The very delicious plov we had in Samarkand, served with achichuk and a glass of homemade peach juice
Back in the days when I started developing an interest in Uzbekistan, I obviously did some research on the internet over how to get there, what places to see in the country, and what local dishes to try. While it wasn’t difficult to find results that helped me learn more about the history of the ornately decorated monuments along the ancient Silk Road cities, the same thing couldn’t be said about the Uzbekistani culinary tradition. One dish was often mentioned: plov. But not much about anything else, to the point where I got the impression that I should keep my expectations low.
Over the years, as I stumbled upon more travel articles and videos about the Central Asian nation, I began to learn that while the rice-based dish is ubiquitous in the country, it is far from being the only thing worth trying. From the curious-looking green noodles from Khiva to the very big round bread from Samarkand, there seemed to be a large variety of dishes that would keep my mouth busy when I wasn’t taking photos of those magnificent centuries-old mosques and madrasahs. And horse meat? That was definitely out of my comfort zone.
By the time James and I left for Uzbekistan for a two-week trip in 2024, we already had an idea of what dishes to try during our stay. But we were also careful to manage our expectations, for this country is not known as a big foodie destination. When we took a spoonful of our first proper meal there, however, our taste buds were pleasantly surprised by the wonderful burst of flavors that suddenly opened a whole new world for us. In this final post from my Uzbekistan series, I will share with you the wide variety of local cuisine that we sampled throughout our journey. And there is no better place to start than Samarkand, the home of the majestic Registan compound. After all, it is the site that draws people from all over the world to visit this double-landlocked country in the first place.
Samarkand
The Spanish-made high-speed train whisked us from the capital Tashkent to Samarkand in just 2 hours and 15 minutes (as opposed to 3.5 to 4.5 hours on the older, slower trains). And once we had checked in at our modest hotel which was just a short walk away from the Registan, we immediately looked for a place to have lunch since we only had a light breakfast earlier that day. As it happened, the family that managed the accommodation also ran an adjacent plov restaurant. And that was exactly where we went, out of convenience. Each of us ordered a portion of this emblematic Uzbek dish, that is apparently also common across Central Asia, which came with a small plate of sliced tomato-and-cucumber salad – also known as achichuk. To wash down the meal, we had homemade peach juice served in a Coca-Cola glass.
The plov (also known locally as osh) was a revelation. Appearance-wise, it gave the impression of yet another version of fried rice. But as I took spoonful after spoonful of the dish, the tender beef rib chunks, the moist rice with each of its grains perfectly coated in the sweet and savory seasoning, and the diced ‘potatoes’ all together made my taste buds dance. The red chili pepper and a hard-boiled quail egg on the side made the dining experience all the more enjoyable. The following day, as we set out to explore more of the city’s historical monuments, we saw the dish being prepared. We asked the cook about the ingredients, and he happily listed out what he used. Apart from the obvious, he also added yellow carrots (which we initially mistook as potatoes), raisins, and chickpeas, all cooked in three kinds of oil: sesame, walnut, and pistachio. No wonder it tasted so heavenly!
A few steps away from where we stayed was another restaurant called Shokhrukh Nur that served good-quality Uzbek dishes with a heavy focus on shashlik (kebabs). We ordered a trio of skewered lamb loin, beef rolls, and lamb tail fat (described on the menu as “lamb buttock”), along with a medley of other Uzbek delicacies including shurpa (meat and vegetable soup cooked with red carrots, potatoes, and chickpeas which was then sprinkled with dill and coriander) and lagman (inspired by the Uighur take on ancient Chinese pulled noodles). The dishes that appeared before our eyes were a testament to centuries of cultural exchange among the nomadic peoples across Central Asia before modern-day national borders were drawn. The highlight, however, was the melt-in-your-mouth lamb tail fat which we had tasted for the first time in Beirut five years prior. The waiter made sure we knew what we were ordering, with slight concern on his face.
