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Thecuisine of Uzbekistan, also known asUzbekistani cuisine, encompasses all traditional and moderncuisines ofUzbekistan. It shares the culinary traditions of peoples across Central Asia.[1] Grain farming is widespread in Uzbekistan, making breads andnoodles an important part of the cuisine, which has been described as "noodle-rich".[2]
Bread (nan ornon) is baked in atandur, which is frequently a pot rather than the deep pit or oven of India and Afghanistan. Many varieties of rice are eaten.[3] Potatoes were introduced by the Soviets, and some elder Uzbeks still refuse to eat them.[4]
The most popular meat is mutton. Beef is common, and goat is eaten only rarely. Horse meat is used as well; there are sausages made of horse meat, as is the case with many otherTurkic peoples.[3]Karakul sheep provide meat[5] but also fat, particularly the fat from the tail end, calledqurdiuq.[3]
Uzbekistan's signature dish ispalov (plov or osh or palov, "pilaf"), a main course consisting ofrice, chunks ofmeat, gratedcarrots andonions. It is cooked in akazan (ordeghi) over an open fire.Chickpeas,raisins,barberries, or fruit may be added for variation.[6][7][8]
Although often prepared at home for family and guests by the head of household or the housewife, palov is made on special occasions by theoshpaz, or theosh master chef, who cooks the dish over an open flame, sometimes serving up to 1,000 people from a single cauldron on holidays or occasions such as weddings.Nahor oshi, or "morning plov", is served in the early morning (between 6 and 9 am) to large gatherings of guests, typically as part of a wedding celebration.
Other national dishes includeshurpa (shurva orshorva), asoup made of large pieces of fatty meat (usually mutton) and fresh vegetables;norin andlagman, noodle-based dishes that may be served as a soup or a main course;manti (also calledqasqoni),chuchvara, andsomsa, stuffed pockets of dough served as an appetizer or a main course (ranging from "wonderfully flaky and rich" to "heavy, stodgy"[3]);dimlama (a meat and vegetable stew) and variouskebabs, usually served as a main course.[citation needed]
Green tea is the national hot beverage taken throughout the day;teahouses (chaikhanas) are of cultural importance.Black tea is preferred in Tashkent. Both are taken withoutmilk orsugar. Tea always accompanies a meal, but it is also a drink of hospitality, automatically offered green or black to every guest.Ayran, a chilled yogurt drink, is popular in the summer.
The use of alcohol is less widespread than in the West. Uzbekistan has 14wineries, the oldest and most famous being the Khovrenko Winery inSamarkand (est. 1927). The Samarkand Winery produces a range of dessert wines from localgrape varieties: Gulyakandoz, Shirin, Aleatiko, and Kabernet likernoe (literallyCabernet dessert wine inRussian).[9][10] Uzbek wines have received international awards and are exported toRussia and other countries inCentral Asia.
A festive meal ends withfruit or a compote of fresh ordried fruit, followed bynuts andhalvah with green tea.[citation needed]
Plov (also known as palov or osh) is considered to be the national dish of Uzbekistan, with numerous variations across the country.[11][12] Its tradition and culture are recognized byUNESCO on theRepresentative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. According to UNESCO, large-scale communal plov that are cooked in oversizedkazan cauldrons, are typically prepared by men, while the women tend to only cook plov at home for their families. Specialists that prepare this dish are called "oshpaz", and their skills are passed down from masters to apprentices, over generations. There is a tradition where elders start to eat first, before others follow.[13]
The basis is meat, usually mutton, with vegetables (carrots and onions), fried inqurdiuq (fat from thefat-tailed sheep). The mixture of onion and thinly cut carrot is calledzirvak, and it is compared to Europeansoffrito. Oftengarbanzos and raisins are added, and instead of mutton all kinds of other basic ingredients can be used, including stuffed grape leaves or poultry.[citation needed]
The meat is either boiled or fried with thezirvak. The rice is cooked by being soaked and then placed on top of the other ingredients, so it steams—in contrast to other popular ways of making pilaf, where rice is fried, and the other ingredients added, and then the entire dish being cooked in water.[3]
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Traditional Uzbek bread, called genericallynoni[14] orpatyr, is baked in the form of circular flat loaves (lepyoshka in Russian) with a thin decorated depression at the center and a thicker rim all around. Nons are brought to the table with the decorated side up, then torn into irregular chunks which are stacked on the bread plate. Every region has different varieties of non, most prominent are:
The cooking ofBukharan Jews forms a distinct cuisine within Uzbekistan, subject to the restrictions ofJewish dietary laws.[15] The most typical Bukharan Jewish dish isoshi sabo (alsoosh savo orosovoh), a "meal in a pot" slowly cooked overnight and eaten hot forShabbat lunch. Oshi sabo is made with meat, rice, vegetables, and fruit added for a unique sweet and sour taste.[16] By virtue of its culinary function (a hot Shabbat meal in Jewish homes) and ingredients (rice, meat, vegetables cooked together overnight), oshi sabo is a Bukharan version ofcholent orhamin.[citation needed]
In addition tooshi sabo, authentic Bukharian Jewish dishes include:[17]
Beverages in Uzbek cuisine reflect the nation's Central Asian nomadic roots and its historical role along theSilk Road, offering a diverse array of traditional drinks.Tea holds a central place, withkok choy (green tea) being the most popular, typically served unsweetened in small ceramicpiyola bowls to pair with dishes such as plov or shashlik. Black tea, orqora choy, is also widely consumed, sometimes enhanced with herbs likemint or thyme. Dairy-based options includeayran, a cold, salted yogurt drink that complements the cuisine's rich, spiced flavors, and common fermented drinks likeqatiq andkumis (fermented mare’s milk), tied to pastoral traditions.Sharbat, a sweet, non-alcoholic fruit drink made by boiling dried fruits such as apricots, raisins, or apples, highlights Uzbekistan’s abundant fruit harvests. Another distinctive offering ischalop, a chilled mixture ofyogurt,dill,cilantro, and vegetables, functioning as both a beverage and a light dish. For festive occasions,shirchoy, a salty milk tea prepared with butter, underscores the region’s steppe heritage.[citation needed]
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