Local Dishes

1. Чәкчәк

   Chäkchäk

   Chak-chak (fried dough bound with honey)

   Usage

   The best-known Tatar sweet, served with tea and a popular souvenir

   Grammar Note

   Spelled as one word, чәкчәк. The look-alike чак-чак means 'barely', a different word.

2. Өчпочмак

   Öchpochmak

   Öchpochmak (triangular pie with meat and potato)

   Usage

   A three-cornered baked pastry, easy to buy at cafes and bakeries

   Grammar Note

   Өч (three) + почмак (corner): the name describes the shape. Spell it Өчпочмак, not Эчпочмак.

3. Бәлеш

   Bälesh

   Bälesh (baked pie with filling)

   Usage

   A pie with a lid; fillings include meat, potato or rice

   Grammar Note

   The plural is бәлешләр; the suffix has a front vowel to match.

4. Вак бәлеш

   Vak bälesh

   Vak bälesh (small pie with meat and grain)

   Usage

   A traditional small Tatar pie of thin dough filled with meat and grain

   Grammar Note

   Вак (small) + бәлеш.

5. Кыстыбый

   Kystybyy

   Kystybyi (flatbread folded around a filling)

   Usage

   Thin dough folded over mashed potato or millet porridge and baked

   Grammar Note

   Mind the repeated ы.

6. Гөбәдия

   Göbädiya

   Göbädiä (layered pie with rice, dried curd and egg)

   Usage

   A multi-layered Tatar pie served at celebrations and with tea

   Grammar Note

   Keep ө, ә and -ия.

7. Пәрәмәч

   Pärämäch

   Pärämäch (fried meat pie)

   Usage

   A snack of leavened dough with meat and onion, fried with the top left slightly open

   Grammar Note

   Three ә in the spelling, all front vowels.

8. Коймак

   Koymak

   Koymak (Tatar pancakes)

   Usage

   Thin pancakes baked from a runny batter; for breakfast or tea

   Grammar Note

   The plural is коймаклар, with back-vowel suffix.

9. Сумса

   Sumsa

   Sumsa (small filled pastry)

   Usage

   A small dough snack filled with meat, egg or vegetables; served at celebrations

   Grammar Note

   Spelled сумса, not самса.

10. Кыздырма

    Kyzdyrma

    Kyzdyrma (fried meat dish)

    Usage

    A home-style dish fried in a pan, usually with meat as the main part

11. Кош теле

    Kosh tele

    Kosh tele (fried dough strips, a tea pastry)

    Usage

    A fried pastry served with tea; the name literally means 'bird's tongue'

    Grammar Note

    A two-word dish name.

12. Кабартма

    Kabartma

    Kabartma (fried leavened dough rounds)

    Usage

    Round leavened dough fried in oil

13. Кызыл эремчек

    Kyzyl eremchek

    Red curd (dried cheese-like treat)

    Usage

    Curd boiled until red, a traditional food sometimes set out with tea

14. Каймак

    Kaymak

    Kaymak (thick cream from milk)

    Usage

    A dairy product served with tea or bread: the thick fatty top layer of milk

15. Миңа бер өчпочмак бирегез, зинһар

    Miña ber öchpochmak biregez, zinhar

    One öchpochmak, please

    Usage

    To order a pastry at a cafe or stall

    Grammar Note

    Composed with regular grammar.

16. Бер кисәк бәлеш бирегез, зинһар

    Ber kisäk bälesh biregez, zinhar

    A piece of pie, please

    Usage

    To ask for a slice of a large pie

    Grammar Note

    Composed with regular grammar. The noun stays singular after a number (бер кисәк).

17. Бу нинди бәлеш?

    Bu nindi bälesh?

    What kind of pie is this?

    Usage

    To find out the filling of a pie

    Grammar Note

    Composed with regular grammar. The question word нинди stands before the noun.

18. Бу бәлештә ит бармы?

    Bu bäleshtä it barmy?

    Is there meat in this pie?

    Usage

    For checking whether a pie contains meat

    Grammar Note

    Composed with regular grammar. The locative is -тә after the voiceless ш.

19. Өчпочмак — өч почмаклы татар милли ризыгы.

    Öchpochmak — öch pochmakly tatar milli rizygy.

    Öchpochmak is a traditional Tatar dish with three corners.

    Usage

    A sentence to explain the dish to someone else

    Grammar Note

    The suffix -лы means 'having'.

20. Гөбәдия — татар милли ризыкларының берсе.

    Göbädiya — tatar milli rizyklarynyñ berse.

    Göbädiä is one of the traditional Tatar dishes.

    Usage

    To introduce a local dish in conversation

    Grammar Note

    'One of …' is genitive + берсе.

21. Мин татар милли ризыкларны татып карарга телим

    Min tatar milli rizyklarny tatyp kararga telim

    I would like to try Tatar traditional dishes

    Usage

    At a restaurant, before asking for recommendations

    Grammar Note

    Composed with regular grammar.

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