Special Soup - "Bertik Suruu"

This special soup is prepared and served in conjunction with the ritual "Bertik Suruu." Regardless of the ingredients, this special soup helped the sick person to get back on their feet, and the sick person was also aided by faith in the power of words, the ritual accompanying this dish, and the ritual "Bertik Suruu." This ritual has come down to us from the distant times of our ancestors. "Bertik" comes from the word "bertinip," which means a sharp pain in the back that feels like it is splitting in half. According to tradition, a close relative of the sick person takes an empty ladle with a long handle and goes around the neighboring yurts. Others would try to avoid encountering this person; if they met someone with a ladle, it was considered a bad omen. The person was supposed to approach the door of the yurt without entering or showing themselves, silently passing their ladle through the doorway. Those inside the yurt, without asking anything, would place the best available food in the ladle: meat, milk, butter, etc. At the same time, they would pray for the sick person's speedy recovery. From the products collected in this way, a special soup was prepared for the sick person, which was given to them hot several times a day. It was necessary for the sick person to sweat well. Feeling the love and care of their relatives and their desire for a quick recovery, the sick person would soon be back on their feet.

Ingredients: meat, flour, grains or potatoes, water, salt to taste

Method of preparation:
The meat is placed in cold water and put on the fire; when it boils, the foam is removed, and the heat is reduced. After an hour and a half of boiling, grains or potatoes are added (if available). Thinly sliced noodles are made from the flour and added to the soup at the end of cooking.

The special soup was given only to one person - the sick person.

SOUPS OF KYRGYZSTAN