Afghan cuisine: Difference between revisions

{{Short description|Culinary tradition}}

{{Culture of Afghanistan}}

'''Afghan cuisine''' is influenced by [[Persian cuisine|Persian]], [[Central Asian cuisine|Central Asian]] and [[Cuisine of the Indian subcontinent|South Asian]] cuisines due to [[Afghanistan]]'s close proximity and cultural ties. The cuisine is [[halal]] and mainly based on [[mutton]], [[beef]], [[poultry]] and [[fish]] with [[rice]] and [[Naan|Afghan bread]]. Accompanying these are common vegetables and [[dairy product]]s, such as [[milk]], [[yogurt]], [[whey]], and fresh and [[dried fruit]]s such as apples, apricots, grapes, bananas, oranges, plums, [[pomegranate production in Afghanistan|pomegranates]], sweet [[melon]]s, and [[raisin]]s. The diet of most Afghans revolves around rice-based dishes, while various forms of [[naan]] are consumed with most meals. [[Tea]] is generally consumed daily in large quantities, and is a major part of hospitality. The culinary specialties reflect the nation's [[ethnic groups in Afghanistan|ethnic]] and [[geography of Afghanistan|geographic]] diversity. The [[national dish]] of Afghanistan is ''[[Kabuli palaw]]'', a rice dish cooked with raisins, carrots, nuts, and lamb or beef.

==Background==

[[File:Location map of Afghanistan in Asia.png|thumb|Location of Afghanistan in Asia]]

The cuisine of Afghanistan is ''[[halal]]'' and uses various herbs and spices including coriander, mint, dill, cumin, cardamom and turmeric as well as locally-grown [[saffron]]. Afghan dishes are typically mild in flavor.   

A variety of rice dishes known locally as 'palao' are prepared with various fruits, nuts and legumes, and combine sweet and sour flavors central to Afghan cuisine. Dumpling and noodle dishes, meat and vegetable stews, legumes, and kebab dishes make up the bulk of Afghan cuisine.

==Staple foods==

===Rice===

[[File:Afghan meat balls with rice and corn.jpg|thumb|Rice with ''[[kofta]]'' (meatballs) and corn]]

Rice is a core staple food in Afghan cuisine and the most important part of any meal. Challow, or white rice cooked with mild spices, is served mainly with {{transliteration|ps|qormas}} ({{transliteration|ps|korma}}: stews or casseroles). [[Pilaf|Palaw]] is cooked similarly to challow, but a combination of meat, stock, {{transliteration|ps|[[qorma]]}}, and herbs are also mixed in before baking, resulting in the elaborate colors, flavors, and aromas from which the rice got its name. Sometimes caramelized sugar is used to give the rice a rich brown color. Examples of palaw include:

* [[Kabuli Palaw|Qabeli palao]] (the [[national dish]]) – meat and stock are added, plus a topping of fried raisins, slivered carrots, and pistachios

* Albalo palao – a sweet rice dish with sour cherries

===Afghan bread===

[[File:Bread of Afghanistan in 2010.jpg|thumb|Naan (bread) from a local baker, the most widely consumed bread in Afghanistan]]

Afghan [[Naan|bread]] is flat and cooked in a tanoor or [[tandoor]] (a vertical ground clay oven). The bread is slapped onto a stone wall to cook. Tabakhai is a [[flatbread]] cooked on a flat upside-down pan.

===Steamed dumplings===

[[File:Mantu in a steamer.jpg|thumb|[[Manti (dumpling)|Mantu]] in a steamer before cooking]]

[[File:Afghan_Ashak_dumplings.jpg|thumb|Afghan ''aushak'']]

There is a wide variety of dumplings. Known under the name ''khameerbob'' and often eaten as dumplings, these native dishes are popular. Due to the long time required to make the dough for the dumplings, they are rarely served at large gatherings, such as weddings. They are instead served on special occasions at home.

* [[Aushak]] – dumplings filled with a mixture consisting mainly of leeks, topped with either garlic-mint {{transliteration|ps|qoroot}} or a garlic yogurt sauce, sautéed tomatoes, red kidney beans, and a well-seasoned ground-meat mixture. It is a dish associated with Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan.

