Renowned pastry chef and chocolatier Hans Ovando has created a dessert inspired by one of Kazakhstan’s most mysterious natural landmarks — the Zhumbaktas rock in Lake Burabay.
The dessert, made with local ingredients including honey from a nearby apiary, symbolizes a careful attitude toward the region and is part of a broader initiative to promote mindful tourism.
«We wanted the dessert not only to deliver taste but also to bear history, so that a person tasting it would be intrigued by the landmark that inspired the pastry’s creation,» said Askar Kanapin, co-founder of the La Crème restaurant.
The project is part of the Quality Mark program run by Kazakh Tourism, which aims to unite Kazakhstani companies striving to ensure high-quality tourism.
Notably, tasting the dessert is currently the only tangible way to connect with the famous rock, since access to the actual Zhumbaktas rock has been restricted due to vandals defacing the landmark with graffiti.
In June, Kazakh Tourism announced plans to develop film tourism, proposing several locations — including Burabay National Park — as attractive destinations for tourists and filmmakers.
If you’ve ever wanted to feel like a fictional character on tour in Kazakhstan, Kursiv.media has compiled a selection of locations that resemble those from the worlds of «Harry Potter» and «The Lord of the Rings.»
