Home Cooking and the National Dishes of Kyrgyzstan

A holiday at Issyk-Kul is also a culinary journey. Kyrgyz cuisine was born of the nomadic way of life: hearty, honest, with the scent of the steppe and the mountains. In the dining room of our Barsbek guest house in Cholpon-Ata we cook the homemade way, from fresh local produce, as if for family. Here is what you should definitely try.

The main dishes

• Beshbarmak — the country's signature dish: thinly rolled dough with tender boiled meat and rich broth. The name means five fingers — traditionally it is eaten by hand.
• Lagman — hand-pulled noodles with meat and vegetables in a fragrant sauce, thick or served as a soup.
• Manty — large steamed dumplings with a juicy filling of meat and onion.
• Samsa — golden pastries of layered dough baked in a tandoor.
• Plov — fluffy rice with carrots, meat and spices.

Issyk-Kul fish

The lake is famous for its fish — trout and chebak are fried to a golden crust and served with herbs and vegetables. Fresh fish to the sound of the waves is one of the shore's most memorable culinary experiences.

Pastries and drinks

With tea come hot boorsok — airy pieces of fried dough — along with kaymak (clotted cream), honey and homemade jam. For drinks, try kumys, a fermented mare's milk drink, maksym and jarma made from grains, and on a hot day a cool kompot of local fruit.

How we cook

Our dining room, with its spacious hall and bar counter, serves the guests of the house: breakfasts, lunches and dinners from simple, quality ingredients, without rush or ready-made shortcuts. In their reviews guests most often praise the breakfasts and generous portions. We take your wishes into account — a children's menu, light dishes or a generous festive dastarkhan for a group. We buy meat and vegetables from local farmers and bake the bread and pastries ourselves.

What to take home

Issyk-Kul is famous not only for its dishes but also for produce that is a pleasure to bring back. Visit the local markets for mountain honey, dried apricots, walnuts and sea buckthorn. A special point of pride is the herbal teas of thyme and mountain herbs, along with sea buckthorn and apricot jam. All of it keeps the taste of your holiday for a long time.

Tea and table traditions

In Kyrgyzstan tea is a whole ritual of hospitality. The bowl is filled only part-way: the more honoured the guest, the more often someone comes to pour fresh tea. At the shared table, the dastarkhan, it is customary to share and take your time. We will gladly set such a table for you and tell you about every dish.

Come hungry and curious: the taste of real Kyrgyz cuisine on the shore of the bluest lake will stay with you for a long time.