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December 2009 The Spektator www.thespektator.co.

uk
N THE GREAT CARVEUP which followed
the collapse of the Soviet Union, Turk-
menistan was bequeathed gas and a crazy
President, Kazakhstan oil and giant ap-
ples, while Uzbekistan was left a sum of
gold, an even greater sum of cotton and
the coolest cities in Central Asia. Poor Kyrgyzstan,
who along with Tajikistan was the country which
could least aord to go solo and break free of
Moscows grasp, had to make do with mountains
and mounds upon mounds of fatty meat. But
make do they did and almost two decades later,
the national enthusiasm
for dishes which are os-
tensibly harmful to the
human organism contin-
ues unabated, particu-
larly amongst the older
generations. Not that
this should be of any par-
ticular surprise. Dubious
cuts of meat have been
a massive part of life in
the Trans-Oxanian region
for millennia now, as evidenced in one Chinese
noblewomans poem Eighteen refrains to a Bar-
barian ute, penned during her journey to a mar-
riage of alliance beyond the Empires Northern
frontier. Oil, grease, jelly, opaque white blocks on
the market stall, juicy golden rind clinging to the
bovine hunk, this is their culinary tradition, their
substance of choice, their comfort food in times
of crisis. But as the infrastructure which once sup-
ported such widespread consumption slowly
recedes, the unrestrained joy with which two
middle aged baikes tuck into their fth round of
shashlyk disguises an unpalatable truth: the Kyr-
gyz Republic is dying of heart disease.
Are you sure you dont want this? asks my
A skinny man scorned in the land of lipids, Evan
Harris has a major beef with regional dietary
habits. Take note, this article carries a govern-
ment health warning.
EVAN HARRIS
I have left my beautiful country, China,
And have been taken to the nomads camp.
My clothing is of coarse felt and furs
I must force myself to eat their rancid mutton
Lady Weng 3rd Century AD
FAT
of the
Land
I
Top Left The phrase fatted calf takes on a new
meaning at some of the citys most gruesome
meat markets. (Evan Harris)
Top Right Osh bazaars infamous oal cur-
tains are heart attacks in waiting, according to
Rashid the cardiologist. (Evan Harris)
Below Chinese Aristocrat Lady Weng's
thoughts en route to a marriage with an
Uighur Kaghan.
Spreading the sickly mut-
ton tang closer to my nostrils,
its easily understood that Kyr-
gyzstan suers the 10th high-
est heart disease rate in the
world and the worlds highest
rate of strokes.
dining companion, gesturing at the remaining
slices of horse intestine sausage, last remnants
of a dish of besh barmak. The rst tasting went
badly. The contrast between the melt in your
mouth fat wad and elastic band intestine fell foul
of my gag reex. Yeah Im done. Spreading the
sickly mutton tang closer to my nostrils in an at-
tempt to wipe my mouth, its easily understood
that Kyrgyzstan suers the 10th highest heart
disease rate in the world and the worlds high-
est rate of strokes. The World Health Organisa-
tion estimates 38% of the population could es-
cape an early death by
avoiding tobacco, doing
exercise and changing
their diet. Rashit, a doc-
tor in the cardiology unit
of one of Bishkeks big-
gest hospitals, doesnt
doubt the impact of
traditional food. We tell
our patients they must
change their diet. Re-
duce intake of salt and
fat. Also they mustnt eat animals internal or-
gans. Im surprised by this last comment. I didnt
realise oal was particularly unhealthy, just par-
ticularly revolting. Rashit shows me a nutrient
table demonstrating that 100g of liver or kidney
has up to ve times as much cholesterol as the
equivalent piece of steak. The table is used to
educate people of the dangers of their fat abuse,
but the message is yet to penetrate society. The
aisles of the meat hall in the citys main bazaar
are lined with grotesque oal curtains, the oor
is slick with blood. Behind hanging lines of intes-
tine a woman is rmly crushing garlic and black
pepper into an enormous roll of fat clinging to
a sliver of red. This is horse meat she says, For
Focus 20
www.thespektator.co.uk December 2009 The Spektator
besh barmak." Is it tasty? I ask, remembering
that awful combination of textures at my friends
house. Of course. Is it healthy? Of course, it is
traditional food.
