Grassland flavor

Although the number of Kalmyk people who keep their nomadic lifestyles as their ancestors is decreasing, this ethnic group still preserves almost intact traditional cuisine. Kalmykia cuisine leans towards meat and dairy dishes, energy-rich dishes that help nomadic people easily survive on the Central Asian steppes.

The Kalmyk mainly eat beef and lamb. They have a very unique way of cooking meat called khorkhog. Men will cut the flesh into pieces, leaving the bones intact. Then they put the meat in a tin or aluminum jar with vegetables, hot water and ice. While they rode on the grasslands all day, the stones would boil pieces of meat. So they had a plate of casserole when they stopped for lunch. Before the long trip or the coming winter, people prepare kyur dried meat again. They skillfully slaughter a cow or a sheep so that the whole meat of the animal fits its whole heart. The cook will dig a hole, fill it with coal, wood or dry manure, and burn it to ash. While the ash in the pit is still hot, the heart will be lowered and covered with ash. The men will fill the hole with earth and continue to light the fire above. The result is a piece of dried meat that is both soft and flavorful. Life on horseback has taught the Kalmyk not to give up any part of the animal. They especially value sheep and beef offal. The dotur soup that every family eats is made from sheep’s heart cooked with onions and a variety of herbs. Another favorite dish of shepherds and shepherds is semjer orasn elkn. This dish is made from beef liver or lamb liver wrapped in fat membrane that is scraped from the animal’s heart and then grilled over charcoal fire. Like other Central Asian peoples, the Kalmyk also drink milk tea. Drinks made of tea leaves, milk, butter, salt and nutmeg powder both keep warm and add energy to people. Sometimes they even put lamb fat in the tea. In the summer, the Kalmyk people often make yogurt kumys from sheep or horse milk. Scientists have proven that the probiotics in kumys have a very good effect on protecting the respiratory tract.