Page 38 - The Majestic Balochistan

L ANDHI

Landhi, also known as dried meat, is a popular food in Balochistan and Afghanistan. It is com-
monly eaten in winter to keep a person warm and help him face the extreme weather. It is usua-
lly prepared from lamb or sheep, but can also be made from beef. First a lamb/sheep is slaughte-
red and skinned after which the remaining hair on the skin is burned and the meat is wiped to
get rid of the carbon deposits. The meat is then cut into smaller pieces and rubbed with salt to
prevent bacteria growing, on it. It is also rubbed with pungent-smelling Asafetida, which serves
as a preservative. It is then strung on Landhi poles (tall poles with crosspieces which stand
outside most of the mud-houses in the rural areas and serve as winter storage.) The best time to
prepare this dish is around December, when the meat dries out within 15 days if it is cold
enough. After preserving seasoned meat for over five to six weeks, it gets dry and crispy. Once
dried, it is cooked into a soup and served either as pilaf or as soup wing bread. This method to
preserve meat was developed, over centuries when refrigeration was not invented and cold
winters posed a threat for livestock.