Dastarkhan
The spread cloth on which a Central Asian meal is served, and the hospitality it stands for.
Also: dastarkhon, dasturkhan
Dastarkhan is the tablecloth laid on the floor or low table, and by extension the whole meal laid for guests in Central Asia. It is covered with bread, dried fruits, nuts, sweets and tea before the main dish arrives, so that a guest is never faced with an empty table. Bread, the most respected item, is never put upside down or on the ground. The eldest man sits at the head, and the host serves tea in half-filled bowls, which are refilled often as a sign of attention. To invite someone to the dastarkhan is to offer friendship, and the quality of the spread reflects the household's honour.
Region: Central Asia and the Caucasus