Turkmenistan’s dry continental climate and the Turkmens’ traditionally semi-nomadic lifestyle, which focused on animal husbandry and agriculture, shaped much of the Local Food in Turkmenistan. Dried meat products, bread and vegetables formed the basis of the people’s simple but varied diet.
Today, young camel, mutton and sometimes goat meat are still eaten in Turkmenistan. Several notable characteristics of Turkmenistan’s dry continental climate and the Turkmens’ traditionally semi-nomadic lifestyle, which focused on animal husbandry and agriculture, shaped much of the Local Food in Turkmenistan. Dried meat products, bread and vegetables formed the basis of the people’s simple but varied diet. distinguish it from the cuisines found in other Central Asian countries: Poultry is more common than beef in Turkmenistan, and horse meat is never eaten, unlike in neighboring Kazakhstan. Unlike the rest of Central Asia, Turkmenistan is known for its extensive fish cuisine, thanks to its long Caspian Sea coastline and the presence of many rivers.
In addition to historical Turkmen cuisine and Turkmen delicacies, the country is also famous for all kinds of melons and other juicy fruits.
Turkmen meat dishes
No proper meal in Turkmenistan is complete without meat and meat dishes! Turkmenistan’s dry continental climate and the Turkmens’ traditionally semi-nomadic lifestyle, which focused on animal husbandry and agriculture, shaped much of the Local Food in Turkmenistan. Dried meat products, bread and vegetables formed the basis of the people’s simple but varied diet. eat fried, boiled, stewed and baked meat, as well as dried and cooked meat called kakmach (kokmach) and garyn.Turkmen cuisine offers several types of fried mutton, including govurma (simply fried), kovurma (fried with fat), govurlan et (fried with tomatoes) and chekedirme (stew with potatoes and tomatoes).An interesting dish unique to Central Asian cuisine is yashtykma, a stuffed poultry usually made with duck or goose.There are dozens of types of kebab (shashlik). The most famous variety is called keikzeren kebab and is made from the meat of a young mountain goat.Turkmen also love a meat and noodle dish called gulak (beshbarmak) and kurdak, which is roasted meat with vegetables. Gazanlama (kazanlama) is meat cooked over hot coals. Buglama is a stew, and tamdirlama is meat cooked in a traditional clay oven called a tamdir.Durushde dikma is tomatoes, bell peppers and eggplants stuffed with minced meat and rice.But the most popular food in Turkmenistan is a rice dish called aish (pilaf). Unlike pilaf from neighboring countries, Turkmen pilaf is made with poultry and apricots instead of red meat and raisins.
Turkmen people also love a dish called yok, similar to pilaf. Yok is a crushed grain and wheat porridge cooked in meat broth.
Local Food in Turkmenistan, Soups
Soups are abundant in Turkmenistan’s dry continental climate and the Turkmens’ traditionally semi-nomadic lifestyle, which focused on animal husbandry and agriculture, shaped much of the Local Food in Turkmenistan. Dried meat products, bread and vegetables formed the basis of the people’s simple but varied diet. and are served both on a daily basis and for festivals.Chorba is a lamb broth made with spices. Gara-chorba is a tomato soup and kovurma-chobra is a soup in which meat is fried and then boiled.Bean soups are very popular as Turkmen national food and include genatma (pea soup); unash (bean soup with noodles); chorba-mash made from green mung beans; and nohudli-chorba (nokudli chorba), a soup made from chickpeas and lamb.There is also a dumpling soup called etli-borek chorbasy and a sausage soup called kyfta shurpa.Dogromma chorba consists of mutton, offal, pieces of bread (chorek) and sour plums. Mastawa is a rice soup, ampach zashi is a soup made of roasted flour, herbs, onions and spices, and narin is a soup made of thinly sliced ​​noodles, meat and broth.
Local Food in Turkmenistan, Dairy Products
Turkmen people drink a lot of sheep and camel milk and are known for their many dairy and fermented milk products.
Gatik is served in almost every home. This thick kefir can be eaten with soup, meat dishes or simply with hot flatbread.katyk is a thick yogurt. Chaal (Chala) is a slightly carbonated fermented camel milk drink.Sary Yag is a ghee made from camel milk.Hard is a round dry cheese. Teleme is a cheese made from sheep milk with a consistency similar to yogurt.Sakman is a delicate cheese resembling lightly salted feta cheese.Dairy products in Turkmenistan’s dry continental climate and the Turkmens’ traditionally semi-nomadic lifestyle, which focused on animal husbandry and agriculture, shaped much of the Local Food in Turkmenistan. Dried meat products, bread and vegetables formed the basis of the people’s simple but varied diet. include Ashgabat’s famous okroshka (cold dairy soup) and porridges such as whitely-ash (milk porridge), sutly-unash (noodles with milk) and yagly-shul (rice milk porridge).
