Manos (Kyrgyzstan epic poem); Kyrgyzstan food

[Bapopik at AOL.COM]

   Greetings from Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan--a country that looks like it should buy a vowel.
   The OED numbers are pathetic:

Kyrgyzstan--0 hits
Kyrghyzstan--0 hits
Kyrgyz (Republic)--0 hits
Kyrghyz (Republic)--0 hits

   Yes, that's right.  Nothing at all!  Doesn't even exist!

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MANOS

   MANOS is the hero of the national epic poem of Kyrgyzstan.  It supposedly is the world's longest epic poem.
   MANASCHI are the storytellers of this epic poem.
   OED?

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BASIC BISHKEKE BOOK
& A BIT BEYOND
by Lin Jingyuen
Babushka & Baike Books, Bishkek
2000

Pg. 65:
_Beshbarmak_ ("five fingers" in Kyrgyz) is mutton-on-the bone stewed in broth. (...)
_Blini_...

Pg. 66:
_Ganfan_, a Dungan dish, is cooked cut meat and vegetables over rice.
_Harshan_ is deep-fried puffy dough with meat filling. (...)
_Lagman_ is noodles, mutton and assorted vegetables in broth.
_Lepyoshka_ is Russian for round flat bread baked in a tandoor, a clay oven. (...)
_Manti_ is steamed dumplings filled with meat. (...)
_Naan_ is Kyrgyz for round flat bread baked in a tandoor.
_Pelmeni_ is, depending on your culinary bent, either Russian ravioli or Russian wonton served in broth.
_Piroshki_...
_Plov_ is Uzbek rice pilaf. (...)
_Samsa_ is a baked meat dumpling...
_Shashlik_...

Pg. 67:
_Shorpo_ is _lagman_ minus the noodles.
_Airan_ (in Kyrgyz), also called _kefir_ (in Russian), resembles yogurt.
_Arak_ is Kyrgyz for wodka.
_Bozo_ is a Kyrgyz wheat and millet-fermented drink with a slight alcoholic punch.
_Beer_...
_Cognac_...
_Kvas_ is Russian watered-down homemade beer.
_Kymys_ is fermented mare's milk and is an acquired taste.
_Maksym_ is a thick wheat-based drink that Kyrgyz like to drink in the summer.  _Shoro_ is a brand name of _maksym_.
_Samogon_, Russian for moonshine, is sold clandestinely from many kiosks.

Pg. 218:
   Among the sweet treats, get the _kartoshka_ (potato in English), a nickname for the oval confection of chocolate and butter.