But perhaps there is no other dish from Samarkand more storied and legendary than the fabled non, a traditional round bread baked in a clay oven known as a tandyr (or tandoor). At Siyob Bazaar, located next to the massive Bibi-Khanym Mosque, there is even a section dedicated to this beloved staple for the locals. Of course, we had to buy one – which turned out to be bigger and heavier than what I had anticipated – and it was still warm. We then explored other aisles of the market where a wide array of different spice mixes and a plethora of dried fruits filled every basket and plastic container on display. We stopped by one of the stalls to buy a small amount of powdered plov seasoning. After paying, each of us was given a dried apricot filled with walnut for free. Only a few steps after we walked away while munching on the freebies, we looked at each other and came up with the same idea: we went back to the same stall to buy half a kilogram of this snack, for not only was it really good, but also healthy. Such a clever marketing tactic!
Legend has it that there was once a khan (local ruler) from Bukhara who was smitten with the non of Samarkand after visiting the city. He then had a local Samarkandian baker taken to Bukhara to make him this specific bread every day. However, it didn’t turn out quite the same. Furious, the khan demanded an explanation. The baker said it was because of the flour, and the water. The ruler first had flour, then water, from Samarkand sent to his new baker. But still, the end result was never as tasty as the one he tried in Samarkand. The baker eventually told him that the missing ingredient was the air of Samarkand. As it was an impossible task to transport the air of Samarkand to Bukhara, the emir then relented and let the baker return to his hometown.
Cooking the meat for plov in three different oils
Central Asia’s yellow carrots
Plov, ready to serve
Our first lagman in Uzbekistan was at Labi Gor, a rather touristy restaurant across the street from the Registan
Uzbek manti (steamed dumplings) served with sour cream
Trying shurpa, manti, lagman, and achichuk at Shokhrukh Nur
We preferred Shokhrukh Nur’s version of lagman
A trio of shashlik (from left to right: beef roll, lamb tail fat, lamb loin)
Slices of sweet watermelon and melon Uzbekistan is known for
Dried fruits, nuts, and herbs at Siyob Bazaar
The vendor pointing at what we wanted to buy (spelled in Cyrillic which is pronounced “miks dlya plova”, or spice mix for plov)
We ended up buying some dried apricots filled with walnuts as well
The non section of Siyob Bazaar (with parts of the Bibi-Khanym Mosque visible to the left)
We slowly snacked on this large non together with the dried apricots throughout our journey in Uzbekistan
Don’t these somsas look beautiful?
Bukhara
Before we arrived in this city, we already had one restaurant in mind to try more Uzbek dishes: a place called Joy Chaikhana & Lounge. I first learned about it from a Euronews documentary I had watched prior to the trip and rewatched it with James when we were in Samarkand. In the video, the restaurant’s chef is said to have inherited the recipes from his great-grandfather who happened to be the personal cook for the last emir of Bukhara. For our first meal in the city, however, we went to a modest eatery just minutes away on foot from the quiet residential neighborhood where we stayed.
Samsushka was a road-side diner that catered to a largely local clientele. The owners were a friendly husband-and-wife team who served a variety of hearty local dishes. On our first visit, we tried their somsa (a cousin of samosa) with four different fillings to choose from: beef, chicken, pumpkin, and potato. While we had sampled Uzbek somsas before in Tashkent, the ones we had at this place were much tastier and flakier – they turned out to be the best somsas we had in the country. Satisfied with the food, we ended up returning here multiple times to try more of what they had to offer: from plov (the Bukharan version, we learned, has julienned red carrots in addition to other ingredients), chuchvara (boiled dumplings filled with meat), and their own rendition of lagman and shurpa. For some reason, their potato somsa eluded us as they always ran out of it every time we came.
When we finally went to Joy, we were seated at a traditional wooden divan with a raised table in the middle of it, situated in the skylit central courtyard of the historical building. It’s located at the heart of Bukhara’s old town, and the ambiance certainly evoked a bygone era when this city was frequented by camel caravans instead of tourists. The fun thing about traveling with James is that since he’s a true foodie at heart, he’s always game for trying different dishes, especially those we can’t find in our part of the world. Here, we ordered the house’s version of plov, dimlama (a stew of pike perch fillet with tomatoes, onions, and spices), chakka (thick yogurt), and kadu barak (Uzbek-style ravioli with pumpkin filling). Everything was decent, although to be honest none of these specialties really blew our minds.