* [[Manti (dumpling)|Mantu]] – steamed dumplings filled with onion and ground beef or lamb, usually topped with a tomato- and yogurt- or {{transliteration|ps|qoroot}}-based sauce and then garnished with dried mint and coriander. The yogurt-based topping is usually a mixture of yogurt, garlic, and split chickpeas. The {{transliteration|ps|qoroot}}-based sauce is made of goat's cheese and also mixed with garlic; a {{transliteration|ps|qoroot}} and yogurt mixture is sometimes used.

===Qormah===

[[Qorma]]h (also spelled "korma" or "qorma") is an onion- and tomato-based stew or casserole usually served with challow rice. First, onion is caramelized, for a richly colored stew. Then tomato is added, along with a variety of fruits, spices, and vegetables, depending on the recipe. The main ingredient, which can be meat or other vegetables, is added last. There are hundreds of different types of {{transliteration|ps|qormahs}} including:

* Qormah e gosht (meat {{transliteration|ps|qormah}}) – usually the main {{transliteration|ps|qormah}} served with palaw at gatherings

* Qormah e shalgham – onion-based using lamb, turnips, and sugar (sweet and sour taste)

===Kabob===

[[File:Kufta Kebab.jpg|thumb|[[Kofta]] [[kabob]] with [[naan]] ]]

Afghan [[kabob]] is most often found in restaurants and at outdoor street vendor stalls. Most of the time, it contains lamb meat. Kabob is made with naan instead of rice. Customers have the option to sprinkle [[sumac]] or ''ghore angoor'' (dried ground sour grapes) on their kabob. Pieces of fat from the sheep's tail ({{transliteration|ps|jijeq}}) are usually added to the [[skewer]]s to add extra flavor. Traditional Afghan kabobs are made with onion juice, lemon, yoghurt, black pepper and sometimes saffron for chicken.

[[File:Chopan Kebab (4310721741).jpg|thumb|Chopan kabob being prepared]]

Other popular kabobs include the [[meat chop|lamb chop]], [[Ribs (food)|ribs]], ''[[kofta]]'' (ground beef), and chicken.

[[Chapli kebab]], a specialty of eastern Afghanistan, is a patty of minced beef. It is a popular barbecue meal in Afghanistan. It is prepared flat and round and served with naan. The original recipe of chapli kabob dictates a half-meat, half-flour mixture which renders it lighter in taste and less expensive. This type of kabob contains herbs and sometimes chilli.

===Chicken===

Afghan chicken or ''murgh-e'' is a classic example of one of the most famous dishes of Afghanistan. Chicken dishes are usually found in restaurants and at outdoor street vendor stalls. Unlike in the Indian cooking style, chicken in Afghan cuisine is often used with the intention that it be ''[[halal]]''. Cream, butter, and curd are customary ingredients in all chicken recipes, whether served as an appetizer or a main course.

===Quroot===

'''Quroot''' (or '''qoroot''') is a reconstituted dairy product, traditionally a by-product of butter made from sheep's or goat's milk. The residual [[buttermilk]] remaining after churning butter is soured further (by keeping it at room temperature for a few days), treated with salt, and then eventually boiled. The precipitated casein is filtered through [[cheesecloth]], pressed in order to remove liquid, and then shaped into balls; the product is thus a hard and very sour cottage cheese. Though it can be eaten raw as a savory snack, it is typically served with cooked Afghan dishes such as ''aushak'', ''mantu'', and ''kichri qoroot''.

===Miscellaneous===

[[File:Afghan food.jpg|thumb|A table setting of Afghan food in Kabul]]

[[File:Bonjon or Bonjorn.jpg|thumb|Badenjan ([[eggplant]]) is usually served for lunch as a light meal or as a [[side dish]]. It tastes best with freshly baked bread along with sour minted yogurt. Shomleh/shlombeh (a cold drink made of yogurt that is sprinkled with fresh or dried [[Mentha|mint]]).]]

