Kyrgyz recipes

Our language is so close to Kyrgyz that I can chat with a Kyrgyz grandmother at the bazaar without either of us slowing down, and our kitchens are just as close. Boorsok on the cloth, beshbarmak for guests, shorpo when the frost comes down from the mountains: the same dishes are cooked on both sides of the border.

The one big difference is the meat. Kyrgyz cooks often use horse, and an Iradi kitchen never does, so every recipe here is mutton, lamb or beef. If a Kyrgyz friend cooks for you, it is polite to ask first.