The best somsas we had in Uzbekistan were the ones at Samsushka
The eatery’s take on plov, with achichuk on the side
Samsushka’s dishes were often simple, yet very comforting, like these chuchvara
Joy Chaikhana & Lounge, a popular restaurant at the heart of Bukhara’s historic district
Their version of plov, while decent, was nowhere near as rich and complex as what we had in Samarkand
As we normally tend to gravitate toward fish dishes, obviously we were interested in trying dimlama at Joy
Joy’s take on chakka
Kadu barak is one of those few vegetarian-friendly Uzbek dishes
An echo of the past at Bukhara’s Silk Road Tea House
Cloves, green cardamoms, cumin, and other spices at the tea house
Teatime in Bukhara (we happened to be at this place when the power was out)
Freshly-harvested melons and watermelons at a roadside stall in Bukhara
Khiva
We noticed that the local dishes we had in Khiva were quite different from those we tried in Samarkand and Bukhara. This is probably because of geography, as the city is located further away to the west of the country, surrounded by the vast Kyzylkum Desert. Take tukhum barak, for example. Instead of the usual meat or vegetable filling found elsewhere in Uzbekistan, this large boiled dumpling is stuffed with egg. As a result, this rendered the dish a more subtle flavor, perfect for those who prefer a milder taste. On the other hand, gumma would probably appeal to a broader audience as it is a fried pastry that is usually filled with minced beef and onion. Frying makes food taste better, doesn’t it?
My favorite dish in Khiva, however, was shivit oshi. The green color of the noodles is a result of infusing fresh dill in the dough. (Unsurprisingly, it is a much-loved herb in Central Asia.) Served with well-seasoned thickened beef-and-potato stew, with a dollop of yogurt on the side, for me this is a dish I can picture myself having again and again if it was more readily available closer to where I live. Obviously, we were curious about Khiva’s version of plov which we tried at Terrassa Café & Restaurant. They added dried apricots in the dish to give it a slightly sweeter taste compared to the other types of plov we had tried, and this reminded me of the food from Central Java that I grew up eating which is known among Indonesians for its balance of sweet and savory flavors.
Chalpak was another dish we had in Khiva. Referring to the name of the flatbread as its main component, the version we had consisted of layers of meat-filled fried dough served with pickled carrots, tomato sauce, and a bell-pepper-and-cucumber condiment mixed with herbs. I also have to mention the very refreshing and delicious fresh apple juice we had at the same restaurant. Apples, after all, originate in Central Asia.
At Khorezm Art Restaurant where we had our first meal in Khiva
Their version of gumma
The shivit oshi was quite decent and tasty too
Terrassa’s flavorful beetroot salad
The Khiva version of plov
Terrassa’s delicious shivit oshi
Meat-filled chalpak, also at Terrassa
Gumma is probably an Uzbek dish that can appeal to a wider audience
Tukhum barak with different fillings
Ali Nazik, a Turkish-inspired dish of grilled and pureed eggplant with meat
Probably the best fresh apple juice I have ever had
Tandyr, a traditional clay oven where somsas are made
Tashkent
The capital of Uzbekistan was meant to be a necessary stopover before flying back to Jakarta. But as it’s the largest city in the country, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that we were able to sample more of the surprisingly diverse culinary tradition of this Central Asian nation. At “Qamish” Xorazm Taomlari, we had Khiva ijjan which was a delectable steak tartare with a prominent onion taste to it. However, what we truly relished was the succulent grilled carp – procured from the Amu Darya – which came in way too many large pieces even for two people with big appetites like us.
