Tatar cuisine

They say that Auguste Escoffier was the first to introduce the term “Tatar cuisine”. The same restaurateur, critic, culinary writer and, concurrently, “the king of chefs and the chef of kings.” The menu of his restaurant at the Ritz hotel now and then appeared “tartar” dishes – sauces, steaks, fish, etc. Later, their recipes were included in his books, which are now called classics of world culinary. And although in fact they have little in common with real Tatar cuisine, almost the whole world associates them with it, not even suspecting that, ideally, they should be more complex, interesting and diverse.

History

Modern Tatar cuisine is incredibly rich in products, dishes and their recipes, but this was not always the case. The fact is that in ancient times the Tatars were nomads who spent most of their time on campaigns. That is why the basis of their diet was the most satisfying and affordable product – meat. Horse meat, lamb and beef were traditionally eaten. They were stewed, fried, boiled, salted, smoked, dried or dried. In a word, they prepared delicious meals and preparations for future use. Along with them, the Tatars also loved dairy products, which they consumed on their own or used to prepare soft drinks (kumis) and delicacies (kruta, or salted cheese).

In addition, while exploring new territories, they certainly borrowed new dishes from their neighbors. As a result, at some point on their dogarkhan, or tablecloths, flour cakes, different types of tea, honey, dried fruits, nuts and berries appeared. Later, when the first nomads began to get used to a sedentary life, poultry dishes also leaked into the Tatar cuisine, although they did not manage to take a special place in it. At the same time, the Tatars themselves actively cultivated rye, wheat, buckwheat, oats, peas, millet, were engaged in vegetable growing and beekeeping, which, of course, was reflected in the quality of their food. Thus, cereals and vegetable dishes appeared on the tables of the locals, which later became side dishes.

Features

Tatar cuisine developed rapidly. Moreover, during this period, it was greatly influenced not only by historical events, but also by the culinary habits of its neighbors. At different times, popular dishes of Russians, Udmurts, Mari, the peoples of Central Asia, in particular Tajiks and Uzbeks, began to penetrate into it. But this did not make it worse, on the contrary, it became rich and blossomed. Analyzing Tatar cuisine today, we can highlight its main features:

• extensive use of fat. From time immemorial, they loved plant and animal (beef, lamb, horse, poultry fat), as well as ghee and butter, with which they generously flavored food. The most interesting thing is that practically nothing has changed since then – Tatar cuisine is unthinkable today without fatty, rich soups and cereals;
• deliberate exclusion of alcohol and certain types of meat (pork, falcon and swan meat) from the diet, which is due to religious traditions. The point is that Tatars are predominantly Muslims;
• love for liquid hot dishes – soups, broths;
• the possibility of cooking national dishes in a cauldron or cauldron, which is due to the way of life of the whole people, because for a long time it remained nomadic;
• an abundance of recipes for baking original forms with all kinds of fillings, which are traditionally served with various types of tea;
• moderate use of mushrooms due to historical factors. The tendency towards enthusiasm for them has been observed only in recent years, mainly among the urban population;

Basic cooking methods:

Perhaps the highlight of Tatar cuisine is the variety of delicious and interesting dishes. Many of them have noble roots and their own history. So, ordinary millet porridge was once a ritual food. And even if time does not stand still and everything changes, the list of popular Tatar delicacies and delicacies that both the Tatars themselves and their guests love remain unchanged. Traditionally it includes:

Dumplings. Just like us, the Tatars sculpt them from unleavened dough, however, they use both minced meat and vegetables as a filling, and they also add hemp grains to them. Most often, dumplings are prepared for the holidays or for important guests.

Belish is an open pie with duck meat, rice and onions.

Shurpa is a Tatar broth, which, in fact, resembles a soup with meat, noodles and vegetables.

Azu is a meat dish with vegetables.

Eles is a round pie stuffed with chicken, potatoes and onions.

Tatar pilaf – prepared from beef or lamb in a deep cauldron with a lot of animal fat and vegetables. Sometimes fruits can be added to it, which give it sweetness.

Tutyrma is a homemade sausage made from offal with spices.

Chak-chak is a honey dough treat that has gained wide popularity around the world. For the locals, it is a wedding delicacy that the bride brings to the groom’s house.

Chebureks are fried flat pies with meat, which also became a national dish of the Mongolian and Turkic peoples.

Echpochmaki – triangular pies stuffed with potatoes and meat.

Koimak – yeast dough pancakes that are cooked in the oven.

Tunterma is an omelet made with flour or semolina.

Gubadiya is a round tall pie with a multilayer filling of cottage cheese, rice and dried fruits.

Ayran is a national drink, which is, in fact, a diluted katyk (fermented milk product).