Location: Central Asia
Population: 7 million
Capital: Bishkek
Geography: A landlocked, mountainous country
Language: Kyrgyz, Russian
Signature flavours: Lamb, beef, horse, mutton, noodles, dairy, potato, rice

The Menu

I was thrilled when Kyrgyzstan was randomly drawn for my next assignment. I know next to nothing about Central Asian cuisine and love learning about a brand new cuisine. The more I researched, the more intrigued I became — Kyrgyzstan is where the better known culinary traditions of Russia, China, and Turkey meet. It was completely by accident that I created a menu of dishes that honours all three, as well as a drink that is entirely Kyrgyzstan’s own.

Ashlyanfu: A sour-spicy soup enjoyed cold, consisting of a spiced broth and a vegetable gravy poured over wheat noodles and pieces of starch.

Prep and cooking time: 60 min plus several hours to cool
Difficulty: 3/5

Oromo: Paper-thin pastry rolled around spiced potato and onion, then steamed until sticky.

Prep and cooking time: 60 min
Difficulty: 2/5

Lazadzhan: An oil-based hot sauce found throughout Central Asia made from garlic and dried hot peppers.

Prep and cooking time: 15 min
Difficulty: 1/5

Pirojki: Nearly always served along with ashlyanfu, pirojki are fried pastries filled with spiced meat or potato.

Prep and cooking time: 3 hours
Difficulty: 3/5

Maksym: The ubiquitous fermented drink of Kyrgyzstan, made from wheat, barley, corn, and millet.

Prep and cooking time: 15 hours (includes fermenting time)
Difficulty: 2/5

Chak-chak: Deep fried noodles of dough soaked in honey and sugar and shaped into a dome.

Prep and cooking time: 45 min
Difficulty: 2/5

The Shopping List

During a trip to Toronto a couple of weeks before my assignment, Eric and I made sure to stop at Nations, a huge international food market with a few locations around the city. There I was able to find Chinese vinegar, rice starch, and noodles. All my other ingredients were sourced from my local supermarket.

The Meal

This was an assignment completed in stages: First, the makzym was started, to give it time to ferment. A day later, the lazadzhan was in a jar on the countertop, the flavours ripening. The night before the assignment, I prepared the starch and left it to set in the fridge. The morning of, I made the broth and gravy for the ashlyanfu, so it could cool all day. It wasn’t until late in the afternoon that I went into the kitchen and worked through until the table was set.

We started our meal with the ashlyanfu. There is so much going on with this dish — from the initial surprise of a cold noodle soup to the sour broth to the unusual texture of the starch. I liked it, especially with some lazadzhan added, but I think I would have preferred it hot. Eric was not a fan of it, but luckily it’s often eaten with pirojki, and those he loved. They were so soft and pillowy, stuffed with flavourful soy beef.

The oromo was another winner, with a texture that reminded me of strudel. We topped it with more lazadzhan, and I dipped mine in soy sauce.

The maksym is an acquired taste, reminiscent of slightly sour, slightly salty, very thin oatmeal. Eric didn’t mind it, but I couldn’t quite get my head around the flavour.

We ended with chak-chak, which had waited on a cake stand as we ate dinner, shining with its sugar coating. It was delicious — each crunchy bite bursting with honeyed sweetness.

I enjoyed every minute of cooking my Kyrgyzstani feast. I sang and danced in the kitchen while I stirred, chopped, and plated. I caught myself a couple of times with a big smile on my face as I worked some dough or measured out ingredients. It was just a really enjoyable assignment, and the dishes on the table were full of my joy.

Links
We will cook MAKSYM – a traditional Kyrgyz drink. – YouTube
Kyrgyz recipe for ashlyanfu 😋👍👍👍 Recipe ash-lyamfu. – YouTube
Realy best recipe Kyrgyz oromo. | by Asian Cuisine. – YouTube
Asian Hot Sauce – Lazadzhan – Peter’s Food Adventures
Piroshki Dough Recipe – Valentina’s Corner
FLUFFY, CRISPY, SWEETY | CHAK-CHAK – Fried Honey Cake. Recipe by Always Yummy! – YouTube

Disclaimer: I’m not a professional chef. I’m just a passionate cook with a curiosity for flavours I’ve never tried. For great recipes from gifted local cooks, follow the links above.