If you have not been to Uzbekistan then you are seriously missing out. Sure, the Silk Road cities are every bit as stunning as people say they are, but what really surprised me was just how bloody good the food was. Uzbekistan might well have the best cuisine in Central Asia, with influences from Persia, Russia, China and the wider Turkic world all coming together into one glorious artery clogging feast.
Uzbek food is hearty, filling and built for people who actually do physical work. There is plenty of lamb, beef, rice, bread and noodles, with enough fresh herbs and spices to stop it ever becoming boring. Whether you are eating in a family home, a chaikhana or grabbing something from a bazaar, you are rarely far away from your next great meal.
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What the Uzbek Cuisine?
Unlike Kyrgyzstan, where nomadic traditions dominate the menu, Uzbekistan developed around great trading cities such as Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva. Sitting at the heart of the Silk Road meant merchants brought recipes and ingredients from China, Persia, India and beyond, while Russian influence arrived much later during the Imperial and Soviet periods.
Rice is king here, particularly in the form of plov, while bread is treated with almost religious respect. Lamb remains the favourite meat, although beef is extremely common, with noodles, dumplings, grilled meat and soups appearing on virtually every menu. If there is one thing Uzbek cuisine does well it is feeding people until they physically cannot eat any more.
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Street Food Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan has one of the best street food scenes in Central Asia. Every city has huge bazaars packed with stalls selling fresh bread, grilled meat, samsa, fruit and sweets, while roadside shashlik grills pump out smoke from lunchtime until late into the evening.
The country’s famous bazaars are attractions in themselves, with places like Chorsu Bazaar in Tashkent offering enough food to keep you busy for an entire afternoon. Fresh juices, dried fruit, nuts and local soft drinks are sold everywhere, while tea remains the national drink of choice. You just don’t do Henry in Uzbekistan.
15 Must Try Uzbek Foods in Uzbekistan!
I’ve eaten my way across Tashkent, Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva and, while there are probably another fifty dishes worthy of making this list, these are the ones that stood out the most.
15. Nishalda
A fluffy white dessert made from whipped egg whites, sugar syrup and liquorice root. Sweet, sticky and unlike anything most visitors will have tried before.
14. Kurt
Hard salty balls of dried yoghurt that are sold in markets all over the country. They make the perfect snack for long train journeys, although they are definitely an acquired taste.
13. Halva
Found across the Middle East and Central Asia, Uzbek halva is particularly good. Dense, sweet and usually packed with nuts, it goes perfectly with a pot of green tea.
12. Non
Bread is sacred in Uzbekistan and every region has its own version of non. Baked in giant clay tandyr ovens, it accompanies virtually every single meal.
11. Samsa
Forget the supermarket version. Uzbek samsa are stuffed with lamb or beef, onions and fat before being baked inside a tandyr until the pastry turns beautifully crisp.
10. Manti
Huge steamed dumplings usually filled with lamb, onions and spices. They are simple, filling and one of the easiest dishes to find anywhere in the country.
9. Shurpa
A rich soup packed with chunks of lamb, potatoes, carrots and vegetables. Perfect after a cold day exploring Silk Road cities or hiking in the mountains.
8. Dimlama
A slow cooked stew made with layers of meat and vegetables cooked together for hours. It is comfort food at its absolute finest.
7. Chuchvara
Tiny dumplings served in broth or with sour cream. Think of them as the Uzbek answer to ravioli, only considerably more filling.
6. Shashlik
The smell of lamb cooking over charcoal follows you almost everywhere in Uzbekistan. Every restaurant has its own recipe and every local will tell you theirs is the best.
5. Laghman
Hand pulled noodles with meat, peppers, onions and vegetables in a rich sauce. Brought by Uyghur and Dungan communities, it has become one of the country’s most popular everyday meals.
4. Kazan Kebab
Chunks of lamb or beef fried with potatoes inside a huge cast iron kazan. Crispy, greasy and absolutely glorious after a few beers.
3. Achichuk
One of the simplest salads you will ever eat, made from tomatoes, onions and herbs. It is traditionally served alongside plov and cuts through the richness perfectly.
2. Plov
The undisputed national dish of Uzbekistan and, according to Uzbeks at least, the finest rice dish on Earth. Rice is cooked with lamb, carrots, onions and spices inside enormous kazan pots, with every city proudly claiming to make the country’s best version.
1. Tandyr Lamb
Forget steak. Forget roast beef. Lamb slow roasted inside a traditional tandyr oven is the king of Uzbek cuisine, with tender meat that falls apart at the touch of a fork and enough flavour to justify flying halfway around the world.
And that is my guide to Uzbek food. You’re welcome!
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