Customs and Superstitions Related to the Traditional Dishes of the Surkhan Oasis Population

The issues related to cooking among the population of the Surkhan oasis are studied. The traditions and rituals during which ritual dishes are prepared are studied. In the Surkhan oasis, the rituals and customs related to cooking have original features and are characterized by the ethnic diversity of the local population. The food of the population of the mountainous and foothill regions of the oasis, who were engaged in livestock farming, consisted mainly of meat and dairy products. The settled and semi-settled population strictly observed the rituals and customs associated with meat dishes, and when cutting up a carcass or preparing food, they adhered to the rule of dividing into clean and unclean (permitted and prohibited). Dairy products played a huge role in the everyday life of the oasis population. Local residents knew how to get raw and melted cream from milk, ferment sour milk, make kurt, churn butter and knew how to store it. In addition, dishes prepared from milk and katyk were considered sacred (oklik), they were treated with care and people tried not to spill them on the ground.