Kazakhstan is the largest landlocked country in the world, and its border with Russia is the longest between two countries in the world. Once part of the USSR, it has been an independent presidential republic since 1991. Undoubtedly famous all over the world is Baikonur (translated means fertile land). This is the first and most ambitious spaceport in the world and is located in today’s Kazakhstan. The first artificial satellite of the Earth in history (Sputnik-1 in 1957) and the first cosmonaut (Yuri Gagarin) in 1961 took off from Baikonur. The ships Vostok, Voskhod, Soyuz and the Salyut and Mir series orbital stations, the first Soviet Buran shuttle, and many artificial satellites and interplanetary spacecraft. It is located near the village of Tyuratam between the towns of Casalin and Jusali. The territory of the whole complex is leased to Russia. Now Baikonur is not only a spaceport, but an entire city with a population of about 70,000. The contract expires in 2050 and after that what will happen is still unknown to the general public.
Ekibastuz GRES-2 is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the tallest chimney in the world. Its height is 420 meters. It is located in the town of Ekibastuz in the Pavlodar region. The EGRES-2 plant itself can also be entered in the book of records as the most powerful thermal power plant in the world. It is not finished yet.
Another interesting thing for the country is the mysterious Lake Balkhash. Translated from Tatar – “swamps”. Interestingly, the western part of the lake is fresh and the eastern part is salty. These two parts are separated by a narrow channel. Scientists have not yet given an explanation for the cause of this phenomenon. The length of the lake is 614 km. The maximum depth is 26 meters. Geologists have estimated that it is about 35,000 years old. It has an unusual shape, resembling a crescent moon. It is also interesting how the lake was formed, as it is located in a desert area, which is characterized by a dry continental climate and low rainfall.
If you visit a local, you will first be served camel’s milk (called koumiss or kefir), which will be followed by tea with milk or whipped cream, donuts (called bauraski), raisins, natural sweet melted cheese (irim chic), as well as pieces of dried strained yoghurt. Then you will have the opportunity to try appetizers of horse and mutton, traditional local sausage of horse meat (kaz), salted or smoked horse fillet, stewed sheep breast. Flat bread of wheat flour are invariably present at every table in this country. Cooked meat will usually be served in large, whole pieces. It is customary for the owner to cut the meat in front of the guests and feast each one individually. The host serve a specially prepared ram’s head to the dearest guest. The guest must divide it among all those present, and must show respect to each one. The main dishes in Kazakh cuisine are prepared mainly with meat broth, which is mostly of mutton, horse, beef or camel. In modern local cuisine, the broth is also boiled from poultry or fish. Most often in soups, the hosts put home-made noodles or noodles, and not infrequently cereals. In this kitchen, the dishes that are served after the main course are most often prepared from mutton, horse, beef, camel, poultry, fish and game. Meat products are combined with dough, different types of semolina, vegetables or made from them skewers. One of the famous main dishes is called beshbarmak and is prepared for the holidays. The dish is found in recipes and as meat in Kazakh. Represents boiled meat, noodles in the form of large rectangles and saturated broth.
See desserts are a complicated thing in Kazakhstan. There are almost no cakes. The most famous dessert is “Chuck chak” and it could be shaped like a cake or balls or a tower… I chose to do it for the blog because I had virtually no other choice. It turned out to be a tasty thing, although it’s hard to define as a cake. Here are the necessary products:
500-600 grams of flour
5 eggs
20 ml of vodka
300 ml of honey
80 grams of sugar
nuts for decoration – walnuts, almonds
Steps of preparation:
The dessert is easy to prepare. Beat the eggs with a wire or foam mixer. Add the vodka and stir again. Pour the egg mixture into the pre-sifted flour in which you have formed a well. Knead a soft and elastic dough. I needed 500 grams of flour. If the dough is very sticky, add more flour to achieve the desired consistency. Wrap the ball of dough in foil for fresh storage and let rest for 15-20 minutes.
In a deep bowl, pour vegetable oil and heat it for frying. Separate a ball from the dough as much as a tennis ball and form a wick out of it. Cut small pieces – about 4-5 cm long.
Fry them a little in vegetable oil until golden and then drain the excess fat on kitchen paper.
Bring the honey to a boil and add the sugar. Stir on the stove until the sugar is melted.
Mix some of the fried pieces with some of the honey sauce and shape into balls, towers or whatever your soul desires.
That is all. My idea was to shape a small cake, but it was more like a pile. Otherwise, I can’t say anything bad about the taste – it’s perfect. They look like small buns of honey. Super simple and delicious recipe. 🙂
Try making it at home. Just for breakfast. To the delight of the children. For your joy. I had a busy meeting of two hours on Skype a while ago and this portion of sweetness fixed the rest of the day for me. 🙂
Next destination – Cayman Islands.
