As far as I am concerned, food is undoubtedly one of the most important aspects of any trip. The cuisine of any given culture can say a lot about its past and present. Where did these dishes come from? Were they adapted from a different culture, and if so, how did they change? If they are native to the culture in question, what influenced their development? How do they look today, and how have they evolved over time? The answers to these questions reveal small parts a culture's fascinating whole.
As the blog's title suggests, I am spending time in Kyrgyzstan and Spain this summer (plov is an iconic Central Asian dish; paella an equally iconic Spanish one). While the focus of this blog is on local traditional food and what it has to say about culture, it is not limited to food. I will also comment on other aspects of local life and culture as they present themselves. Look forward to a new post every week! I discussed a number of aspects of life and culture in Kyrgyzstan in last summer's blog as well, available here.
Kyrgyzstan, officially known as the Kyrgyz Republic, lies in Central Asia, bordering Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and China. Formerly a part of the USSR, it gained its independence in 1991, and has a reasonably stable democratic government as of the time of writing. Unlike most other Central Asian countries, Kyrgyzstan enjoys considerable freedom of press and a not-entirely-corrupt police service. Official languages are Kyrgyz and Russian. Kyrgyz is a Turkic language, related to languages such as Turkish, Uzbek, Kazakh and Uyghur. Russian is spoken extensively in the north, especially in the country's capital, Bishkek, but becomes rarer the farther you go from Bishkek. Kyrgyz is spoken by the vast majority of the country as a whole, and Uzbek represents an important minority language in the south-east of Kyrgyzstan. I plan to divide my time in Kyrgyzstan between Bishkek and Karakol, a city just north of Yssyk-köl, the world's second-largest alpine lake, focusing mainly on improving my Russian. I also intend to spend some time improving my very limited Kyrgyz, which at times has come in very useful.
In Spain, I will be based in Sevilla (Seville), the capital of Andalucía and one of Europe's historically and culturally richest cities. Approximately 2,200 years old, Sevilla has been ruled by the Romans, the Moors and the Castilian kings, each of whom has left an imprint on the city, forming a rich tapestry of legacies. I plan to study Spanish intensively for about 2 months, making weekend trips out to the surrounding areas and finishing up with a more extensive tour of the rest of the country.
As the blog's title suggests, I am spending time in Kyrgyzstan and Spain this summer (plov is an iconic Central Asian dish; paella an equally iconic Spanish one). While the focus of this blog is on local traditional food and what it has to say about culture, it is not limited to food. I will also comment on other aspects of local life and culture as they present themselves. Look forward to a new post every week! I discussed a number of aspects of life and culture in Kyrgyzstan in last summer's blog as well, available here.
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| A giant Kyrgyz flag painted on a hillside not far from Lake Issyk-Kul. The writing underneath spells out "Кыргызстан", the Cyrillic Kyrgyz spelling of "Kyrgyzstan". Photo credit: Bente Lea Omdal 2013 |
Kyrgyzstan, officially known as the Kyrgyz Republic, lies in Central Asia, bordering Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and China. Formerly a part of the USSR, it gained its independence in 1991, and has a reasonably stable democratic government as of the time of writing. Unlike most other Central Asian countries, Kyrgyzstan enjoys considerable freedom of press and a not-entirely-corrupt police service. Official languages are Kyrgyz and Russian. Kyrgyz is a Turkic language, related to languages such as Turkish, Uzbek, Kazakh and Uyghur. Russian is spoken extensively in the north, especially in the country's capital, Bishkek, but becomes rarer the farther you go from Bishkek. Kyrgyz is spoken by the vast majority of the country as a whole, and Uzbek represents an important minority language in the south-east of Kyrgyzstan. I plan to divide my time in Kyrgyzstan between Bishkek and Karakol, a city just north of Yssyk-köl, the world's second-largest alpine lake, focusing mainly on improving my Russian. I also intend to spend some time improving my very limited Kyrgyz, which at times has come in very useful.
In Spain, I will be based in Sevilla (Seville), the capital of Andalucía and one of Europe's historically and culturally richest cities. Approximately 2,200 years old, Sevilla has been ruled by the Romans, the Moors and the Castilian kings, each of whom has left an imprint on the city, forming a rich tapestry of legacies. I plan to study Spanish intensively for about 2 months, making weekend trips out to the surrounding areas and finishing up with a more extensive tour of the rest of the country.
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