the joys of lagman

Oh rapture, that I am able to partake of the fortuitous bliss that is lagman. Such a rude name for something so delectible and delicious. For those that don't know, lagman is a native dish, originating within the ancient race of the Uighurs, who have populated Central Asia for centuries. It is the only somewhat spicy dish, and one of the only dishes resembling Chinese food, to be had in Kazakhstan, and I sieze every chance, with vigor, to eat this dish, since lagman in the North and East of Kazakhstan, though available, is infrequent and inferior--something like eating fajitas in Vermont or Texas chili in Seattle. I had eaten it three times in as many days, and twice today.

There are at least two varieties of lagman (at least there are only two I am familiar with): guru lagman and sairu lagman. All lagman has a bed of pasta, which if you are familiar with Chinese food, is like lo-mein noodles, and if you're not, is like really thick spaghetti. Guru lagman in my opinion tastes better and is much worse for you, since it is fried. It is much like pepper steak: fried red and green peppers, onions, garlic, and thin slices of spiced steak, and lots and lots of oil. Sairu lagman is soupier than guru, for it has a light tomato broth, while its padlif consists of tiny chunks of steak, diced peppers, onions, carrots, and potatoes.