When you think of Uzbekistan you may immediately go to the awe-inspiring architecture. What you may be missing out on is the amazing food in Uzbekistan. Expect to find a variety of delicious food with influences from all over Asia and the Middle East. We have highlighted our favorites below for you to enjoy:
Tea
Locals love to drink tea a lot. Even on a hot day, it is popular for one to enjoy a cup of tea. Most places in Uzbekistan it is common to find either green of black tea. Expect to have it served in small half-filled traditional cups that honestly look more like bowls. Why only half full? Serving a full bowl of tea is considered impolite.
Charlop
Charlop is a cold yogurt soup made with cilantro, dill, parsley, radishes, and cucumbers. It makes for a nice start to your meal as it is very light and refreshing. This dish is perfect for the hot summer months.
Shashlik
Shashlik is simply skewered meat that is cooked on the grill. “Shashlik” is actually Russian for “shish kabob”. Expect to find meat including cubes of beef, lamb, horse, chicken or ground beef. Given the fact that most locals are Muslim, it is highly unlikely that you’ll come across any pork while you’re in this country. Vegetarians can opt to trade in their meat for skewers of potatoes, mushrooms, tomatoes, and peppers instead.
Hasib
Hasib is a delicious lamb sausage made with an intestine casing. Your mouth will explode with its tenderness and flavor. Try it in a bowl of broth, making each bite so juicy and scrumptious that you won’t want it to end. The broth also makes a good remedy if you have a scratchy throat from traveling in the dry desert heat.
Manty
Manty is a dumpling stuffed full with a mixture of minced meat, fat and onions. Locals cook them over steam and serve them with either ketchup, vinegar or sour cream. There are also variations for vegetarians that include pumpkin or potatoes instead of meat.
Samsa
Samsa is another popular style of dumplings in Uzbekistan. Similar to manty, they are filled with either lamb or beef. They are then baked in an oven, turning them into a flaky pastry. They make for a staple breakfast food in Uzbekistan and can often be served with tea to start your day off right.
Barak
The other dumpling dish you cannot afford to pass up is the barak. These dumplings can have a variety of different fillings, including beef, egg, and pumpkin. They are often served cold and are meant to be a refreshing snack during the hot summer months. These are different from other dumplings like manty which are typically served hot.
Lagman
Lagman is another extremely popular food in Uzbekistan. The most common way that you’ll see this dish served is as a hearty noodle stew filled with lamb, onions, carrots, bell peppers, tomatoes, potatoes, and garlic. The rich stew broth is strongly seasoned with parsley, basil and cumin seed, leading to an explosion of flavor. Lagman noodles are typically hand pulled, leading to a deliciously chewy texture. When in doubt about what to order, this is a fantastic go-to dish, especially if it is cold outside!
Honim
Honim is guaranteed to wake up your taste buds. It can best be described as a large dumpling stuffed with potato strips, that are similar to hash browns. The dumpling is served in a tomato sauce with chilies and fresh onions. If you like Italian ravioli, this would be a great dish to try. There are many similarities with the thin and delicate dough and rich flavor.
Bread
Bread is an incredibly important dish in Uzbekistan. At every market and almost on every street corner you will encounter people selling homemade bread. Bread in Uzbekistan is almost always made in a ring, kind of like an oversized bagel. If you dine at a restaurant in Uzbekistan and fail to order bread, they will most likely bring you bread anyways. A unique part of the bread is the number of special patterns that are stamped onto the bread before it is baked. Pick up your very own bread stamp to take home as a souvenir.
Dried Fruit & Nuts
Uzbekistan loves dried apricots, raisins and all varieties of nuts. Expect that almost every table you sit at will have a plate filled with various dried fruits and nuts. You can find a huge variety of these products in the supermarkets. This combo is perfect for a healthy snack during your journey.
Plov
The main dish in Uzbekistan is called plov. Fun fact- there are around 200 varieties of this meal! This dish is so important to this country’s cuisine and culture, that it is featured as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO. Throughout the year there are nationwide competitions of who can create the best plov. Expect to find it served at all big events and ceremonies. So what is plov? Its main ingredients feature lamb or beef fried with onions and carrots that are all fried in a large cauldron also known as a ‘kazan’. Searching for the best place to try plov? Head to Tashkent or Samarkand for the best of the best.
If you’re a foodie who wants to travel to a new corner of the globe and enjoy some phenomenal cuisine, Uzbekistan should be your next stop. It will change your life. Which dish are you most excited to try? Let us know below! Ready to plan your trip to Uzbekistan? Start with Acanela today!
Post written by: Kirsten Cusack, @kirqsak