were flavored with rose. Modern Indian cuisine is heavily influenced by Mughal cuisine, including the grilled tandoori meats and yogurt sauces. Characteristics The culinary cultures of Central Asia may be divided as follows: nomadic or urban; highland or lowland; and Mongol, Turkic or Iranian. The nomadic diet based on meat and dairy products is found in Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. While lamb and beef, breads, baked pies and homemade noodles are common across the region, besh barmak (a lamb dish eaten with the hands) and horse meat are found only in some regions, mostly Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. The typical dishes of the settled Turkic peoples - Uzbek and Uighurs - are pilafs, kebabs, stews, noodles, tandyr flatbreads and savory pastries. The Iranian cultural influence is seen in the cuisine of Tajikistan and southern Uzbekistan, reaching into northern Pakistan and India, where rice and stewed vegetable dishes are more elaborately spiced. Some common ingredients and flavors can be found in the varied cuisines of region. These include generous use of tail fat from sheep and onion, hot peppers, black pepper, cumin, sesame seed, nigella, basil, cilantro, parsley, mint and dill. These are used in all sorts of dishes including soups, salads and pilafs. Less common are cinnamon and saffron. Tea is the most popular beverage. Green tea with cream is more common in Kyrgyz cuisine, while black tea is more common in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. A chaikhana is a Central Asian teahouse where people gather to socialize over tea. Traditional dishes are served like shorpo (soup), shashlik (grilled meats), mastoba, manty, pilov and samsa. (Vodka is sometimes called ak cha or "white tea"). Kumis is a traditional drink of the Turkic peoples of Central Asia. It is a fermented dairy product traditionally made from mare's milk or donkey milk. A meal typically begins with tea or fresh tandyr nan bread, followed by soup (shorpo) or pulled noodles (lagman). The main course is often a pilov dish with meat, rice and carrots; hundreds of variations of the basic pilov are possible with the addition of different herbs, dried fruits like raisins and apricots, nuts and other ingredients. After the main course a guest may be offered dumplings or grilled skewers of meat, and fresh fruit often takes the place of a final dessert course. In many parts of Central Asia the meal is served on the floor with many plates laid out