Naren vs Beshbarmak: Kazakh Feast Dishes of the Northern Grasslands
In a Yili yurt, my host set down a platter of wide noodles under a mound of boiled lamb and said one word: beshbarmak. The next visit, a nearly identical platter was called naren. I’d stumbled into Xinjiang‘s most confused pair of feast dishes. The beshbarmak guide and the naren guide each explain one; here’s how to tell them apart at the table.
Both Are Grassland Feasts
Both come from the Kazakh (and Kyrgyz) nomads of northern Xinjiang — Urumqi is too far south to claim them; Yili and the summer grasslands are where they live. Both are eaten with the hands from a shared platter, both center on boiled lamb, and both honor guests.
Beshbarmak — “Five Fingers”
The name means “five fingers” — you eat it with your hand. Wide, square qaza noodles (or pasta squares) are boiled, laid under large pieces of boiled lamb or horse meat, and served with a clear onion broth (sorpa) on the side for sipping. It’s the Kazakh national dish. The dedicated guide notes the meat is boiled plain, then the broth becomes the soup.
Shape & Serve
Big square noodles, chunky meat, broth separate. Communal, hands-on, ceremonial.
Naren (Narin) — The Festive Cousin
Naren is the festive, often wedding-version: the same boiled meat but the noodles are typically hand-pulled and sliced thin, dressed with the meat broth and a good deal of onion, sometimes with the meat shredded over the top rather than in big pieces. It’s richer, saucier, and considered a step up for celebrations. The naren guide traces it to the same Turkic root as the Central Asian naryn.
Shape & Serve
Thinner pulled noodles, meat often shredded, more broth integrated. Slightly more “composed” than beshbarmak‘s rustic pile.
| Beshbarmak | Naren | |
|---|---|---|
| Noodles | Wide square pasta | Thin pulled, sliced |
| Meat | Big boiled chunks | Shredded over top |
| Broth | Separate cup (sorpa) | Mixed in |
| Occasion | Everyday feast | Weddings/festivals |
| Eat with | Hands | Hands |
Etiquette of the Feast
Wash hands first (the halal etiquette guide covers this). The host gives the prized pieces — the hip, the tongue, the eye — to honored guests. Don’t refuse; eat a bite and return the rest if full. Broth is sipped between bites to cut the richness.
Reaching {P} on buses, taxis and shared rides
The last vehicles back leave in the early evening, and after dark on a mountain road the local buses stop running entirely. Leave two hours of slack on the return. Xinjiang Naren Vs Beshbarmak sits an hour or two from the nearest town, which sounds close until you work out there is no reliable public bus to the gate. What does exist is an intercity coach leaving the Xinjiang long-distance station early, a taxi share at the stand that costs a few tens of yuan a head if you are patient, and the tour vans that pick up at hotels.
We came twice. The second a driver on a return leg dropped us at the entrance and waited in the car park, which is the cheap way to do it if you do not mind setting your own clock. The first time we chartered a car for the round trip and it was worth every yuan. The trick is finding the vehicle rather than the timetable.
In Xinjiang the drivers wait where drivers always wait, in the little offices a few hundred metres off the main terminal, and they will put together a half-day for a price the meter would never quote.
What goes in the day pack
A wind shell. Water, more than you think, a power bank and some cash. The temperature drops fast once you stop moving and the drop is not hypothetical on an exposed pass. A fleece covers most of the year, a real jacket covers shoulder season.
Cards work at the gate and in the shops, but the stalls on the approach road and the drivers waiting at the turnoff want cash, and coming up short at the moment you want a lift is the classic way to lose an hour. Sunscreen and a brim. The light here is serious and the shade is intermittent, so the sunscreen goes on before you leave the hotel, not at the gate. The short version, with the numbers, is in our [[xinjiang-waterfalls-guide|Chasing Xinjiang’s Waterfalls: Alpine…]].
How much time the place really needs
The second I gave it a morning and a late-afternoon return and saw two completely different places, because the light moved across the surface and the crowds thinned to nothing. My own rule now: if I have to choose between this and an extra evening in Xinjiang, I keep the evening. The gates open early and the last entry tends to stop a couple of hours before closing, so the promise of coming back for sunset is not always possible. Most first-timers plan two hours and then get stranded. Budget the full morning.
Ninety minutes is enough to tick the box. That covers the walk in, the slow look at the main feature, the side trails almost nobody does, and getting back to the car before the light goes flat. Half a day is enough to understand it. A full day is what you want when the point of coming was Xinjiang Naren Vs Beshbarmak itself rather than a stop on the way. The first time I rushed it and spent the whole visit looking up at the same rock from one spot.
Where to Eat
Yurt stays near Nalati, Karajun, and Zhaosu in Yili; Kazakh restaurants in Urumqi‘s north side. The best-time guide says June–September for grassland access. Pair with koumiss in summer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which has horse meat?
Either can — both are served with lamb or horse meat depending on the household and the occasion. Ask if it matters to you; the Yili food guide mentions horse-meat sausage too.
Are they spicy?
No. Plain-boiled, onion, broth, salt. The only heat is black pepper if offered. Very different from the cumin kebab world.
Can I eat them with a fork?
Locals use hands, but forks are acceptable for visitors at restaurants. At a yurt feast, attempting hands (right hand only) earns smiles.
Which should I seek out?
If you can only try one, beshbarmak is the iconic, everywhere-version; naren is the special-occasion treat worth timing a festival for.
