The nomadic lifestyle led to the development of a wide variety of foods suitable for long-term storage. The core of Bashkir national cuisine consists of boiled, dried, and cured horse meat and mutton, dairy products, dried berries, grains, and honey. Examples include kazy (horse sausage), kaqlangan it (cured meat), pastila, kumys (fermented mare’s milk), seyäle hary may (cherries in clarified butter), muyıl mayı (bird cherry butter), ҡорот (dried curd), eremsek (cottage cheese), and ayran (a yogurt-like drink). All of these foods keep well even in the summer heat and are convenient to take on the road. It is believed that kumys was traditionally prepared during travel — a vessel of mare’s milk was tied to the saddle and shaken throughout the day.
А
Айран
Ayran
A fermented dairy drink made from katyk (see) or a type of kefir.
Алма
Alma
Apple.
Армыт
Armyt
Pear.
Б
Бауырһаҡ
Baursak
A dessert made from strips of dough, deep-fried and soaked in honey or sugar syrup.
Бәлеш
Belesh
A baked pie made from unleavened dough with a filling of meat, vegetables, fruits, etc. The pie filling often consists of beef, potatoes, and onions, but it is also made from lamb and poultry.
Бәрәмәс
Beremes
A small open pie with meat.
Бәрәңге
Berenge
Potato
Бишбармаҡ
Bishbarmak
A meat-and-noodle dish, traditionally prepared for family celebrations or to honor special guests.
Bashkirs traditionally made bishbarmak using mutton or horse meat, always cooked on the bone. Sometimes several types of meat were used together, including veal and goose. The meat, cut into pieces, was placed in a cauldron with cold water and brought to a boil. After skimming off the foam, the cauldron was covered and the meat was simmered over low heat for 2–2.5 hours. Toward the end of cooking, the top layer of broth was ladled off and reserved to pour over the noodles later.
Once cooked, the meat was allowed to cool slightly and then sliced into smaller pieces. The dish could also include sliced horse sausage, fresh or semi-dried horse intestines, and the fat taken from the horse’s neck.
For the noodles (salma, see), a stiff egg dough was used, rolled out and cut into small diamonds or squares. The noodles were boiled in a small amount of broth or water, then seasoned with broth fat (or butter) and combined with the prepared meat portion of the dish.
Буҙа
Buza
A low-alcohol, thick, and sweet fermented drink. It is made by fermenting wheat, corn, or millet.
Бэккэн
Bekken
Unleavened dough pies with filling.
В
Ваҡ бәлеш
Vak belesh
An open pie made from unleavened or yeast dough with minced meat, fried in oil.
Г
Гөбәҙиә
Gubadia
A closed, round, multi-layered pie. The traditional version is sweet and served with tea, but variations exist that include meat.
Е
Еләк
Elak
Berries
Емеш
Emesh
Fruits
Ер еләге
Er elage
Strawberry
И
Ирәүән
Ирайан
Rhubarb
Й
Йәшелсәләр
Yashelsalar
Vegetables
Йөҙөм
Yozom
Grape
Йыуаса
Yuasa
Fried flatbreads made from unleavened dough mixed with milk and eggs or yeast dough.
К
Куырылган
Kuyirylgan
Fried
Кейәу билмәне
Keyau bilmene
Special small dumplings that are prepared for a wedding in honor of the groom.
Килен туҡмасы
Kilen tukmasy
A special noodle that the bride prepares to show off her ability: these noodles must be especially thin and crumbly.
Кәбеҫтә
Kabesta
Cabbadge
Ҡ
Ҡабаҡ
Qabak
Pumpkin
Ҡаҙ өмәһе
Qaz omahe
A ritual in which the hostess invites her neighbors to help pluck geese in the autumn; in the evening, after the work is done, she treats everyone to fresh roast goose.
Ҡаҙы
Qazy
Rib fat, used in the preparation of a delicacy, homemade horse meat sausage, among some Turkic peoples. Also known as sausage.
