Best restaurants and what to eat
Kazakhstan
Shymkent is a major culinary crossroads in southern Kazakhstan, where Kazakh, Uzbek, and broader Turkic traditions meet. The local table leans toward hearty meat dishes, hand-cut noodles, rich dairy, fragrant pilaf, and baked breads shaped by the city’s market culture and warm climate.
A prized horsemeat sausage with a deep, savory aroma and supple, silky fat. It is often sliced thinly and served cold or lightly warmed, where it pairs beautifully with bread, onions, and rich noodle dishes.
A spiced smoked sausage that can be made from horsemeat or beef, delivering a robust, smoky flavor and a firm bite. In Shymkent it is a market staple, good on its own, with flatbread, or alongside pilaf.
An intensely flavored horse rectum delicacy, prized for its dense texture and deep, mineral richness. It is often served in thin slices as a festive meze-like accompaniment to bread and tea.
Cured horsemeat with a clean, concentrated flavor and a pleasantly chewy texture. Traditionally served in celebration meals, it is excellent with onions, black pepper, and fresh flatbread.
Salted dried curds shaped into small hard balls or disks, with an assertive tang and long shelf life. In southern Kazakhstan it is a beloved snack for travel, tea breaks, and quick bites with bread.
A soft strained dairy cheese or curd with a fresh, clean acidity and creamy body. It is eaten plain, spread on bread, or mixed with herbs for a lighter counterpoint to meat-heavy meals.
A lightly fermented mare’s milk drink with a lively tang, gentle effervescence, and a complex, rustic dairy flavor. It is one of the region’s most iconic beverages, traditionally served chilled in bowls or cups.
Fermented camel milk with a creamy body, soft sourness, and a richer, fuller taste than koumiss. In southern Kazakhstan it is prized for refreshment in warm weather and is often consumed well chilled.
A salty yogurt drink that is cool, thirst-quenching, and lightly tart. It is commonly served with heavy meat dishes and flatbread, where its freshness balances rich flavors.
A thick cultured dairy drink with a pronounced tang and creamy finish. It is often served plain or diluted, functioning as both a beverage and a cooling accompaniment to spicy or fatty foods.
A traditional fermented grain drink with a mild sourness and a lightly bready aroma. In southern Kazakhstan it is valued as a humble, refreshing everyday drink with deep nomadic roots.
A thin, thirst-relieving dairy drink made by blending yogurt or ayran with water and salt. It is especially welcome in the heat of Shymkent, where it is served cold and often alongside grilled foods.
Kazakhstan’s signature dish of boiled meat, usually horsemeat or beef, served over wide noodles with onion broth. In southern preparations it is especially hearty and celebratory, designed for sharing at large tables.
A fragrant rice-and-meat pilaf with carrots, onion, and rendered fat, deeply embedded in Shymkent’s urban and market food culture. It is prized for its rich aroma, glossy grains, and satisfying balance of sweetness and savoriness.
Hand-pulled noodles topped with a hearty sauce of beef, peppers, tomatoes, and aromatics, or served in broth. The dish captures the city’s Uzbek influence and the kind of bold, comforting flavors loved in the south.
Steamed dumplings with thin dough and juicy fillings, often lamb, beef, or pumpkin. They are served hot and tender, frequently with sour cream, butter, or pepper sauce for added richness.
Baked pastries filled with meat or pumpkin, crisp on the outside and succulent inside. Shymkent’s bakeries and street ovens make them a daily essential, especially when eaten straight from the tandoor.
A deeply savory sauté of offal or meat with onions and potatoes, cooked until richly browned and aromatic. It is rustic, filling, and strongly tied to pastoral cooking traditions.
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