I keep coming across the word суманак. Does anyone have any idea what it means? It's in the context of holidays, and may actually mean holiday, now that I think of it. Online dictionaries haven't been any help.
In case the cyrillic isn't coming out, it's more or less this: CYMAHAK ("simanak.") Thanks for any information!
Edited by: DianaHaddad to try the cyrillic once again
Googled the Cyrillic and it's clear from various Russian pages that суманак is a "national dish" of the Tajiks, made from wheat shoots and nuts, and served on feast days and special occasions. ( Source )
Sumanak (sumalak in Kyrgyz and Uzbek) is served especially for Noruz, the Zoroastrian New Year, on March 21 (I've heard both Uzbeks and Kyrgyz refer to it as "Muslim New Year," because it's celebrated by Kyrgyz, Uzbeks and Tadjiks - "Muslims" and not by Russians - "Christians."). It's made with ground sprouted wheat and walnuts and cooked overnight in a big pot over a fire. The women take turns stirring it with a big stick and, at least in Kyrgyzstan, sing special sumalak songs. It's considered polite, if you've made sumalak, to take some to your neighbors.