Balgam - An Ancient Meat Dish of the Nomads

Balgam. This is an ancient meat dish of nomads, which was also specially prepared in very rare cases when meeting particularly honored guests. These guests could be the head of the yurt, a hero distinguished in battle, a great baatyr, or a storyteller of the epic "Manas" who visited their lands.

To prepare this dish, they took a young black lamb. It was cut along the joints and placed in a cauldron with mare's milk. They lit a fire from juniper trees, which gave the dish a distinctive taste and aroma. When the milk boiled, foam appeared. The foam was removed, and the fire was reduced. The dish was cooked over low heat, and from time to time, a large ladle was used to skim off the foam. It was cooked for a long time, from eight to ten hours, until the meat separated from the bones. As the broth evaporated, fresh kumys was added, and it was cooked until the broth transitioned from a liquid to a gelatinous state, then it was cooled and served to one person, for whom it was intended. The keepers of this recipe say that the dish melted in the mouth like honey, and its taste was compared to honey. That is why it was named "Balgam" - bal-honey, balkaymak, a sour cream-like state - balgam.

KYRGYZ CUISINE