Gagauz cuisine facts for kids

Gagauz cuisine is the special way of cooking and eating food that belongs to the Gagauz people. Their food often uses lots of dairy products like milk and cheese, and also different kinds of meat. This is because the Gagauz people used to be nomads, meaning they moved around a lot with their animals. Today, they are mostly farmers, so grains like wheat are also very important in their meals.

The Gagauz people have special ways to prepare and keep their food. For example, they used to store meat, curds (a dairy product like cottage cheese), and sheep milk cheese inside animal skins to keep them fresh.

Delicious Gagauz Dishes

Gagauz cooking includes many interesting and tasty dishes.

Meat Dishes

Meat is a big part of Gagauz meals.

• Head cheese: This is a type of cold cut made from the heads and feet of animals, set in a jelly. It's often served during special holidays.
• Kurban: This dish is a hearty porridge made with bulgur wheat and meat from a ram. It's a traditional meal for important events.

Gagauz meat dishes often come with flavorful sauces that have a bit of pepper.

Breads and Pies

Baking is very important to the Gagauz people, especially for family celebrations and traditions.

• Bread: They bake many kinds of bread, including wheat loaves called kalaches and flat, unleavened (made without yeast) cakes.
• Pies: Pies are also very popular. Some common types include:
  • Pies with layers of sheep milk cheese, often topped with sour cream before baking.
  • Pies filled with crumbled pumpkin.
  • Sweet pies made with the very first milk from a cow that has just had a calf.