About
“Food is not just sustenance; it's a connection to our roots, a celebration of our culture, and a way to bring people together.”Kurmanjan Datka could’ve been talking about many things, but for the Kyrgyz and Kazakh people, she might as well have been talking about beshbarmak — the dish that tastes like the open steppe, like horses breathing steam in cold air, like generations gathered around one shared platter.
Beshbarmak is as straightforward as food gets: boiled meat — horse if you’re doing it the traditional way, lamb or beef if you’re not — served over wide, flat noodles and drenched in a simple onion broth. No theatrics, no garnish, no apology. It’s a dish built for people who lived with the weather, who moved with their animals, who understood that survival doesn’t always need seasoning.
Its roots go way back to the nomadic life of the Kyrgyz, pastoralists who measured their wealth in livestock and learned to use every part of the animals that fed them. Long before anyone cared about plating or presentation, beshbarmak was eaten as it was meant to be: from a massive communal platter, torn apart with bare hands. The name literally means “five fingers,” because utensils don’t matter much when the food is hot, hearty, and meant to be shared.
And that’s the real point. Beshbarmak isn’t just a meal; it’s an act of hospitality. When you serve it, you’re not feeding hunger, you’re honoring guests. Weddings, festivals, major life moments — this dish sits at the center of the table like an elder, steady and respected, reminding everyone that community comes first.
Even now, as Kyrgyzstan shifts and modernizes, beshbarmak holds its ground. You find it in restaurants dressed up for tourists, and in homes where grandmothers still make it the old way, the way their grandmothers did before them. It’s a taste of who the Kyrgyz were, and who they still are — resilient, generous, and deeply tied to the land.
One plate of beshbarmak, and you understand the steppe a little better. The simplicity, the honesty, the unity. It’s not just food. It’s a bridge to the past, served hot and shared by hand.
Samp is meant to be simple and nourishing. Its texture can be adjusted easily: add more water for a looser porridge or simmer longer for a thicker, almost pudding-like consistency. It is one of the closest dishes you can make today to the foods shared at the earliest recorded harvest gatherings in New England.
If you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram or Pinterest – seeing your creations always makes my day. Let's explore international cuisine together!
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Beshbarmak From Kyrgyzstan
Beshbarmak is a dish made with boiled meat, usually horse, lamb or beef, served on a bed of flat noodles and topped with onion sauce.
Prep time
45 mins
Cook time
3 hours
Serves
3-5
INGREDIENTS
For the meat and broth:
1 kg lamb or beef, cut into chunks, Horse can be used and is traditional in the region
1-2 beef bones
2 pieces beef or horse sausage
2 onions, peeled and halved
3-4 cloves of garlic, peeled
1-2 tablespoons Vegeta or one beef broth cube
1 tablespoon black pepper
Salt to taste
Water
For the noodles:
500g all-purpose flour
1 egg
Water
For the onion sauce:
3-4 onions, thinly sliced
Vegetable oil or lamb fat
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
Salt and pepper to taste
Dill over top
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Instructions
A thick hand pulled noodle dish topped with stewed beef or even horse if you're a little adventurous
Click here for video recipe and story on Instagram
Prepare the Meat and Broth:
Place the meat chunks, bones halved onions, garlic, and a pinch of salt in a large pot.
Cover with water and bring to a boil. Skim off any foam that rises to the surface.
Reduce the heat to a simmer and let the meat cook until it's tender and easily falls apart, about 1.5 to 2 hours.
Make the Noodles:
In a mixing bowl, combine the flour and a pinch of salt.
Beat the egg and add it to the flour. Gradually add water while kneading to form a smooth dough.
Let dough sit for 20 mins in plastic wrap.
Roll out the dough into a thin sheet and cut it into diamond-shaped or square piece, about 3inch in diameter.
Cook the Noodles:
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil.
Drop the diamond-shaped dough pieces into the boiling water and cook until they float to the surface. Remove them with a slotted spoon and set aside. Should take 2-4 minutues.
Prepare the Onion Sauce:
Heat vegetable oil or lamb fat in a pan and sauté the sliced onions until they are golden and caramelized. Add cumin seeds
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Add two-3 spoons of your broth from your boiled meat.
let cook for 5 more minutes.
Assemble the Beshbarmak:
Remove cooked meat, sausage from pot.
arrange noodles on bottom of plate, top them up with meat, sausage and garnish with raw chopped onions and parsley.
Serve:
Drizzle half of the caramelized onion sauce over the noodles and meat.
Pour the rest in a bowl to be eaten with the meal.
Beshbarmak is traditionally served family-style, with everyone eating from the same large platter using their hands. It's called "five fingers" for a reason. Get in there with your hands!
