r/Kazakhstan • u/watershed_blu • 2h ago
Cultural exchange/Mädeni almasu HongKonger trying Kazakhstan food
I am a 22yo female having a 10 day trip in Kazakhstan. So far I have tried some local food, and feel like sharing here.
Beshbarmak (horse)
I ate at Navat. I like it being flavourful without too much seasoning. Noodles underneath remind me of wonton, very comforting, especially at my first night arriving Almaty
Beef manty (fried)
Not so sure if it’s authentic, I ate at Lanzhou noodles. But I quite like it, thin skin with finely chopped meat that is unlike many minced meat one I had ate
Then I went to Yurta at my last night in Almaty. I ate lamb samsa (they sold out of camel meat one) A nice little starter.
For main dish I ordered syrne, a good balance between lean meat, fat and tendon. And I must say that Kazakhstan is good at bringing out the flavour of the meat but not cover it with too much sauce and spices. I like their desert too.
Then I arrived at Astana today. I felt a bit sick, haven’t seen much yet. But feeling a bit unproductive, I decided to get some Kazakhstan local food in supermarket and call it a day.
First up I need to brew some tea, Piala gold tastes just about right, not too strong not too bland, a bit like PG tips in UK (I live in UK)
Then I ate some chocolate, and found out that I might have get the wrong brand, this one is Bayan Sulu, I think I need to get the Rakhat one. This one tastes just fine.
Time for sth more challenging, qurt. Sorry I need to say that it is a bit too challenging for me. But this is a very new experience. I didn’t get it in green bazaar because I am afraid that smaller portion is unavailable. I am also extremely introverted to ask about it.
After that I had some tah, to be honest I can’t find too much information on this one. Is this really a Kazakhstan thing? I was expecting sth like Milkis, but my first mouthful of it completely changed this thought. There was zero sweetness, even had a bit of underlying saltiness.
But it started to get addictive, the desire to analyse what it taste like force me to drink more. Like a thinner salty lassi with bubble, the most surprising finding of the day.
I also tasted a bit Shubat, I am intolerable to alcohol so just a little, it may not be accurate. It tasted like liquid qurt, but it won’t spread in the mouth and melt so it went more smooth.
Will be staying at Astana and Shemkent each for three nights. I would also like to try pilaf, any other food I need to try or restaurant recommendations?
And nah, I don’t just eat, except some regular tourist spot I went to see each Almaty metro station and got super impressed. Unfortunately there isn’t any show in Abai Theatre this few days, but the museum and architecture itself is beautiful enough for me to go there.
Enjoying my time here so far