| Description |
The culture of flatbread making Jupka is a set of traditional knowledge, views, skills and rituals related to preparation, baking, storing, using and sharing of traditional thin bread.
Tradition bearers usually prepare the flatbread from unleavened dough based on flour, salt and water, while also adding sometimes milk, butter. The dough is rolled by hand or using a dough roller into round shape. In some communities of Kyrgyzstan, flatbread is baked in earthen or stone ovens called “tandyr” or in big cauldrons (‘kazan’) heated on fire.
As a result of this baking style, practitioners manage to maintain nutritious qualities of the flatbreads and store them for several months without refrigerator. Various methods, techniques, instruments and substances are used by flatbread-preparing practitioners.
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| Social and cultural significance |
For communities in Kyrgyzstan the flatbread culture performs a great number of functions, contributing to the shaping of national identities. Consuming the flatbread, the first one to be served at a table to other members of the same family and in presence of most respected neighbours or special guests, is a basis of strengthening of social ties between family and community members and reinforces social exchanges, communication and serves to ‘nourishing’ of family and friendship ties. Numerous functions and meanings are traditionally attributed to flatbread culture. For example, traditional flatbread bakeries with tandyrs are considered sacred. These places are kept clean and well preserved. Communities believe that the flatbread should never be thrown on the ground, and if a piece of bread happens to get dropped accidentally on the ground, it will be kissed three times and then placed on a raised location (sometimes even above the head level). To affirm truthfulness of words and statements, people often swear on flatbread. The flatbread remains a symbol of wealth and abundance, and this meaning is reflected in many expressions and proverbs used in traditional poetry and literature.
In Kyrgyzstan communities believe that the flatbread jupka serves to replenish human body’s needs with vital food substances, which is particularly important in sometimes severe climate zones. Numerous communities in rural and urban areas bake flatbread on Thursdays and Fridays in commemoration of deceased relatives and friends. Many people prepare and share flatbread at funerals, various holidays, commemorative social gatherings, while sometimes accompanying the flatbread sharing with prayers. People believe that the more flatbreads are shared, the better will be the afterlife of the deceased. The traditional bread making also provides women living on the same street or in the same village an opportunity to gather. During such gatherings, women not only share tasks regarding flatbread making, but also share their happiness and sadness, daily thoughts and provide support to each other. This aspect serves to emphasize the social side of flatbread making. In Kyrgyzstan, the flatbread is believed to have strong curative features for the people who have suffered from serious illnesses and capable to improve health of breast-feeding women.
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| Transmission method |
The knowledge and skills related to the preparation of traditional flatbread is mainly transmitted today within families through parent-child relationship and among masters and apprentices of bakeries by means of oral communication and instruction, observation of physical movements and participation, memorisation of skills and application of techniques and experimentation for preparation, baking, storing and using of the flatbread. As a part of transmission process young family members are even entrusted to prepare dough pieces used for rolling flatbread, while providing adults with the tools and materials and helping in storage of the baked flatbread. During this process, parents also transmit the knowledge about nutritional, cultural and social functions of flatbread and traditions related to it, by explaining for what purposes it is used and how these traditions need to be respected.
The knowledge and skills related to preparation of flatbread is also transmitted in traditional bakeries, culinary, vocational and apprenticeship schools. In this transmission process, masters and culinary experts demonstrate the knowledge about flatbread preparation to a number of students/apprentices at the same time, while letting them observe, memorise a participate in stages of preparation process, as well as explaining the meaning of flatbread for the community.
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| Community |
The entire population of Kyrgyzstan represent the community of the element. The community includes, on the one hand – traditional bakers of flatbread (both within families and members of traditional bakeries) with their specific roles and responsibilities in specific cultural contexts, on the other hand – the larger community of the people using flatbread in daily life for nutritional, social and cultural purposes and sharing the values of the element within their respective communities.
It is kept alive in urban and rural areas by settled villagers and nomadic communities, as well as by communities of traditional bakeries. Within families, the tradition is practised by family members, women and men and their children at its various stages.
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| Type of UNESCO List |
Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity |
| Incribed year in UNESCO List |
2016 |
