Sadık Kasimanov divides the foods of 18-20th century Kazakh cuisine into the following categories:

Even today, the most valuable animals for the Kazakhs who have adopted a semi-nomadic lifestyle are horses, sheep, and camels. But the most valued of these is the horse. Horse meat holds a very important place in the nomadic diet.

In the old days, Kazakhs were able to guess what meat came from which pastures, and even how old the animal was and what herd it belonged to.

In nomadic culture, one had to take very good care of his horses. Whatever would be carried could not be cumbersome; it had to be small and light. Generally they used a woven bag, which contained cooked items and concentrated forms of food. Water needs were meet by a water bag made of hide. But one should not suppose that nomads lived on the edge of hunger, or subsisted only on dried foods.

Made of skin, water vessels were light, tough and efficient but naturally could not be placed over a fire. However the nomadic Kazakhs came up with a clever solution to this problem: When they wanted to heat or boil water, they collected small stones and placed them over the fire or left them in the hot sun, then tossed them into the water in the leather bag. In this way they could always make hot soups and other foods out of dried yogurt and cheese they carried.

The Sogdirs (Sogdians) who lived on the border’s of Kazakhstan brought settled agriculture to the Kazakhs. Thus viticulture, the raising of wheat and other grains and especially melons, is not foreign to the Kazakhs. Likewise, when the Kazakhs adopted a settled lifestyle, rice became their most-cultivated grain. In this context we would like to point out that pilaf is one of the most famous of Kazakh foods. In traditional Kazakh food culture, pilaf is made of four different types of rice according to the season. Pilaf appeals to three different senses – sight, smell and taste.

In the nomad-steppe food culture, game meats hold an important place. During hunting or during wars, when people needed to be fed quickly, a horse would be slaughtered and its internal organs removed and cleaned. Then a sheep would be slaughtered and cleaned in the same way. Lastly, game birds would be plucked and cleaned, and in preparation for cooking, stuffed with various wild herbs. The birds were put inside the sheep, the sheep inside the horse, and at dawn, the whole arrangement was cooked over a fire in a large pit. In the evening, when the hunters and soldiers returned, an extravagant feast would be ready. The smells would add to the beauty of the steppes at night.

Examples of Kazakh Dishes

Kazakşa Sorpa

Ingredients:

600 gr mutton
1 large onion, finely chopped
100 gr sheep tail fat
4 T yogurt
½ c rice
½ c dill
Salt to taste
3 quince leaves

Karta (Horse Intestine)

Ingredients:

100 gr horse intestine
1 medium onion, cut in rings
2 T peas
1 t dry dill
Salt to taste

Notes:

Kazı (Horse Meat Sausage)

Ingredients:

5 kg horse meat
Intestine sufficient for the meat
Enough salt for the meat
1 t black pepper
1 head garlic
2 medium onions
2 T peas

Note:

Kazı may also be dried in smoke. To do this, first allow to dry a bit in the wind for 34 hours at 10-12º C. Then dry for 12-18 hours in heavy smoke at 50-60 degrees, then keep for 12-18 hours at 12 º C.

Taba Nan (Pan Bread)

Ingredients:

1 kg flour
2 T yeast
2 c lukewarm water or milk
1 egg
1 t sugar
Salt to taste
2 T butter

1. Make a dough of the sifted flour, yeast, water, salt and sugar, knead well. Place in a warm place and allow to rise for 1.5-2 hours, then knead again and allow to rest.
2. Divide the dough and place in oiled pans according to the size, keeping in mind that the dough will expand.
3. Close one pan with another overturned on the top. First cover on all sides with hot coals from the fire, then some time later, remove and turn without opening, and bury again. When done, serve either hot or cold.

Notes:

1. Pan bread is also now cooked on the stovetop or in the oven. Cook at 200-220 º C, turning once, for 20-26 minutes.
2. To test for doneness, press on the bread with one finger; if it springs back it is done.
3. An alternate method is to make the same dough and place it in a pan, and indent the entire surface with the fingertips. Arrange cut up tail fat over the bread and cook in the same manner as above.

Ekşimik İrimşik - Cheese

Ingredients:

5 lt milk
1 c mayek

1. Put freshly-milked sheep, goat or cow’s milk into a pot and add the starter, washed in warm water. Then cover so as to allow no air to enter, and let stand 2-3 hours.
2. Once the milk has set, remove the starter and heat until the curd separates from the whey.
3. When the irimşik takes on an orange-yellow color, remove from the pan with a strainer and spread out to dry. Once it is dry, place it in a bag and let it dry, first in the breeze and then in the sun to dry well. İrimşik made in this way can be stored for long periods without spoiling.

Notes:

1. İrimşik may be eaten fresh, without drying as well.
2. Mayek: Rennet made from dried kid stomach.