This article is based on the author’s fieldwork conducted in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan from late September to November 2022.

Hand-eating Culture in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan

While hand-eating is not mainstream in modern Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, traditional noodle dishes reminiscent of nomadic life, such as et in Kazakhstan and Naryn in Kyrgyzstan (both now commonly referred to as Beshbarmak бешбармак*), as well as a dumpling-like dish called Manti, are often eaten by hand. Moreover, in Uzbek households within Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, and particularly in regions of southern Kyrgyzstan heavily influenced by Uzbek culture, there remains a tradition of eating Plov (or Palov), a pilaf-like dish with meat and carrots, by hand.

Interestingly, this Plov is believed to be almost identical to a dish called Shou Zhua Fan in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. It appears that this dish is commonly eaten across the Silk Road region, from Xinjiang to Central Asia. Given that its name could be interpreted as “hand-eaten rice,” it is a dish that warrants further research in the future.

Beshbarmak translates to “five fingers.” Historians recognize this term as a modern word introduced by Russians to refer to et (Kazakh for “meat”) as “Kazakh meat,” incorporating the context of hand-eating. (Its interpretation in Kyrgyzstan remains unstudied.) The term carries complex historical nuances; for more details, please refer to the section “About the Term Beshbarmak.”

As mentioned earlier, et means “meat” in Kazakh. In the historical text “ҚАЗАҚТЫҢ ЭТНОГРАФИЯЛЫҚ КАТЕГОРИЯЛАР, ҰҒЫМДАР МЕН АТАУЛАРЫНЫҢ ДƏСТҮРЛI ЖҮЙЕСІ, 2-том ” (Traditional System of Kazakh Ethnographic Categories, Concepts, and Terminology, Volume 2), et is simply described as a word for meat, without reference to noodles. It is likely that, due to the influence of Russian and other foreign cultures, as well as the settling of populations, noodles, which are a wheat-based dish, were gradually introduced into the concept of et. Over time, both meat and noodles came to be referred to collectively as et.

The history of hand-eating et, which has been passed down since the nomadic era, is gradually fading among the younger generation. Additionally, regional differences in hand-eating et have emerged. In Eastern Kazakhstan, fewer families eat et by hand, while in the western and southern regions, including Shymkent, the hand-eating culture of et remains deeply rooted. Shymkent, in particular, is known for having many households that are particularly skilled at preparing et. Many of these families have preserved special recipes and techniques for preparing horse meat, which is the core of making et. When people are asked about et, they often say that Shymkent’s Beshbarmak is exceptional and that one should visit Shymkent to experience it.

Traditionally, et is made with horse meat, but sometimes lamb is used, and in regions near lakes in the north, fish is also used. It is unclear whether fish is still called et, but some people jokingly refer to it as “Fishbarmak.”
In the past, a whole horse would be slaughtered, and the meat would be shared and eaten by the members of a settlement. However, as settlements became smaller and the number of people to share the meat with decreased, the amount of meat needed for consumption became more suitable to lamb, which led to the occasional use of lamb instead of horse meat.

Et is a special dish, typically served during celebrations or festivals. It is often considered a tradition to ask participants whether they prefer to eat with their hands or use utensils. One friend shared that in her family, using utensils to eat et was the norm, so when she visited her husband’s family from Shymkent and hand-eating was offered as an option, she was very surprised.