Dastarkhān
Encyclopedia
A dastarkhan is the name applied across Central Asia
to the traditional space where food is eaten. The term may refer to the tablecloth
which is spread on the ground, floor, or table and is used as a sanitary surface to use for food, but it is also used more broadly to refer to the entire meal setting.
The food put on a dastarkhan (the "spread") ranges from simple tea
and bread
(for small meals shared by a family) to various salads, nuts, candies, sorpa, and meat set out for a feast.
A large cultural significance is placed on the dastarkhan among different groups, and as such, various traditions, customs, values, and prohibitions surround the use of the dastarkhan. These include, for example, that there is usually a dedicated drink (usually tea) pourer, or that one must never step on or over even a corner of the dastarkhan.
Central Asia
Central Asia is a core region of the Asian continent from the Caspian Sea in the west, China in the east, Afghanistan in the south, and Russia in the north...
to the traditional space where food is eaten. The term may refer to the tablecloth
Tablecloth
A tablecloth is a cloth used to cover a table. Some are mainly ornamental coverings, which may also help protect the table from scratches and stains. Other tablecloths are designed to be spread on a dining table before laying out tableware and food....
which is spread on the ground, floor, or table and is used as a sanitary surface to use for food, but it is also used more broadly to refer to the entire meal setting.
The food put on a dastarkhan (the "spread") ranges from simple tea
Tea
Tea is an aromatic beverage prepared by adding cured leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant to hot water. The term also refers to the plant itself. After water, tea is the most widely consumed beverage in the world...
and bread
Naan
Naan is a leavened, oven-baked flatbread. It is typical of and popular in South and Central Asia, in Iran, and in South Asian restaurants abroad. Influenced by the large influx of South Asian labour, naan has also become popular in Saudi Arabia and other Persian Gulf states.Originally, naan is a...
(for small meals shared by a family) to various salads, nuts, candies, sorpa, and meat set out for a feast.
A large cultural significance is placed on the dastarkhan among different groups, and as such, various traditions, customs, values, and prohibitions surround the use of the dastarkhan. These include, for example, that there is usually a dedicated drink (usually tea) pourer, or that one must never step on or over even a corner of the dastarkhan.