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Turkmen cuisine, thecuisine ofTurkmenistan, is similar to that of the rest ofCentral Asia. Turkmenseminomadic culture revolved around animal husbandry, especially sheep herding, and accordingly Turkmen cuisine is noted for its focus on meat, particularly mutton and lamb.[1] One source notes,
The nomadic past has left a very noticeable trace in Turkmen cuisine - the basis of the diet is meat: lamb, meat of gazelles, non-working camels, wild fowl, chicken. Beef is consumed much less frequently because this food appeared on the table much later, Turkmens don't eat horse meat at all.[2]
Turkmen cuisine does not generally usespices or seasonings other than salt and black pepper, and is typically cooked with large amounts of widely availablecottonseed oil.[3]
A description of Turkmen foods presented at an annual culinary festival included "...more than 15 kinds of soup, meat and fish delicacies, ruddy ichlekli (meat pies), appetizing gutaps with different fillings (pumpkin, spinach), crumbly pilaf, kelle bash ayak and chekdirme, whole roasted lamb, kakmach, hearty yarma, numerous salads, traditional pishme, as well as sweets..."[4] At a formal ribbon-cutting ceremony for new housing, the offerings included "...all kinds of meat, poultry and fish dishes, cereals, vegetables and gourds, soups, culinary products made of dough, dairy products and drinks prepared according to ancient recipes. These include tamdyrlama, ichlekli, yarma, dograma, different kinds of pilaf, çorba, somsa, pishme, süzme, çal, agaran and much else."[5]
Shashlyk (Turkmen:çişlik), skewered chunks ofmutton, lamb,chicken, or sometimesfish, grilled overcharcoal and garnished with raw slicedonion and a specialvinegar-based sauce, is served in restaurants and often sold in the street. Shashlyk from pork and beef was introduced during the Russian Imperial period, and is easily found in major cities.Kebabs of ground meat are commonly prepared from beef and occasionally camel.Kakmach (Turkmen:kakmaç) is preserved, dried meat prepared in individual portions or strips.Kakmach may be fried in fat or baked in atandoor, but it is traditionally dried likejerky in the hot desert sun.[1][3]
Gowurma is deep-fat-fried meat in bite-sized chunks, typically cooked in a cauldron (Turkmen:gazan, a large hemispherical iron pot placed over an open fire).Gowurma is used in various soups and can be eaten hot or cold, or put up for later use.[2]
A wide variety of filled pies and dumplings are available in restaurants andbazaars.Manty are steamed dumplings filled withground meat,onions orpumpkin. Typical fried dishes includesomsa,gutap (often filled withspinach), fitchi(fitçi),börek, andichlekli(içlekli). These are popular with travelers and taxi drivers, as they can be eaten quickly on the run, and are often sold at roadside stands.
In the culinary arena, Turkmenistan is perhaps most famous for itsmelons (Turkmen:gawun), especially in the formerSoviet Union, where it was once the major supplier. Turkmen state-controlled media have referred to the melon as the "tsarina of the garden" (Russian:царица бахчи).[6] Though very few melons are exported today,[7] they are a great source of national pride in Turkmenistan and subject of their ownMelon Day holiday.[8] Turkmen sources claim the country is home to up to 400 distinct varieties.
Residents ofoases usepomegranate (Turkmen:nar) as a flavoring, often crushing for juice to be added to or mixed into dishes.[9]
Pumpkins (Turkmen:kädi) are mainly used as a soup flavoring but, hollowed out, may be used as a vessel for baking casseroles or meats. Pumpkin seeds are crushed for cooking oil.[10]
Although a foreign import from theNew World, tomatoes have become a major influence on Turkmen cuisine in the last two centuries. Tomatoes are pickled, dried, pureed, and chopped for adding to dishes, and made into tomato soup and juice.[11]
Meals are almost always served withnaan, Central Asianflatbread, known locally asçörek. Turkmen bread is prepared differently from other breads in the region in thick, round disc-shaped loaves baked in a traditionaltamdyr clay oven. Bread baked with meat inside (etli çörek, or "meat bread") can be consumed as a meal in itself.Ýagly çörek (literally "oily bread, buttery bread") is a flaky, layered type of flat bread made withbutter. Pishme (Turkmen:pişme) are soft, bite-sized, sweetened, fried breads traditionally presented to arriving guests as a welcoming gesture.
