The main Uzbek dish is plov

The most popular dish in Uzbek cuisine is plov. Legend has it that Tamerlane invented the recipe. Each city has its own traditions when it comes to cooking plov. Right from the start, it is difficult to attribute primacy to one of them: Samarkand, Tashkent, Fergana or Bukhara. But there are also recipes linked to calendar dates and everyday events. In Uzbekistan, there are spring, summer, winter, ordinary, festive and other recipes. There's a saying: "If you haven't eaten pilov, you haven't been born".

Shashlyk lamb

In Uzbekistan, traditional shashlyk is prepared from the meat of a young lamb, generously seasoned with spices. The pieces of lamb are threaded onto a skewer with bacon (or fatty lamb tail) and briefly soaked in water before being placed in a marinade of onions, spices, dried uruk, cherry leaves and grapes. Many restaurants also offer other variations of this popular dish, such as :

Kiima kabob (minced meat skewer)
Jigar kabob (liver kebab)
Charvi kabob (shish kebab with meat wrapped in a fatty membrane)

Shurpa - A soup with Ottoman roots

Shurpa is a soup whose origins date back to the Ottoman Empire. In Uzbekistan, it is served as a traditional starter and represents an adapted version of the classic recipe, whose homeland is considered to be the Ottoman Empire. Similar dishes, known by different names, can be found in other countries, such as Kazakh sorpa, Kyrgyz shorpo and Romanian chorbe. The main characteristic of Uzbek shurpa is its rich, fatty meat broth, made from lamb, chicken and beef.

The 'authentic' Lagman in a rich, fatty sauce

At first glance, the hearty and delicious lagman soup may seem incredibly simple: meat, homemade noodles and vegetables, with nothing superfluous or unusual. However, to create the perfect lagman, you need to add tender lamb interwoven with layers of fat, as well as a fragrant 'vadzha' sauce made from lamb fat and vegetables.

Sunny flatbread - "No" in Uzbek

The non-flat breads are characterised by a crisp golden crust, a soft dough and a subtle flavour provided by sesame, cumin and poppy seeds. Over the years, this beloved Uzbek staple has been preserved in its original form. These round flatbreads, often seen as a symbol of the sun, nourish and strengthen the locals. There are other varieties of baked goods just as colourful:

Patirs - Prepared with lamb kurdyuk, they offer a unique and flavoursome taste.
Jizzali-noni Zogora-Noniz - Flat bread made from maize flour, known for its flaky texture.
Shala-Osiegi Noniz - Whey-based flatbread, enriched with onions and sesame oil for extra flavour.