At a branch of Komolon Osh Markazi, a family restaurant with an interior decorated in a manner which in present-day parlance can be described as “Instagrammable”, we tried moshkichiri. Some dishes are not meant to be judged solely based on their appearance, and this is exactly one of them. Made with mung bean and rice both cooked down into a thick, porridge-like consistency with onions and spices added to it, it was a very satisfying warm dish especially when eaten on a cold rainy night just like what we did.
On another day, James managed to track down a place called the Former Plov Center not only to have the Tashkent version of plov, but also for us to taste horse meat for the very first time. I wouldn’t necessarily choose it over other types of meat if it was available in supermarkets or restaurants in Jakarta, but given the cultural importance of horses to the different peoples in Central Asia, we knew we had to at least give it a try. Qazi is a traditional horse meat sausage that is thick and salty and often served with naryn, thinly cut fresh dough mixed with shredded horse meat. The sausage also made its way into the plov we had at this place, which itself has a similar flavor profile with different types of plov we tried in other cities. We also had mastava, a soupy rice dish topped with a copious amount of fresh dill and coriander which provided much-needed warmth on a gloomy day.
Khorezm-style flatbread at “Qamish” Xorazm Taomlari in Tashkent
Khiva ijjan, a steak tartare with a prominent onion flavor profile
Succulent grilled Khorezm carp
Sea buckthorn tea, not something we usually come across in Southeast Asia
Tashkent’s version of plov
Naryn was among the most unique dishes we had in Uzbekistan (served with a slice of qazi)
Mastava is perfect for those who enjoy soupy rice dishes
Achichuk with a generous amount of dill
Moshkichiri is something that can’t be judged solely based on how it looks
A bowl of refreshing Chiroqchi salad
Fresh and pickled vegetables on the side at Komolon Osh Markazi
Our first time trying quince
We came to Uzbekistan with low expectations for the local food. But we certainly left the country with a better appreciation of its cuisine that reflects the region’s long and often convoluted history. By now, you might have noticed that the people of Uzbekistan are generally big meat eaters. However, it doesn’t mean that there is nothing to offer to those who avoid any kind of meat. Vegetarian- and vegan-friendly dishes do exist in this country, but you just need to look for them a little harder.
As for the most emblematic dish of Uzbekistan, we surely had our favorite. The one we had in Samarkand is hands down the most flavorsome and complex plov we had ever tasted, while the version we tried in Khiva came in a close second. But from shivit oshi to kadu barak and gumma, we found the local food scene in Uzbekistan far from being boring and monotonous. So, how about you? What Uzbekistani dish intrigues you the most?
All looks tempting, but as I suspected Uzbek food is meat heavy. From your experience, it appears beef is king which would make eating a challenge for me.
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It is indeed meat heavy, and from what I read this is something Uzbekistan shares with other countries in Central Asia. That’s why we were really surprised by how good the grilled fish we had in Tashkent was. But if you don’t eat beef, there are quite a few other dishes that you can have in this country. Somsa is one of them.
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Mallee, please don’t let that put you off from visiting, as it is a wonderful country to travel in. As a vegetarian I had the most amazing food in abundance. (Please see my comment below) A bit of research beforehand is important, but it was never difficult for me to find good food.
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I’ve yet to visit Uzbekistan (which is high on my list), but I’m fortunate that I’ve gotten to try Uzbek food close to home, as there’s a small, but good handful of Uzbek restaurants in LA. I remember having plov with some of the most-tender beef I’ve ever eaten. Also tried lagman and manti, and it’s really fascinating that Uzbek cuisine blends dishes you can find in Chinese and Turkish cuisines. Looks like you ate very well, Bama!
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How cool that you have restaurants serving Uzbekistani dishes in LA! I wish we had those in Jakarta. As a nexus of the Silk Road, it’s only natural that Uzbekistan was where influences from the East and the West collided, reflected in many aspects of life of the locals, including in its cuisine. And yes, we definitely ate well!
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Wow you out did yourself. The food looks great.
I am hungry.
All the best.
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Luckily we had two weeks to eat all of those. Otherwise we would have been really stuffed.
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Thanks for the context, I always wonder how people manage all the food like on a cooking show.
