I haven't blogged much recently, and for good reason. I was granted two months' vacation by my current employer, and the family made a strong suggestion that I travel somewhere exotic to learn some new food traditions and ingredients to add to my mix. It seems as the kids are growing up and thoughts about college are driving everyone nuts, the parents want to enrich the kids' understanding of world culture. Or maybe they have just grown tired of my food and want me to bring in something new.
Regardless of the way, I actually followed through on their suggestion and booked a trip to a most-unfamiliar region. I spent four weeks in Central Asia, mostly in Kazakhstan. I've heard a lot about Central Asia from some friends of mine who are eco-tourists and hardcore foodies. They say that this mountainous (and at times politically treacherous) part of the world is the next big food paradise. Since I have some connections in Kazakhstan thanks to these friends, it was an obvious location to do some food research.
While I was in Kazakhstan, I did in fact discover some amazing foods, but I also found something else startling. Just weeks before my arrival in Central Asia, President Nazarbayev of Kazakhstan announced a plan to build a giant tent-like pyramid structure in the middle of his capital city of Astana. I'm not necessarily a fan of architecture and giant structures or anything like that, but I'd never thought of this part of the world as the place to find superstructures and monolithic examples of civil rights causes. It turns out that this mega tent city is in fact intended to house a few thousand poor citizens of Astana who have a tough time in this desert region where temperature extremes cause hardship for even the wealthiest people. It will also be a commercial structure and will no doubt play host to some international conferences and meetings. Pretty cool, right?
Okay, on to the food. Kazakhstan is not yet a hotspot for foodies, but if other chefs and food people have the experience I had, that won't be the case for long. Here is a quick look at some of the most interesting and delicious things I ate while in Central Asia.
Kumys - Yes, this is fermented horse milk, and no it is not for the feint of heart. There is a similar drink called shubat made from camel's milk, and the two are considered very distinct beverages with very different celebratory purposes. I couldn't tell a difference in the flavor between the two. I don't think many Westerners will enjoy this particular tipple if only because of its source. The flavor is similar to yogurt but with obvious fermented overtones and a nearly grass-like aftertaste that was exceedingly pleasant. I would love to try it again, but it may not be everyone's cup of tea, so to speak.
Sheep's Head - The locals I ate with didn't call this dish by any particular name, but I could tell it was a special preparation for the strange visitor. A sheep's head cooked low and slow over coals (for eighteen hours or so as far as I could surmise) is served with a large sheet of perfectly al dente pasta, a rich broth that contained more meat from the sheep, and side dishes of local cheeses, fruits, and various pickled goodies. It was a wonderful entree, though again I don't see my employers embracing the idea of me serving a sheep's head to their kids. Still, the flavor profile taught me a lot about incorporating things like pickles and other traditional antipasto appetizers into my usual range of dishes. If I could GET a sheep's head, maybe I would actually try to replicate this.
Beshparmak - This is the national dish of Kazakhstan, literally translated as "five fingers," because it is always eaten with bare hands. It's nothing more than boiled bits of whatever meat is fresh, literally every part of the animal. The night I enjoyed it, we had a young lamb. As a major fan of lamb, I was delighted by the crispy, fatty, gamey flavor of the dish, and happy to be served the most popular meal in-country.
