Beshbarmak

Beshbarmak(Kyrgyz:бешбармак;Bashkir:бишбармаҡ,romanized:bişbarmaq;lit.'five fingers')is a dish inCentral Asian cuisine. It is also known asnaryninXinjiang,Uzbekistan,KyrgyzstanandKazakhstan, asturamainKarakalpakstanandNorth Caucasus, asdogramainTurkmenistan, askullamainBashkortostanandTatarstan. It is one of the mainnational dishesof bothKyrgyzstanandKazakhstan.
The termbeshbarmakmeans "five fingers" because nomads traditionally eat this dish with their hands.Another name for beshbarmak in Kyrgyz istuuralgan et, which means crumbled/chopped meat. Beshbarmak is usually made from finely chopped boiledmeat, mixed withdough(typically egg noodles) andchyk, an onion sauce. It is typically served on large communal platters, shared between several people,aftershorpo, which is a first course of mutton broth served in bowls calledkese.It is also followed by a broth called ak-serke(shorpo mixed withkymyzorayran), which is thought to help with settling the stomach.Festive beshbarmak can be cooked together withQazıandchuchuk.
The cuisine of Central Asia developed within the constraints of a nomadic life, when people were completely reliant on their animals. This is reflected in Central Asian dishes, which are rich in meat and dairy products.
The construction of beshbarmak as a national dish dates to theSoviet literaturehaving inherited thenomadicand "settler" dichotomy from theRussian Empire. Two books were foundational in the formation of the national cuisines of Central Asian peoples:Kniga o vkusnoi i zdorovoi pishche(The Book of Tasty and Healthy Food) andNatsional’nyie kukhni nashikh narodov(National cuisines of our peoples).
The serving of beshbarmak is steeped in ritual. If an animal, such as a sheep, was slaughtered in a guest's honor, then the host servesustukan, different cuts of meat, to different people, depending on their gender, age, and rank in the social structure. As a sign of respect, the oldest people and honored guests are always presented the prime cuts of the meat.
On special occasions, the guest of honor, the eldest male, or the youngest male, receives thebash, the head of the animal, and cuts pieces from it to distribute to other people. The oldest men oraksakalreceives thejambash,the thigh bone. The oldest and most respected women receive thekuiruk or kuymulchak, the tailbone. The legs and shoulders are presented to the younger adults, and the smaller bones are reserved for thedaughter-in-lawof the house. Theomurtka, the spine, is given to the children.
Otherustukansinclude thejoto jïlïk,tibia or shin bone, thekashka jïlïk,thigh or femur bone, the bone from rib to thigh called thekarchiga, a rib without fat called thekara kabirga, thekar jïlïkor radius bone,daliior shoulder blade, thetoshi,breast or brisket, and thekung jïlïk,bone from the leg to the shoulder blade.
In the classic variant of beshbarmak, as it is now prepared in northernKyrgyzstan(especially in theNaryn region), a good, sharp knife calledmaki(Kyrgyz:маки)  is required to thinly dice all the ingredients before they are put on thedastarkhan. The dish also requires a pot to boil the meat and noodles in, and a rolling pin to roll out the noodles, also the use of a fork with five tines on it to help with the tradition
Beshbarmak is prepared by first boiling a piece of meat, such as the rump of a horse, or a rack of lamb, orQazıorchuchukhorsemeat sausage. In warm seasons, beshbarmak is usually made withmutton.
The noodle dough is made from flour, water, eggs, and salt, and rested for 40 minutes. Then the dough is rolled out very thinly, and cut into noodles.