Nomadic Food Tour

This might sound strange, but for years, it was hard to find good Kazakh food in Almaty. Traditional Kazakh cuisine, which is based around the nomadic lifestyle of rearing livestock and is heavily focused on lamb, horse meat and dairy products, was something that folks could eat at home, so restaurants focused on exotic offerings like pizza and sushi. Kazakh restaurants were few and far between, and were either hokey tourist traps or gaudy banquet halls. 

All that has changed. As part of a greater revival of interest in Kazakh identity and traditions, Kazakh cuisine has now become the hottest trend in the Almaty dining scene. "Neo-nomad" cuisine, where traditional ingredients are updated with advanced gastronomical techniques, is the hottest buzz-word, hyped by the New York Times. Kazakh-style fast food joints have popped up, with Kazakh-style burgers: a fried baursak instead of the bun, and horse sausage instead of the patty. Kazakh food is hip again, and it's a great way to experience both traditional culture and Almaty's exciting contemporary gastronomic scene. 

On our Nomadic Cuisine tour, we'll start our exploration of Kazakh food at the Green Bazaar, a temple to nomadic ingredients. At the market, we'll see how horse sausage is made and have the opportunity to try fermented camel's milk,  while sitting down at the only restaurant in town dedicated exclusively to the "national dish" of Kazakhstan: beshbarmak, or horse meat pasta. 

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Later, we'll hop from a street food concept restaurant to a trendy food hall with the city's best Kazakh donuts, before finishing with at the hippest Kazakh coffeeshop. From old to new, you'll get to experience all that Kazakh cuisine has to offer, all in one three-hour experience.