![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif0jif3gmJjl_MJtuPeFBvNFOsI8ixerIvzrLI8Ni_fsZPJwMx3HfKk7gqlRisj1Bdg7thrYIpDIjVb_2YoGCfJZfmMGofqtMdRlMTkFKx0sVUYMbL1tPmyt-Nu5Xp8g2oN0S5rsgJftBV/s400/02+-+Kazakhstan-physical-map.gif)
But can you really reduce a description of a country to mere
statistics and still maintain an authentic picture of the country and its
people? No, you cannot. So I will share with you a bit of the
culture.
The People
Demographically speaking, the largest ethnic majority groups
in Kazakhstan are the Kazak and Russians.
You can generally distinguish between either of these groups, but
sometimes it is very hard to tell what someone’s ethnicity might be.
Photo taken as one of our school shows |
Russians are fairly easy to identify as they mostly have
lighter skin and eyes. Their occupation
in Kazakhstan goes as far back as the 1700s when they came down from the north
and settled in the land of the Kazak people.
It is only recently (since the dissolution of the Soviet Union) that
Kazakhstan has returned again to the Kazak as the rightful people of the
nation. Even so, many Russians live in
Kazakhstan though their presence is in slow decline.
The Kazak people can usually be distinguished by their
darker skin. Their ethnic origin is
complex, but it is usually said that they are the descendants of ancient tribes
from the Central Asian grasslands, including Huns, Turks, Mongols and various
Chinese tribes. By the 15th
Century, they became an official ethnic group under the Kazak regime. As a result of this, some of them look more
like Turks, others like Mongols, and some more like Chinese.
The name Kazak is taken from an ancient myth of a chieftain
named Kalaqiahader who was wounded in war.
A white swan then came to him in his wounded state and rescued him from
the battle. The white swan then turned
into a beautiful maiden and married the man.
They gave birth to a boy, who was named Kazak, which means “white swan”
or “freeman”. Even today, they hold the
swan in high regard as the symbol and origin of beauty and love.
The Language
The official language of Kazakhstan is Kazak, but Russian is
also spoken most everywhere. When we
were staying there, we had translators who were able to translate both of these
languages, but for the most part we were translating to Russian.
In fact, the first couple of days we didn’t have any translators,
so we were forced to play Charades as our host, named Pavel, made mad gestures
and sound effects in an attempt to explain something to us. We were lucky to have Graham with us for he
spoke some Russian and understood words which in many cases helped us
understand the meaning behind Pavel’s waving arms and amusing noises.
The Food
When I came to Kazakhstan, I had absolutely no clue as to
what they ate. Then, when I found out
what they ate, I was like “This makes sense”.
The Kazak diet is rich in meat and wheat flour, and I
suspect that this diet has rubbed off on the Russian population as well. Also, because of the Kazak’s Islamic faith,
there are no pigs there (at least I didn’t see one) for pork is an unclean
meat. So instead, we were forced to eat
lamb, beef, most likely goat, chicken, possibly donkey, and most definitely
horse. The meats were amazing and cooked
in a way that they were always moist and flavourful…but I digress.
![]() |
Shashlik |
Meats and vegetables are usually contained in a broth or
sauce of some sort, and then served over rice or as a stew. Na’an bread is served at every meal, as is
tea (which they call “chai”) of the black and green variety. The black tea helps break down fats and
grease from the food, while the green tea is more for settling your stomach and
putting you to sleep.
Breakfasts were one of my favourite meals because they
served na’an and a variety of cheeses, sliced meats and dried fruits. They just seemed like really healthy ways to
start your day off.
My favourite food by far was the Russian dish known as
Shashlik. It is a form of Shish Kebab
that is usually made from lamb meat and fat that has been soaked in an acidic
marinade of some sort. The result is
deliciousness, though the fat content is pretty high.
A cup of warm Kumis |
Most of the foods we ate were good. Even the horse meat was good (yes, I ate
horse, get over it!). But one thing that
I think many of us on the tour might pass by again was the infamous Kumis,
which is fermented horse milk. Some of
us reacted strongly to this drink, while others not so much. The most accurate way to describe this drink
is to imagine yourself gulping down room temperature carbonated sour milk mixed
with lemon juice, but that is just the initial taste of many to follow. When you have swallowed it and finally
breathe through your nose, a mellow wave of vomit mixed with sour milk and
smoke fills your mouth.
Does that sound appealing?
Well, the Kazak love the stuff and use it at every gathering and
party. I think some of us even saw some
of the roadies with water bottles filled with the stuff at various shows. They are brought up on it from a young age
and love it by the time they are adults. We were told that many Russians were not so fond of it, but then again our host was Russian and totally crazy about
the stuff.
Continued…
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