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Food & Drink :
Kazakh dishes include kazi, chuzhuk, suret and besbarmak (made from
horse meat or mutton). Shashlyk (skewered chunks of mutton barbecued
over charcoal) and lepeshka (round unleavened bread) are often sold on
street corners and make an appetising meal. Plov is made up of scraps
of mutton, shredded yellow turnip and rice, and is a staple dish in
all the Central Asian republics. Other mutton dishes such as laghman
and beshbermak include long thick noodles garnished with a spicy meat
sauce. Manty (boiled noodle sacks of meat and vegetables), samsa (samosas)
and chiburekki (deep-fried dough cakes) are all popular as snacks.
Almaty is renowned for its apples – indeed the city was named after
them.
Kazakh tea or chai is very popular and there are national cafes called
Chai-Khana (tea-rooms) where visitors may sip this Kazakh speciality.
It is drunk very strong with cream. Beer, vodka, brandy and sparkling
wine are available in many restaurants. The national speciality is
kumis, fermented mare’s milk. Cafes where this can be ordered are
called Kumis-Khana. Refusing it when offered may cause offence. In the
steppe and desert regions where camels are bred, the camel’s milk,
called shubat, is offered to guests.
Nightlife : There are a number of nightclubs and casinos in
Almaty and several other cities. Many restaurants play music after
2000. Kazakhstan’s most reknowned concert halls and theatres are all
located in Almaty.
Shopping : Located north of Panfilov Park, Almaty has a bazaar,
where a diverse range of items can be bought. Shopping hours: Mon-Sat
0900-2000.
Special Events : The following are some events taking place in
Kazakhstan in 2004 :
Feb 2 Eid-ul-Azha (Feast of the Sacrifice). Aug Voice of Asia Festival
(international song contest with folk festivals attracting people from
all over the south of the country, during which national music, songs,
dance, sports, national costumes and dishes can be experienced),
Almaty; Khan Tengri Mountain Festival (extreme sports climing
competition), Khan Tengri. Nov 14-16 Eid al-Fitr (End of Ramadan).
Social Conventions : Kazakhs are very hospitable. When greeting
a guest, the host gives him/her both hands as if showing that he/she
is unarmed. When addressing a guest or elder, a Kazakh may address
him/her with a shortened form of the guest’s or elder’s name and the
suffix ‘ke’. For example, Abkhan may be called Abeke, Nursultan can be
called Nureke. This should be regarded as indicating a high level of
respect for the visitor. At a Kazakh home, the most honoured guest,
usually the oldest, is traditionally offered a boiled sheep’s head on
a beautiful dish as a further sign of respect. National customs forbid
young people whose parents are still alive from cutting the sheep’s
head. They must pass the dish to the other guests for cutting. Inside
mosques, women observe their own ritual in a separate room, and must
cover their heads and their arms (see the World of Islam appendix for
more information). Formal dress is often required when visiting the
theatre, or attending a dinner party. Shorts should not be worn except
on the sports ground. Tipping: This is not customary at restaurants
and cafes, but is increasingly common in international hotels. A
service charge is included in hotel and restaurant bills. There is
also a fixed charge in taxi and railway transport. |