[[File:Afghan men feasting.jpg|thumb|Afghan men eating at a lunchtime feast in [[Kunar Province|Kunar Weleyat]] ]]

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* [[Afghan burger]]

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<gallery class="center" widths="200" heights="170">

File:Afghan Bolani.jpg|[[Bolani]]

</gallery>

==Desserts and snacks==

[[File:Samples of Afghan fresh and dried fruits.jpg|thumb|Samples of Afghan fresh and [[dried fruit]]s]]

* [[Shir Berenj]] ([[rice pudding]])

==Soups==

* [[Shorba|Shorwa]]

* Aush-e serka (vinegar-based flat [[noodle]] soup)

===Chai===

[[File:Special Forces commander meets with village elders Afghanistan 2007.jpg|thumb|Village elders and US special forces drinking Afghan green tea in 2007]]

Chai is [[tea]] in Afghanistan, which can either be green or black. It is consumed at all times, especially a short time after finishing a meal or with guests during any social gathering. Most people drink green tea with no sugar. Some add [[cardamom]], [[saffron]], or sugar.

''Sheer chai'' (or "milk tea") is also consumed but mostly in the morning and on special occasions. It is a type of [[Kashmiri chai]]. Many people of Afghanistan also drink [[masala chai]], particularly in cities such as [[Asadabad, Afghanistan|Asadabad]], [[Jalalabad]], [[Khost]] and [[Kandahar]].

===Doogh===

[[Doogh]] (also known by some Afghans as ''shomleh'' or ''shlombeh'') is a cold drink made by mixing water with yogurt and then adding fresh or dried mint. Some variations of doogh include the addition of crushed or diced cucumber chunks. It is the second most widely consumed drink in Afghanistan (the first being tea), especially during lunchtime in summer. Doogh can be found at almost every Afghan grocery store and is served in restaurants.

==Sub-cuisines==

While [[Afghans]] have a common cuisine, certain ethnicities form sub-variations of it.

===Pashtun cuisine===

{{main|Pashtun cuisine}}

[[Pashtuns]] are the largest ethnic group of Afghanistan, constituting about 42% of the country's total population. A major dish in Pashtun culture are rosh (cooked [[lamb and mutton]] with no spices) and [[sohbat]], found at traditional gatherings and events. Other major Pashtun dishes include lamb-skewered ''[[sajji]]'' and ''[[chapli kebab]]''. The name ''dampukht'' stands for steamed meat, and ''khaddi kebab'' is the Afghan [[shashlik]], which is grilled on an open fire, on a spit.

Although it differs between regions, Pashtun cuisine is meat-heavy and often includes caramelized rice. For example, the dish known as ''bolani'' in the north and east is often called ''borogyen'' in the south and west of Afghanistan.

Common summer beverages include ''[[doogh|shlombeh]]'', a drink consisting of liquid yogurt, mint, and cucumber. ''Sherbet'' is an ice-sugared cold drink. ''Sher yakh'' is a sweet ice-like product.

===Hazara cuisine===

{{main|Hazaragi cuisine}}

The [[Hazaras|Hazara people]] in central Afghanistan (in the region of Hazarajat) and western Pakistan (Balochistan province) have their own fare. The Hazaragi cuisine shares some similarities with neighboring regional cuisines, so it is mainly influenced by Central Asian, Persian, and South Asian cooking. However, cooking methods vary in some of the dishes of these neighboring cuisines.

==Dining etiquette==

Traditionally, dinners are served on a tablecloth on the floor, which is called the ''dastarkhan''. Meals are normally eaten with the right hand. After a meal, tea with dessert is served.

==Special occasions==

Serving tea and white sugared almonds (called ''nuql'') is customary during Afghan festivals.

==See also==

{{Portal|Afghanistan|Food}}

{{Portal bar|Society|Food|Afghanistan}}

{{Commons category|Afghan cuisine}}

{{Asian topic|| cuisine}}

{{cuisine}}

[[Category:Afghan cuisine| ]]

[[Category:South Asian cuisine]]

[[Category:Tajik cuisine]]

{{二次利用|date=17 August 2025, at 01:33}}