Bread bears highly symbolic importance inTurkmen culture.[12] It is considered highly impolite to turn a loaf of bread upside down or to mistreat bread in any way. There are many superstitions surrounding bread and its preparation. In the words of Turkmen state-controlled media,
...the main role in the hospitality of the peoples of Central Asia is played by bread -çörek, which also serves as a symbol of hospitality, brotherhood, honor, hard work, prosperity, gratitude and the kindest wishes. Bread is baked in many kinds...ancient recipes have many modern variations, but the matter is not even in the ingredients themselves, which determine the softness, puffiness and taste of dough, but in the special ritual of its preparation, especially for festive meals...[4]
The student of Turkmen culture Sergey Demidov wrote,
And yet, despite the high authority of the horse, there was something even higher and more sacred in the Turkmen household, bearing the stamp of taboo from ancient times. This was the tamdyr, the oven for bakingçörek - a symbol of life, well-being and family hearth, supported by the sanctity of bread and, perhaps, by echoes ofZoroastrian-Mazdean beliefs associated with fire. Therefore, in the scale of ethical values there might have been a judgment such as: "It is better to slit a horse's throat or rob someone than to destroy a tamdyr".[13]
Pilaf (Turkmen:palaw) is served at celebrations and to honored guests; one source calls it "king in Turkmen cuisine."[14] It consists ofrice typically cooked with chunks ofmutton andcarrots,onions, andgarlic, prepared in a large cast-iron cauldron. Different pilaf recipes may call for addition of raisins (Turkmen:kişmiş), fruits, fish, and ground meat.[3] Pilaf is traditionally eaten with the hands.
Yarma (Turkmen:ýarma, from the Turkmen wordýarym "half, split") is cracked wheat cooked in sheep fat with very small pieces of mutton mixed in for flavor. The dish is claimed to have existed for at least one thousand years.[15] Shule (Turkmen:şüle) is a watery rice porridge with meat, sometimes served with shredded carrots.[16] Sorghum porridge (Turkmen:etli köje) is a traditional dish for theNovruz festival; the dish is ancient, for sorghum was introduced to the Turkmen by trade on theSilk Road.[17]
Shurpa (Turkmen:şurpa), meat boullion, is the base of most soups. The most traditional Turkmen soups are various types of unash (Turkmen:unaş), made with milk and noodles or with beans and noodles. Other common soups includedograma (alsodogramaly şurpa), made with diced organ meats and bread, onion, and tomato;[18] dumpling soup (Turkmen:etli börek şurpasy); andmung bean soup (Turkmen:şurpa maş).[2] Suytlash (Turkmen:süýtlaş, alsosüýtli unaş andsüýtli aş) is a vermicelli pudding traditionally served as the second course at wedding feasts. Some variants use rice in lieu of vermicelli.[19] Though considered by some Turkmen to be a type of porridge, Turkmen cookbooks categorize it as a soup.[20][21] Drawing from culinary traditions of neighbors,lagman, a soupyUyghur noodle dish, is also common.
As in the rest ofCentral Asia,green tea (Turkmen:çaý) is the primary drink, consumed at all hours. In theTurkmen language,çaý (pronounced "chai") can refer either to a meal (typically breakfast) or to sitting down for a visit over tea.[14][22] In theDashoguz region, it is sometimes drunk "Kazakh-style" with milk, often to disguise the salty taste of the drinking water in that area.
Gatyk, a thick drinkingyogurt similar tokefir, is often served withbreakfast and sometimes used as a condiment onbörek ormanty, replacing the traditionalsour cream. The drink the nation is known for, however, isçal ("chal"),fermentedcamel'smilk, which is a white sparkling beverage with a sour flavour, popular in Central Asia, particularly in Turkmenistan.[23] Because of specific preparation requirements and its being extremely perishable,çal presents a great challenge for exporters to ship outside Turkmenistan or the region for foreign consumption.[24] It is similar to the Kyrgyz drinkshoro. One source notes that Turkmens like to skimagaran (a type ofbutter) from the surface ofchal.[25]
Vodka (Turkmen:arak) is the most popular alcoholic beverage, due to its relatively low cost, followed bybeer,wine,brandy, andsparkling wine (Russian:шампанскоеshampanskoye). Spirits and beer were introduced during theRussian imperial period. Beer was introduced in the 19th century by German brewers and though not a traditional beverage is popular in urban areas. Two domestic beer brands, Berk and Zip, are produced in Turkmenistan.[26][27][28]
Archeological exploration indicates viticulture in the oasis area north of theKopet Dag Mountains dates to the 3rd-2nd centuries BCE. Wheat was cultivated in the lowlands and vineyards were planted in the foothills. Wine grapes were also grown in the upperMurghab Valley near the present-day Turkmenistan-Afghanistan border. Introduction of Islam to Central Asia did not impede continuation of wine production, in part because wine is central toSufism.[29] In the 21st century, Turkmenistan produces over 200 different grape wines and brandies from 100 grape varieties.[30]
Fish forms part of the traditional diet ofTurkmen tribes residing near theCaspian Sea and along theAmu Darya. The Caspian Turkmen recipes call for both grilling and frying fish, but serving with "sesame, rice, apricots, raisins, pomegranate juice."[31]
Restaurants in Turkmenistan often also serveRussian fare such aspelmeni,buckwheat (grechka),golubtsy, and a wide variety of mayonnaise-basedsalads. The potato and tomato, both introduced from theNew World, are widely used in meal preparation.[32] Urban steakhouses have appeared inAshgabat, the capital city.[33][34][35]
In Turkmen cities of Iran, some restaurants serve common Persian foods such as Jujeh kabab and Chelow kabab, and some shops only cook kebabs and inner organs like liver and fat, which are cooked with skewers on mangal as in kebab shops in other parts of Iran.
