33 Countries of Origin’ Profiles

10 little interest in changing. Additionally, most of the region's historic diet and local foods still form the base of the local diet and over time the greatest changes have been primarily in the introduction of new spices and vegetables.As Islam arrived to Afghanistan i n the 600s a couple dietary restrictions were placed on the new adherents: pork cannot be consumed and alcohol is forbidden. Although these two restrictions didn't vastly alter the local diet at the time, they have since given the cuisine a specific direction due to these restrictions. Through the 600s and later the greatest influences came with traders from all directions, but primarily from India, the Mediterranean, and to a lesser degree China. These traders arrived to modern da y Afghanistan a s well as to the surrounding regions; most notably the north along the historic Silk Road and to the west where the historic power of Persia dominated. The Silk Road had power centers in the cities of Bukhara and Samarkand (both in modern da y Uzbekistan) and the influence from this trade changed the cuisine of the entire region. The base foods remained quite firm as few major or noticeable alterations were made to the diet, however the addition of new spices forever altered the local flavors in a very subtle way. Although the external traders from faraway lands influenced the cuisine, it was the neighboring Persians that more strongly influenced the Afghan diet. The people adopted many dishes and took many ingredients and foods from Persia that were integrated into the local diet. As the Silk Road slowly fell due to opening water routes betwe en Europe a nd the Far East, the Ottoman Turks r ose to power in the region and influenced Afghanistan's diet. The Turks brought yogurt, stuffed grape leaves ( dolma ), kebabs, and coffee while the Arabs, also in the west, brought a greater prevalence of figs and dates, around which new dishes were centered. In the past century the foods have changed slightly in Afghanistan, but only slightly. Although much of the world has adopted fast foods and pre-packaged meals, Afghanistan has not experienced many of these changes in great numbers. Isolated both geographically and politically for much of the past century the country has few fast food restaurants and almost no pre-packaged foods. For the little that does exist, it is almost entirely limited to the capital of Kabul. Staple Foods Khameerbob : a cooked dough that's sort of a combination between dumplings and pasta Naan : thin oval-shaped bread served with most meals; sometimes topped with seeds Rice: served as a base in many dishes and is prepared in numerous ways Regional Variations, Specialties, & Unique Dishes Ashak : dumplings filled with leeks topped with garlic and yogurt Kebab: generally seasoned lamb meat served in naan with rice Mantu : dumplings with onions and beef topped with a tomato sauce and yogurt Palao /Pilaf: dozens of varieties exist, but the national dish is qabili palao , which is a rice- based meat, carrot, pistachio, and raisin dish Qorma : onion-based stews, usually with meat; again numerous styles exist Dining Etiquette When eating in Afghanistan, remember that you are in a Muslim country and with that comes a couple etiquette rules you must know and follow. First, dress on the conservatively side.