.

Historical background

The cuisine of Central Asia developed within the constraints of a nomadic life, when people were completely reliant on their animals. This is reflected in Central Asian dishes, which are rich in meat and dairy products. The construction of beshbarmak as a national dish dates to the

Soviet literature Russian literature refers to the literature of Russia, its émigrés, and to Russian-language literature. Major contributors to Russian literature, as well as English for instance, are authors of different ethnic origins, including bilingual ...

having inherited the

nomadic Nomads are communities without fixed habitation who regularly move to and from areas. Such groups include hunter-gatherers, pastoral nomads (owning livestock), tinkers and trader nomads. In the twentieth century, the population of nomadic pa ...

and "settler" dichotomy from the

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire that spanned most of northern Eurasia from its establishment in November 1721 until the proclamation of the Russian Republic in September 1917. At its height in the late 19th century, it covered about , roughl ...

. Two books were foundational in the formation of the national cuisines of Central Asian peoples: ''Kniga o vkusnoi i zdorovoi pishche'' (

The Book of Tasty and Healthy Food ''The Book of Tasty and Healthy Food'' () is a Russian cookbook written by scientists from the Institute of Nutrition of the Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR. The cookbook was first published in 1939, and a further edition was published i ...

) and ''Natsional’nyie kukhni nashikh narodov'' ( National cuisines of our peoples).

The serving ritual

The serving of beshbarmak is steeped in ritual. If an animal, such as a sheep, was slaughtered in a guest's honor, then the host serves ''ustukan'', different cuts of meat, to different people, depending on their gender, age, and rank in the social structure. As a sign of respect, the oldest people and honored guests are always presented the prime cuts of the meat. On special occasions, the guest of honor, the eldest male, or the youngest male, receives the ''bash'', the head of the animal, and cuts pieces from it to distribute to other people. The oldest men or aksakal receives the ''jambash'', the thigh bone. The oldest and most respected women receive the ''kuiruk or kuymulchak'', the tailbone. The legs and shoulders are presented to the younger adults, and the smaller bones are reserved for the

daughter-in-law In law and in cultural anthropology, affinity is the kinship relationship created or that exists between two people as a result of someone's marriage. It is the relationship each party in the marriage has to the family of the other party in th ...

of the house. The ''omurtka'', the spine, is given to the children. Other ''ustukans'' include the ''joto jïlïk,'' tibia or shin bone, the ''kashka jïlïk,'' thigh or femur bone, the bone from rib to thigh called the ''karchiga'', a rib without fat called the ''kara kabirga'', the ''kar jïlïk'' or radius bone, ''dalii'' or shoulder blade, the ''toshi,'' breast or brisket, and the ''kung jïlïk,'' bone from the leg to the shoulder blade.

Preparation

In the classic variant of beshbarmak, as it is now prepared in northern

(especially in the

Naryn region Naryn Region is the largest region of Kyrgyzstan. It is located in the east of the country and borders with Chüy Region in the north, Issyk-Kul Region in the northeast, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China in the southeast, Osh Region i ...

), a good, sharp knife called ''maki'' () is required to thinly dice all the ingredients before they are put on the dastarkhan. The dish also requires a pot to boil the meat and noodles in, and a rolling pin to roll out the noodles, also the use of a fork with five tines on it to help with the tradition Beshbarmak is prepared by first boiling a piece of meat, such as the rump of a horse, or a rack of lamb, or

Qazı Qazı (, ''qazı'', قازى ; ; , ''Kazy-karta''; , , ) is a traditional sausage-like food of Bashkirs, Kazakhs, Tatars, Kyrgyz, Uzbeks and other Turkic or Central Asian ethnic groups.chuchuk horsemeat sausage. In warm seasons, beshbarmak is usually made with

mutton Lamb and mutton, collectively sheep meat (or sheepmeat) is one of the most common meats around the world, taken from the domestic sheep, ''Ovis aries'', and generally divided into lamb, from sheep in their first year, hogget, from sheep in thei ...

. The noodle dough is made from flour, water, eggs, and salt, and rested for 40 minutes. Then the dough is rolled out very thinly, and cut into noodles.

References

External links

Besh barmak
{{DEFAULTSORT:Besbarmaq Bashkir cuisine Kazakh cuisine Kyrgyz cuisine Turkmen cuisine Uyghur cuisine Uzbek dishes Soviet cuisine Tatar cuisine National dishes Lamb dishes Mixed noodles Communal eating