Food from the Valley of Asian Kings: Book of Pilafs

By Nina Krasikoff

This book is about pilafs—the most popular dish in Central Asia. It’s still bubbling in big cauldrons in crowded Asian bazaars and served on the carpeted floors of nomadic dwellers or sophisticated contemporary dining rooms that have an ethnic twist on the menu. Its variety is influenced by the spice caravans of the Silk Road and is shaped by millions of nameless oshpaz (pilaf cooks) for millions to enjoy.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Dec 18, 2018
• ISBN: 9781984571571

Book preview

CUISINE, TRADITIONS AND CUSTOMS FROM THE VALLEY OF THE ASIAN KINGS

For centuries Central Asia cast the image of a long-bearded man in padded coat Ikat and marghilan (man’s skullcap), sitting cross-legged in a cozy and tranquil teahouses (chi-khana), scattered near poplar-lined streets or in a cool courtyard orchards, enjoying perfumed pilaf and latest gossip. These chi-khanas were the gathering places, irrefutably casual in concept but very rich in food; the open fire kitchen and door-less entrance, exposing intense and colorful street scenes, passing as the only décor in these establishments. These chi-khanas, or tea-pilaf-houses were beloved institutions, nurtured thru the centuries and traditionally attended by man.

The history, traditions and customs of Central Asia are picturesque and romantic, and still survived in the ancient oasis towns and pasture ground of nomads. The art and craft in these regions are mostly symbolical and meaningful. They embroidered all wearable articles with the colorful designs, concealing a hidden message in it; the meaning of which was understood by everyone. Four flowers, embroidered on the top the skullcap – supposed to protect man’s health, numerous flowers, along the border of the skullcap - expressed desire to have a happy and prosperous family with many children, and the library of these secret symbols is immeasurable.

The art of the skullcaps and traditionally embroidered textile "Suzanies" comprised the valuable holdings in a family’s chests, museums and private collections.

For the sake of discovery, one has to hit the rocky road to the Central Asian bazaars and dive in the eye-blinding symphony of colors. Women in a roomy dresses and head scarves, richly printed in the most hallucinogenic flowers, tried to beat the chatterbox of Asian dialects, offering the taste of spicy and exotic cuisine. Local garrulous merchants, gorgeously dressed in embroidered coats – Ikat, balancing on the level of a shoppers eyes the whole melons, which required only a strong smack by hand to open it’s sweet, fleshy and fragrant inside. Eating is revere time and important element of the Central Asian nation’s material culture and heritage.

Every remote hamlet or thriving oasis town with the colorful market can challenge any capricious palates with the centuries old cuisine. This is a way of life, and they eat what they produced, which was the secret of their content.

It is easy to notice a different way of cooking and the manner of eating there. Diners sitting crossed-legged on a top of the cushions and waiting for the fire to burn down and slowly distribute all flavors in cauldron. When it ready, pilaf piled on the big serving plate and centered between diners, who splashed pilaf with the wine vinegar and pomegranate seed over the top and proceeded to eat a small handful, using a pinched fingers, as ancestors did for centuries. They believed that holding a pinch of fatty and flavorful rice and morsels of meat added much appreciated tactile connection with the food, what would be missed if forking it. Using fingers, inhaling intoxicating and delicious aroma, accompanied by the music of chewing, exclamations of satisfactions and clicking their tongue -as a sign of a deep appreciation - is the way to experience pilaf fully. While eating pilaf, one has to abstract oneself from the time- the joy should be timeless and stretched to the point, when there is only few grains of rice left on the bottom, for birds to pick. Slow eating extending process of recognizing distinctive taste of each ingredient and layers of sublime flavors.

It is common that venders in Asian markets are mostly man, but it is a woman who shops for dinners. They are the one who have a seventh sense for the right peppers, aubergines and particularly right tomato, believing the only right degree of ripeness can be a vesicle for a good dish. By having a few ingredients on hands, they can come up with a fragrant and delicious dish, beyond imagination. They have been given talent to chop, mix and blend all God-given cornucopia into a riot of flavors and colours, turning every bowl of pilaf into Shaman rituals with confidence that every handful of rice, glittering with the lamb fat and juices, promised to beautify and cleanse every soul.

The style of cooking in these regions going back to antiquity and differ from daily, ritual, festive, ceremonial or memorial. The secret technique of preparation pilaf and degree of fame, achieved by the local oshpazes -(pilaf-chefs), was the major requirement, while selecting the cooking crew for celebrations. Occasions are plenty: a new house was build, purchase of nomadic felt-yurt (tent), traditional feast after successful harvesting, wedding or the most celebrated family event – birth of the first son, which always followed by the most sumptuous meal after boy’s circumcision, and list going on. All holidays are always busy with intense and lengthy cooking and the festival’s dinners are usually long and copious. Variety of dishes were tempting and remain through the centuries almost unchanged; soups, stews, variety of pilafs, noodles, steamed vegetable and meat dumplings (mantas), kebabs on skewer, poultry roasted over open fire, flat bread (stuffed with the beans, herbs, ground lamb and savory sheep’s cheese) and never missed to indulge a great variety of sweet pastries, halvah and all-time favorite-apricot seeds, roasted in a hot ash. Generously laden table and hospitable atmosphere provided something equal to psychotherapy, when everybody comes to the table and praise each other; in result, on the way home, everyone can feel fortified in every possible way.

The strongest customs, rites and superstitious beliefs always associated with the food in these regions and Asian wisdom often elevated and ennobling it: One, who invented pilaf, made the world richer. It is important to mention that food, served during family celebrations, considered to be Sadaka, or sacrificial offerings. Sadaka practiced in every Aul (village) with the main purpose - to insure a favorable result for the family’s affairs. Sadaka is always generous, sumptuous, joyous and popular event, during which they exercised their own local peculiarities in that respect.

The original rite of oasis-dwellers - the presentation of marriageable girl, known as shirini, during which tea, honey and halvah were served. Alongside the wedding festive table, they offered their national meal Yarma, made with the large pieces of succulent roasted meat, served on the top of freshly baked flat cake. All eaten by hands, sitting cross-legged on a cushions, which is the favorite style in Central Asia.

Traditional dish Cemeni symbolized awakening of the nature and celebration of the early spring. This rite was particularly popular among agricultural settlers, for which they use to choose a few local families to maintain that custom, but cooked collectively, as a whole tribe. Usually, it falls on the last month of the lunar calendar and required to collect as much as a whole bushel (about 5-6 lbs.) of wheat seeds, which have been soaked till swelled and sprouted. The sprouts were separated and kept in a different bowls, thru duration of germination, watered every day, till sprouts reached about 5-6 inches high. Then, sprouts and roots were washed and pounded into a gooey paste in a stone mortar. Juices have been squeezed out of paste, filtered and mixed with the flour and boiled in a cast-iron cauldron on a slow fire. The whole process was easily lasted from dawn till dusk. Sometimes, the pail of snow added to the cauldron, to make Cemeni even more delicious. Finished dish distributed between all families, but the quantity of share always depends on the amount of wheat seeds, contributed to the pot.

Apparently, that dish and many others were a vestige of the ancient cattle-breeding traditions of early descendants. In the past, they had a number of customs and charming superstitions associated with the weddings. The sheep was slaughtered to present a sheep’s heart to the newlywed, symbolizing the unity of a single heart between bridegroom and bride. Some of the creeds survived and practiced to this day in these environs. The descendants from rural oases towns baked Chelpek, as a wedding gift, for which many young