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Flatbread making and sharing culture: Lavash, Katyrma, Jupka, Yufka
The culture of flatbread making and sharing, represented with the names Lavash-Katyrma-Jupka-Yufka, is a set of traditional knowledge, views, skills and rituals related to preparation, baking, storing, using and sharing of traditional thin bread that performs specific cultural and social functions within the related communities in Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Turkey and is transmitted from generations to generations. Flatbread tradition is a symbol of shared cultural identity and serves expression of mutual respect among communities. The five countries share a number of common features, skills and knowledge related to preparation and use of the flatbread. Tradition bearers usually prepare the flatbread from unleavened or leavened dough based on flour, salt and water, while also adding sometimes milk, butter, sesame and poppy seeds. Communities use different types of crops to prepare the dough, such as wheat and rye. The dough is rolled by hand or using a dough roller into round or oval shape. In Azerbaijan, Iran, Turkey and some communities of Kyrgyzstan, flatbread is baked in earthen or stone ovens called “tandyr” or “tanūr” buried into the ground. Some communities in Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan and Turkey bake the flatbread (yufka or lavash) on a metal plate known as “sac” (“saj” or “sāj”) over the fire. Communities in Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan bake the flatbread by laying out rolled dough 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. The preparation of flatbread involves traditional practices based on collective labour and sharing within family and neighbourhood. As expression of social solidarity in rural areas, families prepare and bake flatbread together with their neighbours, especially as a preparation for winter. The flatbread is baked both at homes by family members and flatbread bakers, who learn the practice through a master-apprentice relationship. The flatbread preparation bears a great variety of social and cultural functions for its communities in terms of its usage at special occasions and its relation to transition between seasons. Communities of five countries consider flatbread preparation places sacred. In Kazakhstan, communities believe preparing flatbread at funerals helps the deceased get protection from the burning Sun, while waiting for decision of the God. To wish prosperity and wealth to newly-married couple, in Azerbaijani and Iranian weddings the flatbread lavash is often put on shoulders of the bride, while in Turkish weddings dried flatbread yufka is crumbled over the head of the bride. In Kyrgyzstan, tradition bearers believe that flatbread helps sick people. In some religious ceremonies and traditional weddings in Iran flatbread is served as a component of the sacred offering. During the preparation of flatbread, it is shared with all passers-by as a sign of hospitality. Flatbread culture is expression of belonging to common cultural roots. It reinforces cultural links and serves as marker of hospitality, conviviality and friendliness within the societies of five countries.

#food culture #traditional knowledge #food preparation #funeral #bread #flatbread #katyrma #flour #salt #water #baking #food #family #sharing #hospitality #conviviality #friendliness

Azerbaijan,Iran,Kyrgyzstan,Kazakhstan,Turkey 2016

Traditional knowledge related to making of flour products (komoch nan, jupka, boorsok, mai tokoch, kalama, kattama, tandyr nan)
Traditional Kyrgyz cuisine has a long history. It has been evolving for centuries and adapting to new conditions. There are various types of flour products popular in the country. The most popular is ‘boorsok’ - square shaped pieces of yeast dough fried in oil. Boorsok is important dish of all celebrations, holidays, funerals. Another widespread flour product is ‘jupka’. ‘Jupka’ is a flatbread prepared from unleavened or leavened dough based on flour, salt and water, milk and 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’ buried into the ground. Kyrgyz cuisine contains different types of bread ‘nan’ such as ‘tandyr nan’ (baked in tandyr), ‘komoch nan’ (pan-fried bread on an open fire), ‘mai tokoch’ (bread fried in the oil), ‘kattama’ (bread baked in a frying pan with a large amount of butter or kaimak – fatty sour cream. Often kattama is filled with onions).

#cuisine #flour #food #bread

Kyrgyzstan

Flatbread making Jupka
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.

