The cuisine of Central Asia reflects its history and cultural influences with its Turko-Mongol nomadic heritage, Silk Road connections, Persian and Russian rule and Islamic dietary laws all shaping the food eaten in the region. You will find common dishes throughout Central Asia as well as dishes unique to one or two countries.

Countries and regions

Beef beshbarmak.

Generally the further south you go, the more flavorful the food becomes with greater use of spices in Afghanistan and Tajikistan.

Noodle-based dishes are more popular in Kyrgyzstan, reflecting its closer ties to China.

Ingredients

Central Asian cuisine relies heavily on meat and dairy products. The high level of consumption of horse meat in particular distinguishes the region from much of the rest of the world.

Beverages

• Kumis is fermented mare's milk and has a sharp, sour taste. The alcohol content is around 2%, which is higher than similar fermented dairy drinks such as kefir, which is due to the higher amount of sugar in mare's mlik compared to cow's milk.

Dishes

• Plov is a fragrant dish consisting of meat (beef or lamb), rice, carrots and onions. Most closely associated with Uzbekistani cuisine though plov is found everywhere in Central Asia
• Beshbarmak - one of the signatures dishes of Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. Meat, traditionally horse though beef and lamb is served on top of sheets of egg noodles and is served with an onion broth.
• Qazi - sliced horse meat sausages popular among Kazakhs, Tatars and Kyrgyz. It is considered to be a "strong" and "hot" food and as such is eaten during the winter.
• Mantu/Manti - ground meat and onion dumplings served with a garlic yogurt sauce.
• Ashak - leek or chive dumplings from Afghanistan covered in a meaty sauce, garlic yogurt and a sprinkle of mint powder.
• Svezhiy Salat - the most common salad in Central Asia. An onion, tomatoes and cucumber salad dressed in mayonnaise of oil, or sometimes just salt, pepper and fresh herbs.

See also

• Middle Eastern cuisine
• Russian cuisine