The culture of flatbread making and sharing, represented in this nomination with the names Katyrma, is a set of traditional knowledge and rituals related to preparation and sharing of traditional thin bread that performs specific cultural and social functions within the related communities in Kazakhstan and is transmitted from generation to generation. Flatbread tradition is symbol of shared cultural identity and serves as expression of mutual respect among communities.
Tradition bearers usually prepare the flatbread from unleavened or leavened dough based on flour, salt and water, while also adding sometimes milk, butter, sesame and poppy seeds. Communities use different types of crops to prepare the dough, such as wheat and rye.
Some communities in Kazakhstan bake the flatbread by laying out rolled dough in big cauldrons (‘kazan’) heated on fire. As a result of this baking style, practitioners manage to maintain nutritious qualities of the flatbreads and store them for several months without refrigerator. Various methods, techniques, instruments and substances are used by flatbread-preparing practitioners.

The preparation of flatbread involves traditional practices based on collective labour and sharing within family and neighbourhood. As an expression of social solidarity in rural areas, families prepare and bake flatbread together with their neighbours, especially as a preparation for winter. The flatbread is baked both at homes by family members and flatbread bakers, who learn the practice through a master-apprentice relationship. The flatbread preparation bears a great variety of social and cultural functions for its communities in terms of its usage at special occasions and its relation to transition between seasons. Communities consider flatbread preparation places sacred. In Kazakhstan, communities believe preparing flatbread at funerals helps the deceased get protection from the burning Sun, while waiting for decision of the God. During the preparation of flatbread, it is shared with all passers-by as sign of hospitality. Flatbread culture is expression of belonging to common cultural roots. It reinforces cultural links and serves as marker of hospitality, conviviality and friendliness.

The knowledge and skills related to the preparation of traditional flatbread is mainly transmitted today within families through parent-child relationship and among masters and apprentices of bakeries by means of oral communication and instruction, observation of physical movements and participation, memorisation of skills and application of techniques and experimentation for preparation, baking, storing and using of the flatbread. As a part of transmission process young family members are even entrusted to prepare dough pieces used for rolling flatbread, while providing adults with the tools and materials and helping in storage of the baked flatbread. During this process, parents also transmit the knowledge about nutritional, cultural and social functions of flatbread and traditions related to it, by explaining for what purposes it is used and how these traditions need to be respected. The knowledge and skills related to preparation of flatbread is also transmitted in traditional bakeries, culinary, vocational and apprenticeship schools. In this transmission process, masters and culinary experts demonstrate the knowledge about flatbread preparation to a number of students/apprentices at the same time, while letting them observe, memorise an participate in stages of preparation process, as well as explaining the meaning of flatbread for the community. In urban areas, bakeries often employ men both as workers and for transmission to younger generation. The flatbread baking knowledge and skills are considered by the concerned communities as an integral part of their heritage, the continuity and viability of which each generation of communities tries to enrich and contribute to.

The flatbread is traditionally baked collectively by women and men (most frequently three or more in number and belonging to the same family or the families of the neighbours, but also by members of traditional bakeries), sitting sometimes on the ground and performing specific roles and responsibilities in preparation of the bread.

Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity

2016