Ҡаҡланған ит
Qaklangan it
Dried beef or lamb
Ҡара емеш
Qara Emesh
Plum
Ҡарбуз
Qarbuz
Watermelon
Ҡатлама
Qatlama
Steamed meatloaf.
Ҡатыҡ
Qatiq
Fermented milk product. It is considered a more solid form of yogurt than ayran.
Ҡауын
Qayin
Melon
Ҡорот
Qorot
Dry fermented milk product. made from strained yogurt, drained buttermilk or drained sour milk by shaping it and letting it dry. It can be made in a variety of forms: rolled into balls, sliced into strips, and formed into chunks.
Ҡуллама
Qullama
A soup made from fatty boiled meat. The broth is simmered with cabbage, salma, carrots, and onions and served with chunks of meat. The difference between kullama and ulush is the presence of potatoes in ulush.
Ҡурай еләге
Quray Elaghe
Raspberry
Ҡыҙыл борос
Qyzyl boros
Red paprika
Ҡыҙыл эремсек
Qyzyl eremsek
Cottage cheese casserole
Ҡымыҙ
Qymyz
Kumis. A fermented milk drink, typically made from mare's milk, produced through lactic acid and alcoholic fermentation using Lactobacillus bulgaricus, Lactobacillus acidophilus, and yeast. The drink is foamy, off-white in color, and has a sweet and sour taste.
Ҡыҫтыбый
Qystyrbyi
A pastry dish with filling. It is a baked flatbread made from unleavened dough, filled with porridge (most often millet), stew, or — more recently — mashed potatoes. In appearance, it resembles an open pie or sochen: the filling is placed on one half of the flatbread and covered with the other half. The surface may be brushed with clarified butter.
Ҡыяр
Qyiar
Огурец
М
Май
May
Butter
Муйыл
Muiyl
Bird cherry
Муйыл майы
Muiyl mayi
A dessert made of butter and dird cherry.
Ө
Өйрә
Ouyra
A thick soup made from meat (horse, poultry, or beef) cut into pieces and simmered. Millet, carrots, onions, salt, and spices are added. The finished soup is served with the meat pieces and herbs.
Өлөш
Ouloush
Meat soup. A broth with cabbage, potatoes, carrots, and onions is simmered and served with chunks of meat. All ingredients are cut into fairly large pieces, hence the name "ouyoush"—a share, a portion.
It can be served as a first or second course.
Өрөк
Ourouk
Apricot
Өсбосмаҡ
Ousbosmak
(lit."triangle"). A baked pastry made from unleavened, or less commonly yeast, dough, with a filling of potatoes, meat (usually beef, lamb, goose, or duck), and onions.
С
Салма
Salma
Dough that is thrown into the soup.
Cейә
Seya
Cherry
Сейәле һары май
Seyale khary may
A dessert made mith butter and cherry.
Сәк-сә
Tsek-tsek
An Eastern-style pastry made from deep-fried pieces of dough mixed with honey syrup. It is an essential part of the wedding ritual — after the marriage ceremony, the bride, with freshly washed hands, places a piece of tsek-tsek into the mouth of each guest.
Т
Тауыҡ
Tayik
Chiken
Торма
Torma
Raddish
Туҡмас
Tukmas
Noodle and soup with noodles.
Тутырлган Тауыҡ
Tutyrlgan Tayik
Chicken stuffed with a mixture of eggs, milk and butter.
Һ
Һары сейә
Hary seye
Cherry
Һарымһаҡ
Harymhak
Garlic
Һуған
Hughan
Onion
Һурпа
Khurpa
A hearty soup or meat broth.
Ш
Шафталы
Shaftaly
Peachк
Ы
Ыумас ашы
Yumas ashy
Thick potato soup with a small pieces of dough used as a thickener or filling for soups.
Э
Эремсек
Eremsek
A jelly-like curd formed by the coagulation of milk using a starter culture or rennet. It serves as the base for making various types of cheese and cottage cheese and can also be eaten as a separate dish.
Ә
Әфлисун
Alifsun
Orange