We have already talked about why you should plan a trip to Turkmenistan — this unusual yet interesting country. One of the reasons is Turkmen cuisine. In this article, we will share which national Turkmen dishes might surprise and impress you.
Çektirme
Çektirme is a traditional Turkmen dish. It consists of meat stewed with onions and tomatoes. Often, the dish includes additional ingredients. Traditionally, lamb is used for this dish, but beef can also be prepared.
Yyştykma
Yyştykma is a dish of the Caspian Turkmen, made from waterfowl, such as duck, goose, or swan. The dish is a stewed stuffed bird. The filling consists of onions, dried apricots, raisins, and pomegranate or lemon juice.
Çaýçorba
Çorba is a traditional Turkmen dish, a meat soup. The recipe includes meat (beef, lamb, or game), vegetables, all slowly cooked in a large pot.
Balykly Yanhly-Ash
Balykly Yanhly-Ash is Caspian-style Turkmen pilaf. It's an interesting variation, including boneless fish fillets, rice, a lot of carrots, herbs, and lemon or pomegranate juice.
Kakmaç
Turkmen cuisine is famous for its meat dishes. Kakmaç is dried meat sliced into thin strips. It is used as a snack or in various dishes.
Garyn
Garyn is another meat dish. Lamb is cut into pieces, mixed with lamb fat, and tightly packed into a cleaned stomach.
Baklava
A well-known pastry made from puff pastry, soaked in honey syrup or sugar water, and decorated with walnuts.
Gutap
Gutap is a Turkmen pastry in the shape of a crescent, made from unleavened egg dough kneaded with hot water. You may have tried a similar dish in Azerbaijan.
Balyk Berek
Manti with fish: pike-perch, carp, mullet, sturgeon, beluga sturgeon, or kutum. The fish is carefully processed, washed, and cut into small cubes by hand, without a meat grinder. The filling is made with finely chopped onions, spices, and whipped egg, and everything is mixed together.
Chorek
Unleavened flatbreads. They are baked from wheat, barley, or corn flour. In Turkmenistan, they are baked in tandoors.
