Fried Bread · Teatime Staple

Baursak (Бауырсак)

Photo: Игорь Улитин / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

Many Kazakh families fry baursak and thin shelpek flatbreads for memorials and on Fridays, following the belief that the smell of hot oil reaches the spirits of the ancestors.

Baursak are small pieces of yeasted dough deep-fried until golden and puffed, crisp on the outside and soft inside. Market stalls pile them into baskets or bags, and they're eaten plain, dipped in jam, or alongside a bowl of tea.

Why it's made this way: Baursak turns simple pantry staples — flour, water, and fat — into a filling, portable bread that can be fried quickly at a market stall or campfire without needing an oven.