Kyrgyz cuisine

Traditional Kyrgyz food revolves around mutton, beef and horse meat, as well as various dairy products.

The preparation techniques and major ingredients have been strongly influenced by the nation's historically nomadic way of life.

Mutton and beef are the favorite meats, although in modern times many Kyrgyz are unable to afford them regularly.

It consists of horse meat (or mutton/beef) boiled in its own broth for several hours and served over homemade noodles sprinkled with parsley.

Beshbarmak means "five fingers" in the Kyrgyz language, and is so called probably because the dish is typically eaten with the hands.

Beshbarmak is most often made during a feast to celebrate the birth of a new child, an important birthday, or to mourn a death in the family, either at a funeral or on an anniversary.

Skewered chunks of mutton grilled over smoking coals that come with raw sliced onions, is served in restaurants and often sold on the street.

Samsa are little pockets with meat and vegetables wrapped in flaky pastry or bread, very similar to Indian samosas.

It consists of thick noodles created by stretching a very simple flour dough, then covered in chopped peppers and other vegetables and served in a spicy vinegary sauce.

One such popular non-alcoholic beverage, especially in the summer, is maksym, a slightly fizzy drink made by fermenting grains.

Maksym was traditionally made in small quantities by women for family consumption; however, this drink was introduced as a commercial product in Bishkek by the company 'Shoro', after which it became widely available all over Kyrgyzstan.

After reaching a certain state of readiness this substance is cooled and undergoes a fermentation process caused by yeast.