Traditional Kazakh steppe landscape with ornamental patterns

bepaveralyubarets · Culinary Heritage

Recipes Passed Down Through Generations

We are dedicated to preserving and sharing the rich culinary traditions of Kazakhstan — from slow-cooked beshbarmak on open steppe fires to golden baursak dusted with love — so these flavors live on for every generation to come.

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Every dish tells a story of the land, the seasons, and the people who shaped Kazakhstan.
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Signature Dishes

Recipes from the Heart of the Steppe

Three dishes that have nourished generations — each one a window into the soul of Kazakh culinary heritage.

Main Course3 hrs 30 min

Beshbarmak

Slow-Cooked Lamb with Hand-Rolled Noodles

Tender slow-cooked lamb served over wide hand-rolled noodles, draped in a rich onion broth — the ceremonial centerpiece of Kazakh feasts and family gatherings.

Bread & Pastry1 hr 20 min

Baursak

Golden Fried Dough Served with Tea

Pillowy, golden-fried rounds of yeasted dough, crisp on the outside and cloud-soft within — the beloved everyday bread of the Kazakh table, always paired with hot tea.

Traditional Main45 min

Quyrdak

Pan-Fried Offal with Onion and Pepper

A bold, sizzling skillet of fresh offal — liver, kidney, and lung — pan-fried with sweet onion and black pepper in the ancient tradition of using every part of the animal.

A traditional Kazakh yurt standing on the open steppe at golden hour

Roots of the Table

Nourishment Shaped by the Open Steppe

Kazakh cuisine is a living archive of nomadic life across Central Asia's vast grasslands. For centuries, herding clans moved with the seasons, crafting a culinary tradition built around what the land and livestock could provide. Hearty lamb and horse meat became the pillars of every meal, slow-braised over open fires or dried for long journeys. Dairy took countless forms — the fermented mare's milk kumiss, the tangy dried curd kurt, and the crumbly fresh cheese irimshik — preserving nourishment through harsh winters. Each dish carries the wisdom of a people who wasted nothing, honored their animals, and found elegance in simplicity shaped by necessity.

Heritage · Craft · Season

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Every Dish Has a Story

Explore recipes organized by the way the Kazakh table has always been set — from the communal pot to the clay cup.

Soups & Broths

Rich shurpa, hearty sorpa, and restorative broths simmered with steppe-gathered herbs.

14 recipes

Meat Dishes

Beshbarmak, kuyrdak, and slow-roasted lamb celebrating nomadic feasting traditions.

22 recipes

Bread & Pastries

Baursak, lepyoshka, and handcrafted flatbreads baked in tradition and warmth.

18 recipes

Dairy & Drinks

Kumiss, shubat, kurt, and fermented delicacies rooted in nomadic dairy craft.

11 recipes

View all 65 recipes

Recipe of the Month — July 2026

Featured Dish

Naryn

Cold horse-meat noodle salad — a summertime staple of the Kazakh table, prized for its simplicity, depth of flavor, and centuries of tradition.

Cultural Significance

Naryn is one of the oldest dishes in Kazakh culinary heritage, believed to have traveled with nomadic tribes across the great steppe for over a thousand years. Served cold, it reflects the ingenious practicality of nomadic life — horse meat, preserved through slow cooking and air-drying, was a portable, sustaining food source. Today Naryn graces every major celebration: weddings, Nauryz (Kazakh New Year), and family gatherings in July when the steppe is warm and the horse-herding season is in full flourish. To serve Naryn is to offer guests honor and abundance.

Ingredients (Serves 6)

1 kg smoked horse meat (kazy or shuzhuk)

500 g boneless horse meat (boiled)

400 g lamb (boiled, for extra richness)

600 g homemade noodle dough (flour, egg, salt)

1 large onion, finely sliced

3 tbsp black pepper, freshly ground

1 tbsp salt (plus more for noodle water)

2 liters cold horse-meat broth

1 bunch fresh dill, finely chopped

Horse fat (zhaiyk) for noodle dressing

Preparation Notes

Simmer smoked kazy and boiled horse meat together in cold water for 2–3 hours until fully tender. Skim foam frequently. Reserve the broth.

Prepare the noodle dough: combine flour, egg, a pinch of salt and a little cold water. Knead until smooth, rest for 30 minutes, then roll very thin. Cut into wide, flat strips and boil in salted water for 4–5 minutes. Drain and toss lightly with horse fat to prevent sticking.

Slice all meats thinly against the grain into even pieces. Arrange noodles on a large flat platter, then layer the sliced meats generously on top.

Scatter the raw sliced onion over the meat. Season liberally with freshly ground black pepper — Naryn is characteristically bold in pepper. Finish with fresh dill.

Ladle cold or slightly warm broth over the platter just before serving — not too much, just enough to moisten the noodles. The dish is served at room temperature in summer.

Serving Suggestions

Naryn is traditionally presented on a large shared platter — the tabak — placed at the center of the table for communal serving. Accompany with a bowl of warm, clear broth (sorpa) on the side, a dish of fresh spring onions, and thin flatbread (tandyr nan). In the spirit of Kazakh hospitality, always prepare more than you think you need. A cold glass of shubat (fermented camel's milk) or kumiss (fermented mare's milk) alongside completes the authentic steppe experience.

Horse MeatNoodlesCold DishSummerCelebration

Naryn — traditional Kazakh cold horse-meat noodle salad

July 2026

Photographed in the Almaty region — a traditional Naryn serving from a Kazakh family kitchen.

New seasonal recipes featured every month on bepaveralyubarets. Explore more in our Recipes collection.

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Authentic flavors from the heart of the Kazakh Steppe — shared with warmth and tradition.