Gastronomy

Russian, European, Oriental, Asian, Pan–Asian and even American cuisine - no matter how you are a gourmet or the owner of strictly defined taste preferences, there will definitely be what you need.

But of course, the feature of this gastronomic diversity was and will be the traditional Kazakh cuisine, which most clearly conveys the flavor of the nomad land.

National cuisine is not only a mandatory attribute of the daily life of Kazakhs, but also embodies their inherent hospitality, traditions and elements of nomadic culture.

It is noteworthy that each dish has its own history, purpose and even a reason for cooking (some of them were most often served during the reception of guests).

The main source of food for nomads was cattle, meat and dairy products accounted for up to 80 percent of the total diet. In order to somehow diversify such a "harsh" menu, they sought to use absolutely everything that an animal could give – meat, fat, entrails, and of course, milk.

Milk was more often drunk not in its pure form, but they came up with a solid list of fermented milk drinks that can be stored for a very long time, have a refreshing taste, perfectly combine with hearty national dishes and, most importantly, have an extremely positive effect on the body. This is how shubat appeared – a drink made from camel milk, koumiss – from mare's milk, ayran – from cow's milk and much more. All this is still very popular among Kazakhstanis today.

National dishes are offered almost everywhere, they are able to cook delicious and serve beautifully. Thanks to the efforts of progressive restaurateurs, the trend of turning Kazakh cuisine into the main feature and business card for gastrotourism in Kazakhstan is clearly noticeable.

The specificity and simplicity of the ingredients of traditional Kazakh dishes have become the starting point for the flight of fancy of famous Kazakh chefs and restaurateurs. They managed to develop a completely new concept of ancient treats with the help of high (culinary) technologies and extensive knowledge (up to the molecular compatibility of different products), turning them into a real ensemble of taste and aroma.

In fine dining restaurants, art is being created that you definitely need to try. For example, an amazing culinary masterpiece – the tenderest camel terrine – is a cross between a pate and a casserole of meat whipped to a creamy state. By the way, camel meat has always been highly valued by nomads because of its sweet, delicate taste. Kazakh meat snacks are also world-famous, the decoration of any dastarkhan, you don't even need to modernize in any way – with the original presentation, they already fit perfectly into the menu of gourmet restaurants: dried horse meat and lamb, juicy kazy with uniform inclusions of incredibly tender and sweet fat, boiled beef tongue and meat with spices.

A meat treat for those who want to literally feel the "taste of the steppe" and touch the gastronomic culture of nomads is kuyrdak – a dish of three types of meat and baked side dish; foal ribs with a slight hint of fragrant hot smoked.

Besbarmak can even be taken out of this list, such a dish absolutely does not tolerate competition. Even in haute cuisine restaurants, its preparation almost completely follows the canons of ancient recipes.