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It helps that we generally have a big appetite for food. But what usually happens is whenever we have a big lunch, we tend to have something very light for dinner, and vice versa.
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The food looks so delicious, and it’s amazing you tried so much and learned so much about its historical and cultural context too. If I had to pick one thing to try, it would be those delicious looking somsas!
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We always learn so much about the local culture by trying its traditional food. And for us that makes traveling to new places even more exciting. The somsas, especially the ones in Bukhara, were so delicious. I think you would enjoy them as much as I did.
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Some of the dishes are perhaps common across the region, though the details change from place to place. I have your description filed away now for use as a “field guide”
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That’s true. What I read is that there are indeed similarities between the dishes in Uzbekistan with those in its neighboring countries, so much so they even have similar names. I hope this “field guide” will come handy when you visit Uzbekistan one day!
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Mas Bamaaa….
Foto-fotonya bagus banget, aku yakin pasti enak karena dah dicobain, tapiiiiiii maaf yaa, teteppp mulut terkunci untuk semua yang perdagingan hahaha, di Uzbek, sama seperti di Turki, aku hanya makan sayuran, yogurt (terbatas banget krn takut perut ngambek), plov tanpa daging, ya masuuuk perut tp enak juga pake salads sih.. di Bukhara, malah makan spaghetti (parah ya?) Padahal kadang aku pengen berani makan wkwkwk, kapan2 kalo ke Uzbek lagi, mau nyoba kalo berani hahahha..
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Oh, saya baru tau Mbak Riyanti gak makan daging. Tapi kalau ikan makan kah? Soalnya ikan bakar yang saya cobain di Tashkent itu enak banget sih. Dagingnya lembut dan juicy. Nah, next time kalau Mbak Riyanti ke Uzbekistan lagi cobain deh.
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Well, I’m glad you ate well. Richard loved the kabobs, but there were few choices if you don’t eat meat like me. 😊
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Jolandi told me that she booked a vegetarian food tour in Uzbekistan which helped her a lot in navigating the meat-forward culinary culture of the country. But I hope you tried dishes like somsas. The one with pumpkin filling that we had in Bukhara was very flaky and delicious.
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it all looks and sounds delicious
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I’m glad we had two weeks, not just a few days, to try them all!
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yes, that’s very lucky
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Very thorough article about the food in Uzbekistan. We aren’t truly foodies but we do like the sample the local food. Pierre is more adventurous than me (I am a bit picky!) (Suzanne)
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You can show this to Pierre so when you go to Uzbekistan he’ll have an idea of what dishes to try. Meanwhile, you can enjoy a good somsa or gumma. At least you don’t have to worry about fish dishes as there are not many in this country.
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Hooray, the long awaited food post. 😊😋 What a lovely visual feast, Bama. Loved reading your detailed summary too of the food and the experiences around the enjoyment of the local cuisine. It’s wonderful when you go in with no expectations and are blown away by the rich flavors.
Plov looks delicious – sesame, walnut and pistachio oils, wow – and I’m going to have to look it up over here. Or perhaps try and learn how to make it. And those restaurants and tea houses look so inviting too! It’s interesting see staples such as dumplings and samosas interpreted in a different part of the world!
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I knew you had been waiting for this post. Sorry it took a really long time. 😁 Uzbekistan is one of those places that surprised me with the food. It’s a lot more interesting and varied than I initially thought.
When we were told what ingredients go into plov, we were amazed. The different types of oil is key to the complex flavor of this dish. We bought powdered plov spice mix at Siyob Bazaar, but we ended up using it to make other dishes. It would be neat if you can find an Uzbekistani restaurant in your area. If you do, and if they have those dumplings, you should definitely give them a try.
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We have some restaurants in our city and I’m gonna try to check them out now. Plov sounds particularly inviting!
It’s nice that you bought the spice mix. What did Tiu make with it.
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We added it to a few things we made — I can’t remember what exactly. But for sure, it did add a nice, complex flavor.