#flatbread #jupka #bread food #baking #family #traditional knowledge

Kyrgyzstan 2016

Sericulture and silk craftsmanship of China
Sericulture and Silk Craftsmanship refers to the craftsmanship applied in traditional sericulture, silk dyeing and weaving process, which has been handed down from generation to generation, and relevant folk-customs derived thereby. China’s sericulture and silk craftsmanship boasts a history of 5000 years. The silk fragments, preliminary loom and potteries decorated with silkworm patterns excavated from sites dating 4000 years ago in the Taihu Lake area; demonstrate the time-honoured history of the sericulture and silk production in the region. Alongside the historical process, traditional manufacturing craftsmanship develops, and the main elements include: Mulberry planting: including cultivation of mulberry seedling, mulberry trimming, and various methods of engraftment; Silkworm production: including the selection, hybridization, and breeding of silkworm eggs, incubation, instruments for silkworm rearing, control of the temperature and humidity, and frame mounting methods; Silk reeling: including sorting and stripping of cocoons, ways for preserving the cocoons such as drying and salting, temperature control and process for boiling the cocoons, facilities and techniques for silk reeling, etc; Silk floss making: including techniques of water rinsing and tearing; Weaving tools: including various looms such as treadle looms, multi-shaft and multi-treadle patterning looms, lesser draw looms, greater draw looms, etc, and arrangement of heddle drafts and programming of patterns on draw looms; Design and weaving of fabrics: including the design and weaving of various structures and patterns, such as the Shuanglin silk damask which is calendared by stamp rocks, the Hang gauze with warps crossed, the Shu silk with warp-faced patterns, the Song-style silk in lampas weave, and Kesi woven in tapestry structures.

China 2009

Flatbread making Jupka
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.

#flatbread #jupka #bread food #baking #family #traditional knowledge

Kyrgyzstan 2016

CHAKDONSOZI, degdonsozi
Chakdon is a traditional oven made from cley. It is used in baking breads and aslo some kinds of meal.

#oven #traditional tools #clay

Tajikistan

CHAKDONSOZI, degdonsozi
Chakdon is a traditional oven made from cley. It is used in baking breads and aslo some kinds of meal.

#oven #traditional tools #clay

Tajikistan

Intangible Cultural Heritage Elements of Ferghana Valley: Social Practices, Rituals and Festive Events
Intangible Cultural Heritage Elements of Ferghana Valley: Social Practices, Rituals and Festive Events\n\nOne of the most ancient cultural locations of Uzbekistan is the Ferghana Valley, which is especially attractive for its peculiar social practices, customs, rituals and folklore song traditions.\n\n1. Shombarak Event\nThe term shombarak means ‘evening welcome’, the name given to the process of taking the bride to the groom’s house. The event is conducted as follows: After the groom puts on the wedding clothes sent by the bride, he goes to the bride’s house accompanied by his friends. Meanwhile, at the bride’s house, the bride’s relatives and neighbours gather and wait for the groom’s arrival. When the groom and his friends are seen from afar, two to three boys go into the bride’s house shouting, ‘The groom is coming’. Shortly thereafter, the groom and his friends, singers, and musicians walk into the house dancing and singing the song ‘Shombarak’. In Shahrikhon, the song is performed in Uzbek and Tajik languages. In addition, after the groom and his friends enter, they also sing folk songs ‘Hay Yor Do‘st, Aylanaman’ (Hey Beloved Friend, I am Enchanted) and ‘Vohay Bola’ (Hey, Guy). In the Asaka District, events connected with conducting a wedding party were studied. The customs associated with the groom’s arrival were recorded. These include laying a cloth under the feet of the groom, spreading a kerchief in front of him (a tradition called ‘blocking the road’), presenting a knife to the bride’s young brother, throwing candies over bride’s head, and singing the song ‘Deydiyo’.\n\n2. Lachak Event\nLachak is another wedding-related event, which takes place when the bride is leaving her family home to join her new husband. The bride's relatives and her mother-in-law attend the lachak event. During a special ceremony that takes place during the lachak, the bride wears a lachak scarf and receives presents from her mother-in-law and sisters-in-law. Following the gift-giving ceremony, a number of folksongs are performed, including yor-yor and lapar songs. When the bride is ready to leave, two breads are laid on her head to express wishes of fertility and prosperity. Then the bride bows to each present while the song `Kelin Salom' is performed. Thereafter, the bride is seen off to groom's house accompanied by a yor-yor song. Through practicing the lachak event, a number of folk songs and practices in Ferghana Valley are preserved.

Uzbekistan 2012-01-01