Introduction
Being at the crossroads of civilizations past and present has made Uzbekistan cuisine an eclectic mix of different flavors, ranging from Persian, Iranian, and Indian, to Chinese, Russian and Arab.
Restaurants in Uzbekistan offer dishes of three main cuisines:
– Uzbek traditional cuisine;
– Russian cuisine;
– European cuisine.
Other national cuisines are present as well, such as the Chinese, Turkish, Georgian, Korean and Indian.
At first glance, Uzbek food is a serious challenge to people who are used to dietary nutrition. Millennia of nomadic traditions have resulted in the heavy presence of meat and fat in the meals.
Nevertheless, travelers with properly formulated food preferences may find a rich variety of dietary products, including dairy and fruit, which are delicious and contain no chemicals.
Abundance of fruit and vegetables and their incomparable taste has always been the pride of Uzbeks.
Those who are sick of tasteless supermarket strawberries, apples, etc., should try them in Uzbekistan just to know what the genuine taste should be.
The most famous dishes of Uzbek cuisine
Uzbek dishes differ in appearance, fragrance and flavor. Some of them are prepared on the everyday basis, others are seasonal, and some are cooked more rarely, depending on the seasonal availability of ingredients or to celebrate certain special occasions.
Plov
The national dish and most probably the one dish you will not be able to leave Uzbekistan without tasting is plov (also called palov or osh). Plov is a hearty mix of rice, mutton, shredded carrots, onions, and many other ingredients depending on which part of the country you are.
Bread (Lepioshka), Shashlik
Bread is a staple. The big round unleavened bread here is called lepioshka and is sold practically everywhere.
Mutton grilled on skewers, shashlik, is popular as well, as it is in many countries of the region.
Manti, Somsas
Meat or vegetable dumplings called manti and a ravioli-like dish called chuchvara are worth trying, too. As for snacks, it doesn’t get any better than somsas, which are pastry filled with meat, pumpkin, and potatoes.
