From savoury meat-filled pastries to fragrant rice pilafs, Turkmen cuisine is about bold spices, tender meats, and fresh vegetables.

As you explore the foods from Turkmenistan, expect generous portions of lamb, beef, and bread, with standout dishes like plov, juicy manty, and meaty shashlik. 

Ready to learn more about the most popular Turkmenistan food? Let’s go!

20 Most Popular Foods from Turkmenistan

1) Manty

In Turkmen cuisine, manty are steamed dumplings typically filled with minced lamb or beef mixed with onions and spices. These dumplings are soft and juicy, offering a pleasing flavour in every bite.

Often served with yoghurt, manty is a popular comfort food in Turkmenistan, perfect as a meal or snack. 

2) Ishlekli

This traditional meat pie is a staple in Turkmen homes.

The dough is stuffed with ground meat, onions, and spices before being baked to golden perfection.

This dish is easy to make in large batches, ideal for family meals, festive gatherings, and special occasions.

3) Plov (Pilaf)

The king of Central Asian cuisine, plov is a rice dish cooked with chunks of lamb or beef, onions, carrots, and spices. It’s a go-to for any big gathering, and every region has its own twist.

I prefer the plov in Turkmenistan over similar plov dishes in Central Asian nations such as Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan as it’s not as oily.

Plov is quite an oily dish because of the amount of meat, fat, and oil used to prepare it.

4) Shashlik

Grilled meat skewers, or shashlik are the ultimate street food in Turkmenistan. 

Juicy pieces of marinated lamb or beef are grilled over an open flame, often served with bread, tomatoes and onions.

• 🔥 Hot Tip: Book accommodation on Booking.com
• 🎟 Book your tickets online: We use Viator and GetYourGuide
• 🔋 Stay charged: This Belkin Power Bank is essential!
• 📸 Join a Group Tour: View our tours OR search Tourradar
• ✅ Get Connected with eSIM: Easy and affordable! View eSIM

5) Gutap

Gutap is a popular Turkmen pastry shaped like a half-moon and filled with a variety of ingredients. Depending on the season, the fillings can include minced meat, spinach, or pumpkin.

Once filled, the pastry is pan-fried to a crispy texture, making it a delicious and versatile snack or light meal. 

6) Chal

Chal is a traditional fermented camel’s milk drink in Turkmen cuisine, known for its piquant taste.

Famous for its refreshing qualities in the hot climate, it’s also valued for its health benefits, thanks to its probiotics. 

Though an acquired taste for some, chal is a unique staple of Turkmen culinary culture. 

At the recommendation of our friendly driver, I tried it in a small shop on the way to the iconic Darvaza Crater in Turkmenistan, and I enjoyed its unique taste.

7) Chekdirme

Chekdirme is a traditional Turkmen dish in which lamb or beef is layered with onions, tomatoes, and potatoes in a pot and cooked slowly over low heat. 

The juices from the meat and vegetables blend together, creating a decadent broth. This rustic, home-style preparation is a favourite of Turkmenistan food. 

It is often cooked outdoors over an open fire, bringing out deep, smoky flavours.

8) Kovurma

Kovurma is a classic Turkmen dish made by frying small pieces of lamb or beef in their fat, along with onions and spices, which give the meat a rich flavour. 

This dish is perfect with some fresh chorek (Turkmen bread).

Travelling to a country with a different currency? Avoid ATM transaction fees and pay in local currency with a Wise Card. We love this card; it has saved us so much in fees.

Get a Wise Card

9) Kelem Dolmasy

Kelem Dolmasy are stuffed cabbage rolls, a popular Turkmenistan dish.

The cabbage leaves are filled with minced meat (usually lamb or beef), rice, onions, and herbs, then rolled up and simmered in a tomato-based sauce. 

These tender, delicious rolls are a comforting and hearty meal, often served during family gatherings and special occasions. 

10) Kefir

When you sit down to enjoy breakfast in Turkmenistan, instead of coffee or milk for your beverage, you will most likely be served kefir.

Kefir is a thick fermented yoghurt drink made by combining kefir grains with sheep, cow, or goat milk and then allowing the process of fermentation to do its job over 24 hours. 

Kefir is also popular in Ukraine, Russian cuisine, Turkish cuisine, and other Eastern European nations.

I like this refreshing beverage, a must-try drink in our Turkmenistan food guide.

---

Booking.com is an easy-to-use search engine. It offers the best selection of accommodation available all over the world. We find they offer the lowest prices and no fees. Our Tip: Search by price, and filter by best reviews.

---

11) Samsa

Samsa are delicious baked pastries, typically filled with minced meat, onions, and spices. They have a flaky, golden crust and a tasty, juicy filling. 