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There’s a really good one (5 star user reviews) very close to me. Gonna have to check it out now! Thanks for the inspiration.
https://m.yelp.ca/search?find_desc=Uzbekistan+Food&find_loc=Toronto%2C+ON
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For some reason I can’t open the link. But it’s great to know that there’s a highly-rated Uzbekistani restaurant near where you live!
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A mouth watering post! It’s difficult to choose just one but probably shashlyk.😋
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The lamb tail fat is a must! You should eat it in moderation, though. 😄
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🤣
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Yes I did, and they were good, but we were there for a month so I became very tired of the lack of choice. They alos made vegetarian plov and lagman but they were very bland. It didn’t get much better in Kyrgyzstan, except that we found a Georgian restaurant.
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We actually also went to a Georgian restaurant in Tashkent. The food from that country is just so delicious and interesting. The first time I had it was in Siem Reap, and that experience immediately propelled Georgia high on my wish list!
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Thw country is as good as its food 😊
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2 years since our adventures there hey… gosh time flies! I quite liked the food in Uzbekistan which surprised me as I’m usually a bit fussy! Great photos as always! X
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I feel like time flies even faster as we get older. I can’t believe it has been two years since we were in Uzbekistan! How nice to hear an Aussie liking the food in this Central Asian country because from what I remember from my trip to Sydney and Melbourne, the food was really good down under. I don’t know about Perth, but I can imagine the standards should be similar.
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The food scene here in Perth is fantastic too- we have some amazing restaurants and a variety of cuisines since we are so multicultural. I think I liked Uzbek food because it was so unique to me. So different and unattainable here so perhaps I liked it because of the “novelty” of it.
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That further affirms what I’ve been thinking all these years since that trip to Sydney and Melbourne almost a decade ago: the food scene in Australia is top notch, so much so it’s really hard to find a bad meal.
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It’s about time the vegetarian jump into your comment section, Bama. I honestly had the most amazing food during my three weeks, and could still have tried many more dishes. Because breakfasts were so big, I only had one other meal each day. Of course, it depends on one’s personal tastes and preferences, but I also think that as tourism is developing, so is the understanding that many people don’t eat meat. Samarkand even has a vegan restaurant called Samarkind, which is excellent, and I found many vegetarian versions of local dishes, including mastava, shivit oshi, lagman, plov and even moshkichiri (although the last was at a homestay).
It’s so interesting that we ate at many of the same restaurants (Joy Lounge, Khorezm Art Restaurant, Old Terrazza, Silk Road Teahouse). Sadly, Samsushka is closed (hopefully only temporarily), but I had some really good somsas in various places (including at Motrid Samsa in Samarkand), as well as various types of dumplings and gumma. There were so many delicious salads too. In Samarkand for instance, I had the most amazing meal at a restaurant called Lati (which isn’t on Google maps), where the cool locals seem to congregate. I had an amazing fried eggplant dish, which reminded me of a fresh interpretation of fried eggplant salad, which I also enjoyed eating. It was well thought out and plated with such care that it felt a bit like fine dining without a heavy price tag.
The vegan tour I did in Tashkent with UzVeg was unfortunately at the end of my trip, but it was a fascinating experience, as we tried vegan food I would not have know existed like a sunflower seed halva, as well as sumalak made from sprouted wheat and eaten during Navruz at Chorsu Bazaar for example, and an interesting dumpling dish at a house restaurant, which I would never have known existed otherwise. I did a lot of research in advance, but some things I stumbled upon. And of course, because I was there in September, the melon, watermelon, grapes, apples, and other fruits were a delight.
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Jolandi, at first I was genuinely worried when you told me that you were thinking of going to Uzbekistan, because of the plethora of meat dishes in the country. But I’m really glad that you managed to find those vegan- and vegetarian-friendly restaurants throughout your trip. You’re right that the growing tourism industry there helps to diversify the culinary options for those visiting the country.