Food is of great pride to the Kyrgyz and there
is an endemic superstition that all their national
products grant long life and glowing health to
the consumer. In reality the food is nearly always
fatty and occasionally salty enough to clot blood.
Popular staple plov, is a dish of rice, carrot, and
mutton. Imagine a greasy, bland risotto. Main of-
fender besh barmak,
(meaning ve ngers
after the traditional
method of eating),
is a plate of noodles
swimming in meat
broth (read oil) with
chopped up mutton
and if youre lucky,
horse intestine stued with fat. Imagine the nau-
seatingly persistent stench of sickly mutton fat
still lingering beyond the 8th vodka. Feel the fat
resist your eorts of mastication. A friend once
demonstrated the tenacity of the fat here using
a spoon to scrape an opaque white paste from
the roof of his mouth; the eects of a misadven-
ture with some oromo, a kind of steamed meat
pie. At a mans birthday party I was introduced to
nose to tail cuisine, my tolerance to vodka faring
much better than my tolerance to fat. Fighting
my impulse to chunder, I watched my hosts rip
through gristle and crunch cartilage. Luke warm,
festering slabs of fat sat atop cold slices of meat
like sadistic sashimi.
Thankfully Im not alone in my fat phobia.
The younger city dwellers inch at their ex-
treme gastronomic traditions. Unfortunately
the culinary faux pas of their ancestors are be-
To Hell with
Heart Disease!
For those not of Lady Weng or Mr Harris
delicate sensibilities, the following is a
recipe for besh barmak. Dont spare the
fat and be sure you wash it down with a
bottle of Arpa or Karagandinskoya - enjoy!
Ingredients:
2 kg lamb with bones,
2.5l of water,
1 teaspoon of salt,
3 onions,
1 cup of chopped chives,
3 tablespoons of chopped parsley,
1 teaspoon of ground black pepper,
1 carrot,
3 tablespoons of oil
Homemade noodles.
Instructions:
Make a rich lamb broth, cooking until
meat comes easily o the bones. Remove
the bones and cut the meat into slices.
Cook noodle circles or squires in the
broth. In a heavy skillet, cook vegetables
until tender then add the meat and con-
tinue cooking until the onions are golden-
brown. In individual soup bowls, combine
the noodles, vegetables and lamb, pour
the broth over each serving.
Serve very hot.
ing replaced by those of the West. All over the
city, fast food kiosks are popping up like chrome
blisters serving cholesterol, although Rashit of-
fers some optimism for the future. He explains
that the Ministry of Health has a program to ed-
ucate and treat the populace, especially those in
the provinces where healthcare and education
are at their weakest. Here in the city there is an
education program and a drop in kitchen-lab
where people come to test the potential dam-
age their food can do to their arteries. Unfortu-
nately do-gooders face an
uphill struggle; the forces of
globalization penetrating
Kyrgyzstans borders arent
bringing trendy salad bars,
theyre bringing lowest
common denominator fast
food. Haunted by tradition,
those trying to stave o
health meltdown are in danger of being over-
whelmed by future fads. My cardiologist friend
is philosophical about the problem. Has your
job become more dicult? I ask. No, not more
dicult, he smiles, "just less easy.
Main oender besh bar-
mak, is a plate of noodles
swimming in meat broth with
chopped up mutton and if
youre lucky, horse intestine
stued with fat.
Disclaimer
Whilst The Spektator is happy enough to give
Mr Harris a platform from which he can launch
his fat-scist polemic, we would like to state
that the views therein expressed are not our
own. We sco our lagman and plov with reck-
less abandon, and particularly recommend
the fried manti at Faiza (restaurant guide p24).
Focus 21

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