 Cuisine |
Uzbek cuisine has ancient traditions and differs from other ones for its distinctive technology in cooking, a wide assortment of ingredients, especially spices and herbs. The favourite kinds of meat are mutton, goat's flesh, beef and chicken. Not a single Uzbek family can live without dairy products. Sheep, cow and goat's milks are widely used in any forms. In some regions, with well-developed horse and camel breeding, the population consumes mare's and camel's milks, known as kumys and chal (fermented milk). The people of Uzbekistan use a wide variety of fruits often as desert, namely grapes, apricots, peaches, pears, apples, melons and watermelons which are grown in the country. Meals are always served with a round bread called non or liybiyoshka, tea and salad.
Kazi is a special kind of sausage made of horse meat and fat using special spices prepared according to ancient recipes passed down from generation to generation. This sausage has distinct dark colour. It is a delicacy and is normally served only on very special occasions.
Khazib is a sausage made of meat, rise and spices. The outer casing is made of the inside of a sheep's intestine and cooked on low heat for a long time.
Shurpa is a hot rich meat broth with potatoes, peas and carrots. It is served in individual bowls (kosah) and eaten with a spoon. It is possible to eat the large chunks of meat on the bones with your hands.
Lagmon is a rich spicy stew with chopped meat, vegetables and spices, poured over long hand-made noodles. The noodles can be eaten with a fork and the gravy with a spoon. Lagmon is served in individual bowls(kosah).
Mampar is similar to lagmon. A spicy meat and vegetable stew poured over chopped pieces of dough. It is served in a bowl and eaten with spoon.
| Chuchvara consists of small "packages" of minced meat, onion and spices in dough. This is boiled in a tasty broth, served hot in bowls and eaten with a spoon. Sour cream or yoghurt can be served as a dressing.
Plov is the most popular dish in Uzbekistan. You will almost always be served plov as a guest. This dish basically consists of cooked meat, rice, onion, garlic and spices. During the autumn hunting season, gourmets would use quail, pheasant, wild goose, wild pigeons as a substitute for mutton. So, there are more than 100 different kind of plovs! Each region has its own ingredients such as raisins, quinces, garlic etc. are added depending on the occasions and season. One of the most interesting ones is the Bukhara sweet plovs with raisins and dried apricots instead of carrot. Dimlama is made of coarsely chopped potatoes, meat, onions, garlic, carrots, cabbage, eggplants, tomatoes, sweet peppers and a variety of herbs and spices. These ingredients are placed in strict order in tightly sealed pot and cooked for hours over moderate heat, traditionally over a slow fire. This nutritious meal is usually cooked during spring and summer when there is a wide choice of vegetables. It is served on a large plate (lagan) and eaten with spoon. The meat can be eaten with your hands.
Manty are meat dumplings with onion and the chopped sheep fat covered in dough "packages" and steamed. Manty is served on individual plates (3-5 pieces) and dressed with sour cream or yoghurt.
Somsa is a pastry with meat, onion and fat of a sheep's tail cooked in a special clay oven called tandir and eaten with hands. Shashlik is one of the most popular dishes served in Uzbekistan, enjoyed by one and all. It is marinated pieces of mutton and sheep's fat threaded on metal skewer and cooked over hot coals. There are two kinds of shashlik; meat and liver. Hot shashlik is served with chopped onions. Before eating, it is advisable to sprinkle some pepper and vinegar over while the meat is still hot. Shashlik can also be prepared from wild pigeon and fat fish namely sheat, chub and sazan; all fresh water fish. |
