Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan are increasingly caught in a tug-of-war with three world powers: Russia, China, and now the United States, which is increasingly seeking influence in the region. Not since the collapse of the Soviet Union and the need to negotiate the abandonment of Kazakhstan’s nuclear arsenal has the Western world seemed so interested in Central Asia. Not only do governments around the world seem to be paying more attention to the region than ever before, but Central Asia’s tourism industry has been booming in recent years. People take note of the area’s beauty and history. Central Asian governments are seizing this new interest and capitalizing on it. Most of these countries have implemented five-year plans to increase tourism in the region, recognizing that tourism creates jobs, supports the economy, and enhances a country’s image on the world stage. There are many reasons why people want to visit, including perfect scenery and a vast cultural heritage, but one thing that stands out is the food. Cuisine may be a key part of Central Asian countries’ attempts to balance great power competition, build tourism and maintain their distinct identities while asserting their status as a major Chinese power. There is.
Although these five countries are classified as one region, each has a very diverse culture and politics. This heterogeneity is also reflected in the country’s unique and common cuisines. The nomadic lifestyle of some communities in Central Asia led to a specific diet that included many meat- and dairy-based dishes, while those who lived a sedentary life had a diet that consisted mostly of rice and meat dishes. Favorite dishes such as pilof formed another part of culinary history. based dishes, manti, Central Asian dumplings, and noodle-based dishes. The types of meat, dairy products, and vegetables each country consumes vary depending on its landscape and climate, and all five countries have different ecosystems. Moreover, Central Asia’s gastronomic history fuses the cuisines of Russia, China, Iran, Africa, Turkey, and specific immigrant communities as the famed Silk Road meandered through the region. We share many recipes while preserving the food culture derived from the unique ingredients of each region.
Silk Road and Soviet rule
People have roamed and settled in Central Asia for tens of thousands of years. I won’t go into its chronology, but two points should be mentioned. That said, both the Silk Road and Soviet rule significantly changed the region’s cuisine. While the Silk Road era was an important period of culinary enrichment, the period spent under Soviet Communism was marked by severe shortages and significant changes. In 1922, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics was formed and Stalin established the borders with Central Asia. The Politburo desperately needed to promote one national identity among all cultures and nations united into one. These vastly different republics brought their own political, historical, and cultural identities to the Soviet Union, and of course their cuisine as well.
Central Asia has often accepted Russian influence in the region, but the Ukraine war has brought about a shift in thinking and alliances.
Everyone knows the story of Soviet cuisine and the scarcity of Soviet cuisine during the Soviet era, but few people know about The Book of Tasty and Healthy Food, which was first published in 1939. This publication not only established a cuisine consistent with communist ideals, but also facilitated its spread. However, it ultimately transformed national identity into one complex individual through recipes that omitted certain territories or claimed to be the Soviet Union but were actually that of one nation in particular. It was a form of propaganda that fused the country’s national identity. One of his such recipes was Ukrainian borscht, now on the UNESCO list of intangible cultural heritage. Uzbek plov is another dish that the Soviet Union integrated into Soviet cuisine. However, after the dissolution of the Soviet Union in the 1990s, the 15 newly formed independent countries sought to reestablish their identities and cultural heritage. These countries gained independence from Soviet occupation and worked tirelessly to regain their cultural identity, with culinary traditions as an important element.
So why is this important?
Caught between two superpowers vying for influence, Central Asia must strike a delicate balance over who to partner with. Central Asia has often accepted Russian influence in the region, but the Ukraine war has brought about a shift in thinking and alliances. Three of her neighbors, China, have seized this opportunity and are now positioning themselves economically and politically. All five countries have various economic and political ties to Russia and China. Most countries do not want to completely sever ties with Russia or China, but are trying to diversify their international relations. The United States has also shown interest in the region in recent years, launching language programs and other soft diplomatic tactics in the region to gain influence. However, many Central Asian governments view the interests of the three major powers in the region with some hesitation, unwilling to become mediators in a conflict between world powers. Rather, they have diversified their influence and remained autonomous nations, each searching for its own true national identity. Food is political. Central Asia is in a position to use food as a means of raising public interest, as well as for economic gain.
stomach diplomacy
Although culinary diplomacy is still a relatively new concept, it can be very effective in promoting a country and strengthening its relationships in the economy, tourism, and world stage. Thailand’s Global Thai Campaign will invest the equivalent of $15 million to promote Thai cuisine globally, opening more than 10,000 Thai restaurants around the world and hoping to increase investment and trade. ing. The results they asked for are exactly the results they received. It is an increase in trade and investment in Thailand, and since implementing this program in 2002, tourist rates have increased. Countries around the world, especially the central powers, took notice and began promoting their own cuisines. Peru and South Korea are just two other examples of her. For Central Asia, use cuisine to attract tourists, educate about the region’s history, attract foreign investment, and promote globally to rise on the world stage, garner support, and further assert independence. You can diversify your connections.
Establishing a culinary campaign to renew a country’s image to people around the world must be done carefully. In the case of Thailand, Pad Thai, an established national dish, is not representative of Thai food culture, but was promoted in an appeal to Western governments. This will undermine the cultural identity of these countries. A focus on authentic culinary products is needed to balance the political forces facing Central Asia while promoting cuisines that appeal to people rather than governments. While eating kurts (round balls made of dried and fermented milk), people talked about Kazakhstan’s nomadic history and how this way of life was influenced by the Soviet campaign to end the nomadic lifestyle typical of the steppes of Central Asia. You can learn how we are facing extinction. Or, when you bite into a manti, you can taste the history of the cuisine, from Mongolia to Turkey, through recipes unique to Central Asia. In developing dishes to enhance their image, they should not do so disingenuously to appease Western palates. The reason cuisine serves as a tool for others to engage with a new country is because it tells nuanced stories and shares unique characteristics derived from a place’s history and culture.
In 2024, traveling under the radar is a coveted quality as some destinations suffer from overtourism. However, for middle powers hoping to improve tourism and public image, cuisine can ultimately improve the economic and political standing of these countries, all while preserving local populations and cultural heritage. possible can be done. For Central Asia, with its immense culture and history, it is not difficult to create charm and charm for visitors. As an important corridor of the Silk Road, it is also a region influenced by different empires and different peoples, so its culinary diversity and history are not to be missed. As these countries seek to promote themselves and diversify their regional connections, their national cuisine could be their strongest tool to appeal to people around the world.
