The Turkic-Central Asian dastarkhan (tablecloth) is organized around a central communal dish — soup or stew served in a large shallow bowl — surrounded by flatbreads, fermented dairy, dried fruits, and a drink. Among the Yasawi dervishes, frugality is a virtue: the meal is simple, shared in silence or punctuated by dhikr (invocations). The Taikazan, a large bronze cauldron, is the central object of the communal meal in the khanqah (Sufi convent).

Barley is the dervish grain of the steppes: hardy in harsh climates, slow to digest, it sustains the body during fasts. Toasted then coarsely ground, it becomes talkan, an instant flour that the traveler carries and mixes with water or milk — the ascetic food par excellence, tied to the discipline of the soul advocated by Ahmad Yasawi.