Kırgız Geleneksel Tatlıları: Teknolojik ve Sembolik Yönleri (Kyrgyz Traditional Sweets: Technological and Symbolic Dimensions)

Sapargül TURDUBEKOVA; Dinara ISAKOVA

doi:10.63556/jotags.2026.1827

Authors

Sapargül TURDUBEKOVA
Dinara ISAKOVA

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.63556/jotags.2026.1827

Keywords:

Kyrgyz cuisine, Talkan, Ghee, Honey, Traditional sweets, Cultural continuity

Abstract

This study aims to examine the technological characteristics, symbolic functions, and contemporary transformations of Kyrgyz traditional sweets through a content analysis of 49 recipes in the Sweets section of the ethnographic compilation Kyrgyz Daamy compiled by Borubayev. The recipes are classified into three groups based on accessibility: traditional homemade sweets comprising 18 recipes, Eastern-style confections requiring professional skills comprising 12 recipes, and fruit-based preserves and dried products comprising 19 recipes. The dominant ingredients of homemade sweets, namely talkan, clarified butter, and honey, are not merely nutritional elements but carry ritual and cultural significance. Talkan-based sweets play central symbolic roles in life-cycle ceremonies including births, weddings, and funerals. The increasing replacement of traditional recipes by industrial products threatens cultural continuity and intergenerational knowledge transmission. Nevertheless, local production practices, gastronomy tourism, and digital transmission channels contribute to the survival of this heritage. The study demonstrates that Kyrgyz sweets constitute both a gastronomic and an identity-based cultural legacy.

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