Turkmen cuisine, like any other, largely reflects the history and life of the people. It is similar to other Asian cuisines, but it has some distinctive features. When foreign guests and tourists learn the national cuisine, they get to know more closely the mentality and character of the Turkmen people, their traditions and customs.

In Turkmenistan, people love and know how to cook, and therefore, to receive guests. Hospitality is one of the distinctive features of the Turkmen people; it is not accidental that the people say, “A guest is a messenger of God”, “No guest in the house – no happiness at home”. The tradition of receiving and treating guests with the best dishes have been fostered in children from an early age.