Culinary Adventures in KG

Although the Kyrgyz are still trying to sort out their politics, they deserve better marks for their cuisine. All the different cultures and traditions that have collided here make their contributions. I eat breakfast at my guest house, which is run by a flock of ethnic-Russian ladies. It typically consists of mediocre bread, and better variety of porridges, omlettes, and pastries. At school, there is no lunch break, so teachers and students just grab snacks here and there. Thus, dinner is where exploring the different culinary options. The specialty in Karakol is a Dungan dish called ashlanfu. It's basically a noodle soup, with vegetables and beef or lamb. It has two different kinds of noodles – one thick, the other thin and looking sort of like the noodles you see in Thai cooking – and the broth is vinegary, with a good spicy kick. It's served cold, and costs less than a dollar for a bowl around here. It's a good, filling meal. Everyone I talk to here seems to love it, including one student who said, “If I can eat one food for the rest of my life, it's ashlanfu.” Laghman is another dish featuring many of the same ingredients (noodles, meat, tomatoes, onions), but it's more like a stew than a soup, and the small amount of broth does not include vinegar. I've also had a couple of good quasi-Russian meals, including an authentic beef stroganoff. Last night I had something called brizol (sp?), which is meat, eggs, and veggies all rolled up together, sort of looking like a burrito (but no tortilla). I couldn't finish mine; it was good, but too much food. I also had a dinner at Leadership's director's house; she's ethnically Russian and made a big spread of salads, borsch (soup), and a chicken casserole. In sum, I'm well fed these days. I'll need to make a quick return to the gym when I arrive home!