What makes Samsa so appealing is their combination of textures—crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.

We enjoyed many samsa during our time in Turkmenistan. They are always best when they come straight from the tandoor-like oven.

12) Yarma

Yarma is a wheat porridge, a simple yet nourishing dish that will keep you full for hours. It’s a nourishing option, made from wheat or barley cooked with meat (often lamb or beef), especially in colder months. 

Yarma can be served at lunch or dinner, often accompanied by vegetables or flatbread. It is very popular among Turkmen people.

13) Tamdyr Kabap

Lamb or beef cooked in a traditional clay oven called a “tamdyr.”

The meat is roasted slowly, imparting a smoky flavour to the meat, and impossible to resist. 

The best way to enjoy this popular Turkmen food is alongside freshly cut tomatoes, cucumber and onions.

14) Pishme

A fried dough snack coated in sugar or honey is a favourite during celebrations.

Crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, it’s ideal with a cup of fresh Turkmen tea.

15) Pakhlava (Baklava)

Turkmenistan’s baklava consists of thin layers of pastry filled with nuts and soaked in sweet syrup. Rich and sticky, it’s a classic dessert for special occasions.

This dessert is popular in Turkey, Greece, and the Middle East; however, it’s now an international sweet that is loved worldwide.

16) Dograma

Dograma is a simple and hearty dish made by tearing flatbread into pieces and mixing it with boiled meat, usually lamb or beef, and onions.

Everything is combined in a tasty broth, making it a comforting meal. Dograma is often enjoyed in homes, especially during family gatherings, and it’s a great way to use leftover bread and meat.

17) Palaw

Palaw is a rice dish similar to pilaf. It is made with long-grain rice and is typically cooked with meat (usually lamb or beef), carrots, onions, and a blend of spices. 

What sets pilaw apart is its rich flavor, often enhanced by the addition of ingredients like chickpeas or raisins. 

---

Skyscanner is permanently bookmarked on our browser! We use it all the time to research and book travel options for your trip, including flights, hotels and car hire.

---

18) Halva

Turkmen halva is made from flour, sugar, butter, and nuts, offering a crumbly, sweet texture with a nutty flavour.

It’s a rich and satisfying dessert, usually served in small portions after meals.

Be warned, this dessert becomes very addictive, and you’ll be craving it once you return to your home country.

19) Chorek

This round, flatbread is a daily staple in Turkmen households. It’s baked in a tamdyr (clay oven), with a nice charred crust and a soft interior. 

There is nothing better than enjoying this soft bread straight from the oven, or even better if you’ve got a bowl of delicious, tender meat stew to dunk it into.

20) Shurpa

Shurpa is one of the most popular soups in Turkmenistan and Central Asia. Made of mutton broth, potatoes, carrots, and tomatoes, it always hits the spot. 

Enjoy it with a dollop of yoghurt and some fresh Turkmen bread; delicious!

Make sure you get Travel Insurance before hitting the road. We recommend Heymondo & SafetyWing

Click here and get 5% off Heymondo from us!

We’ve reached the end of our Turkmenistan Food Guide! We hope you’ve enjoyed learning more about Turkmen cuisine. Have you eaten the foods from Turkmenistan? What is your favourite dish? Let us know in the comments below.

More Travel Tips

We have so many tips to help you travel more!

These 21 cheapest countries to visit will help you stretch your hard-earned dollars further.

Read our top 6 travel hacks to save money and the 20 best travel apps to make travel easier! 

For food lovers, don’t miss our top 10 best countries for foodies. And, if history is your thing, these 30 amazing historical places worldwide will fascinate you!

We have many tips to save money for travel and consider these 20 jobs that PAY YOU to travel the world to help you travel longer.

If you become a trusted housesitter, you can also get FREE accommodation worldwide. Read more about how this works.

Check out our ultimate packing list for travellers, and remember to pack travel insurance! We recommend these two travel insurance companies for excellent coverage.

Our 12 essential tips for safe travel in any country are worth a read. 

You’ll need to stay connected while travelling the world. We recommend eSIM. It’s easy, reliable and affordable. View eSIMs for individual countries, or consider a Global eSIM if you travel to multiple countries or regions. This eSIM connects you in 124 countries, offering data-only eSIM and data/call/text eSIM.

The Global eSIM has been a game-changer; we couldn’t imagine travelling without it now.

If you want to travel with like-minded travellers, consider joining a group tour.

Check our Group Tours first for any upcoming trips you may be interested to join, or view these deals on worldwide group tours with Tourradar.

Check out our best-ever travel tips compiled from more than twenty years of experience.