Turkmen Dough Dishes
Turkmenistan’s dry continental climate and the Turkmens’ traditionally semi-nomadic lifestyle, which focused on animal husbandry and agriculture, shaped much of the Local Food in Turkmenistan. Dried meat products, bread and vegetables formed the basis of the people’s simple but varied diet. have won the heart of the locals and of many a tourist. Among the most common dough dishes are dumplings called etli-borek and manti (berek). Unlike in other Central Asian nations, these dumplings are made not just with minced meat but also with spinach and an herb called purslane. In the Lebap Region they even love to eat these dumplings with raw eggs.Savory pies are often made in Turkmenistan. Ishlekli is a festive meat pie baked between two frying pans in the ashes of a tandoor oven. Gutab (gutapa) resembles the Russian cheburek in shape and is filled with greens or spinach. Atli-nan is a meat pie and fitch a type of mutton pie.Squirrel is a dish made from unleavened dough which is rolled into small squares, boiled and laid out on a plate. A hot meat broth and dairy products are then poured on top.Hagenek is a batter made from flour, eggs, milk and salt which is poured into a pan and baked.Jazhyly bukche is a dough dish made using the insides of a ram.In northern Turkmenistan they love to eat byzmyk, a semi-liquid dough squeezed by hand into boiling meat broth.Dograma is a dish made from boiled meat, onions and pieces of flaky bread. The ingredients are mixed together and covered in a hot broth.
Turkmen Fish Dishes
Turkmen cuisine abounds in fish dishes made from sturgeon, pike perch, cod, halibut, carp, stellate sturgeon, kutum, catfish and mullet.The best fish dishes are prepared by Ogurdzhali residents along the Caspian coastline, who make kebabs and even fish pilaf, as well as various roasted and fried fish dishes. Pilaf made from fish is called balikli yanahli aish. The fish for pilaf is first boiled in broth with herbs and then stewed in sour cream.Balik berek – manti with fish – is a very popular food in Turkmenistan, as is Ogurdzhalinskaya shorba, a noodle soup with fish.
Turkmen Bread
Bread is the second most popular product in Turkmenistan after meat. As in ancient times, today it is customary to bake it in a clay tamdir oven, also called a tandoor.The most famous Turkmen bread is flatbread, and the most famous flatbread is chorek (churek). Atli-chorek is made with meat, while yagli-chorek and katala are fluffy, buttery varieties.Chapar is a thin bread baked in a tamdir. Turkmens also love flaky gatlama and fried chelpek (silkpack) bread.Although most local breads are made from sour yeast dough, unleavened bread can also be found.
Turkmen Drink
Tea is the main drink of Turkmenistan, and locals can drink it by the literal liter. In some regions of the country they like green tea (Gok or Gek tea) and in others black tea (Gara tea).The unique Chorbo tea is made from camel thorns and includes pieces of meat and butter. Sherbet and Bekmesum (Doshabum) are made from fruit juices. Agaran is a drink made from camel milk and yeast that is occasionally stirred as it is left in a dark place for two days.
Turkmen spices
Turkmenistan’s dry continental climate and the Turkmens’ traditionally semi-nomadic lifestyle, which focused on animal husbandry and agriculture, shaped much of the Local Food in Turkmenistan. Dried meat products, bread and vegetables formed the basis of the people’s simple but varied diet. is incomplete without spices! These include pepper (red and black), parsley, mint, cumin, saffron, garlic, uzgun or buzguktu (pistachio shells), sesame and more. Spices are added not only to meat but also to fish dishes, soups, drinks and even desserts.
Turkmen sweet
Turkmenistan’s dry continental climate and the Turkmens’ traditionally semi-nomadic lifestyle, which focused on animal husbandry and agriculture, shaped much of the Local Food in Turkmenistan. Dried meat products, bread and vegetables formed the basis of the people’s simple but varied diet. melons are the country’s finest dessert, although its honey, halva and dried fruit compotes are also very tasty.One of the most famous desserts in Turkmenistan is jam made from the roots of the lily tree. Pies filled with persimmons also offer a unique sweetness.People in Turkmenistan love various choux pastries made from yeast dough and shortbread cakes called kulche. No meal is complete without bakhlava (pastry with nuts and honey) and nabat (yellow crystalline sugar).Sumelek is a dessert made from sprouted wheat that is prepared once a year for Novruz (Persian New Year).Eating Turkmen food, whether in the form of meat or flour dishes, hearty soups or warm bread, is a chance to experience the culture of this unique land.
Turkmen holiday Dishes
Although it is commonly believed that Central Asians consider pilaf to be the ultimate festive food, this is not entirely true. In addition to pilaf, Turkmen have been preparing many other festive dishes for generations. Being a guest at holidays and special events is a unique and special occasion. If you find yourself at such a gathering in Turkmenistan, here are some delicious Turkmen holiday dishes you may be served: kazanlama, dzyli bukche, Turkmen pilaf, and dograma.
Turkmen Poultry Dishes
The Trans-Caspian Turkmen are distinguished from their Central Asian neighbors by their love of white meat, especially waterfowl. Among Turkmen poultry dishes, a stewed stuffed poultry called yashtykma is particularly delicious.