I happen to think blini served with peanut butter and honey is the next best delicious thing to gretchka served with peanut butter and honey. I texted thusly to Akmoor and she responded, “Kokustuk.” I had heard “kokusunan” which means suddenly, but I wasn’t totally sure what this meant, so I asked my host brother who happened to be in the kitchen making the blinis. (And he’s a darn-tootin’ good cook for 15 years young.)

The man flips a mean blini

My host bro said (and this was all in English):

Host bro: “If your parents come home and you with your girlfriend, this is ‘kokustuk.’ Ahh…if, if you go to konok (guest) and your baipak (socks) are not good, this is ‘kokustuk.’

Me: Ah–holes? Haha, ok.

Host bro: “And, ok, if you, for example, your girlfriend’s name is Aigerim—just for example—and you are walking in park with her, and you say, ‘I love you Jyldyz!!’ this is, oh, this is very kokustuk! And you go home and (makes sleeping sound) no—you—(motions wrapping noose around ones own neck)—yes, this is kokustuk…”

Me: (Dying with laughter.)

It was quite entertaining, and I think I get the sense of the word, but I’m still not sure why my girlfriend thought eating a blini with peanut butter and honey is ‘kokustuk.’ It was surprising? Shameful? It makes her want to die thinking someone she knows puts peanut butter on blinis? I should be eating these in the dark and disassociating myself from any recognition of said Akmoor while she’s in the same room? At any rate, you can be sure what word just got added to this guy’s daily vocab for the next week.

Forget PB&J — the PB&H is the real deal