The elderly couple who ran Samsushka were very kind and sweet. I wonder what happened to their small business, but I hope they will reopen sooner than later. Speaking of good salad, I still remember how delicious that beetroot salad at Terrassa was. The fried eggplant dish you mentioned sounds very appetizing. I love eggplants, and in Indonesia they’re often fried and cooked with a chili-based sauce. I was particularly very fond of the one my late mom used to make.
Sunflower seed halva sounds really good. But I’m more jealous of the fresh fruits you had! When we went, it was toward the end of the melon season. Luckily we could still sample some sweet melons Uzbekistan is known for.
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That’s a lot of food photos and its making me hungry 😅 Its nice to know that there’s great food in Uzbekistan.
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Now you know that Uzbekistan is not only home to magnificent centuries-old monuments, but it’s also where you can sample delicious Central Asian dishes. Sorry that this post made your stomach rumble! 😁
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I admire how much research you put into food when travelling! And that you fully commit to trying local traditional cuisine. Glad to hear your expectations were exceeded when it came to the food. And all this talk about food makes me want to eat now!
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Food has really become an integral part of our travels, so much so our next intercontinental trip might be mainly driven by it. I’ll share more about it later. But as you can see, we’re often surprisingly delighted by the local fares of the places we go to, which was the case with Uzbekistan. I hope you had something yummy within reach when you were reading this, Linda!
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First of all, I love James’s and your enthusiasm for food during your travels! It’s always fun to read about your delight with so many dishes. Like a few others here, I can see some things that look very tasty too, but I would struggle with much of the meat! The non looks amazing (I am a bread head for sure), and the fresh salads and other side dishes look really good.
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If you think of it, our Spice Odyssey in 2015 basically revolved around food — the spices to be precise. Sometimes I’m surprised by how much dishes James and I can try in a single trip. We certainly ate well in Quebec, which was our most recent trip together. The non was quite dense, and I remember it had some kind of nutty flavor to it without actually having nuts. If you ever come to Uzbekistan one day, you don’t need to worry about what to eat as proven by Jolandi.
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I love how this final Uzbekistan post overturned your modest expectations of the country’s food, Bama. The story of the bread needing Samarkand’s air is a perfect touch—some flavors really do seem inseparable from a place. Your description of the plov, especially those three oils, makes me hungry. As always, your photos add to the feel; the dill-green noodles look amazing and might tempt me first. Your writing always gives me wanderlust and makes me think of all the great things to explore out there!
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I came to Uzbekistan with its centuries-old, elaborately-decorated madrasahs in mind. But I left the country with a better appreciation for its culinary tradition. If anything, it’s a reminder of why we need to travel. It broadens our horizons and introduces us to things we would’ve otherwise been oblivious of. The green noodles of Khiva was also one of the dishes I enjoyed the most in Uzbekistan, but I’m a bit biased because I’m very much a noodle person. I hope you’ll get to try some Uzbekistani dishes one day, Randall!
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I’ve never had many of these foods before. Some like the dumplings, flatbread etc.. I’ve had similar foods. The Moshkichiri looks interesting actually and I would love to try the plov too.
It’s neat that you do so much research ahead of time so you make the most out of your trip.
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It really helped that some other bloggers shared their experience in exploring Uzbekistan’s culinary scene. So we used that as a reference and a starting point. Along the journey, we learned more about other dishes too.
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The variety of dried fruits, nuts, and herbs at Siyob Bazaar is quite amazing! It looks like Uzbekistan’s food is hearty, aromatic, and deeply rooted in Silk Road traditions, featuring a rich mix of slow-cooked meats, rice, and fresh breads. In Latvia, we also make Plov, but we make it with pork, carrots, onions, and rice slow-cooked together in a large cast-iron cauldron. It was introduced to Latvia from Central Asia and Russia during the Soviet era and has since become a very common, easy everyday home-cooked meal. Thanks for sharing, and have a good day 🙂 Aiva xx
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I would definitely try the Latvian version of plov when I visit the country one day. Cultural exchanges like this are what make the dishes we have today very diverse and interesting. I wonder if the flow also went the other way: Latvian culinary traditions that traveled to Central Asia and influenced some of the local dishes there.
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