Turkmen food is similar to that of the rest of Central Asia. There are a number of good Western-standard restaurants in Ashgabat, although they rarely have an extensive menu. In general, hotel food shows strong Russian influence:
borcht is cabbage soup,
entrecôte is a well-done steak,
cutlet are grilled meat balls, and
strogan is the local equivalent of beef Stroganoff.
Pirmeni, originating in Ukraine, are small boiled dumplings of meat and vegetables similar to ravioli, sometimes served in a vegetable soup.
National specialties:
•
Plov - pronounced 'plof'
- is the staple food for everyday (but is also served at celebrations) and consists of chunks of mutton, shredded yellow turnip and rice fried in a large wok.
•
Shashlyk (skewered chunks of mutton grilled over charcoal which come with raw sliced onions) and
lipioshka (rounds of unleavened bread) are served in restaurants and are often sold in the street
• Manty are larger noodle dumplings filled with meat.
•
Shorpa is a meat and vegetable soup.
•
Ka'urma is mutton deep-fried in its own fat and
churban churpa is mutton fat dissolved in green tea.
•
Ishkiykli are dough balls filled with meat and onion which are traditionally cooked in sand that has been heated by a fire.
• On the shores of the Caspian Sea, seafood is often substituted for mutton in traditional dishes such as plov.
• In the west of Turkmenistan, there is a specialty in which mutton is roasted in a clay oven fired with aromatic woods.
National drinks:
• Green tea is very popular and can be obtained almost anywhere.
• Beer, wine, vodka, brandy and sparkling wine (
shampanski) are all widely available in restaurants.
• Kefir, a thick drinking yogurt, is often served with breakfast.
NightlifeAshgabat has an opera and ballet theater, which shows both Russian and European works and a drama theater. There are also a few restaurants offering dancing.
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