List of Uzbek dishes

Uzbek lag'mon in Tashkent

This is a list of notable Uzbekistani dishes and foods. Uzbek cuisine is the cuisine of Uzbekistan. The cuisine is influenced by local agriculture such as grain farming. Breads and noodles are a significant part of the cuisine, and Uzbek cuisine has been characterized as "noodle-rich".^[1] Mutton is a popular variety of meat^[2] due to the abundance of sheep in the country, and it used in various Uzbek dishes. Ingredients used varies by season.^[2] For example, in the winter, dried fruits and vegetables, noodles and preserves are prominent, while in the summer vegetables, fruits (particularly melon) and nuts are more prominent.^[2] Bread (nan, obi non) has a prominent role in Uzbek cuisine, and is influenced by pre-Islamic traditions.^[2] In Uzbek culture, elders are typically served food first, as a sign of respect toward them.^[3]

Uzbek dishes and foods

Kuurdak being prepared

Uzbek manti

Plov (pilaf) in Tashkent

Kabob

Uzbek samosas

Tandir kabob - mutton that was prepared in a tandir oven

• Çäkçäk – unleavened dough fried in oil
• Chuchvara – a very small dumpling typical of Uzbek cuisine that is made of unleavened dough squares filled with meat.
• Chorba – one of various kinds of soup or stew found in national cuisines across the Balkans, Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and the Middle East.
• Dimlama – An Uzbek stew prepared with various combinations of meat, potatoes, onions, vegetables, and sometimes fruits. Meat (mutton or beef) and vegetables are cut into large pieces and placed in layers in a tightly sealed pot to simmer slowly in their own juices.
• Katyk – sour-milk yogurt ^[2]
• Lagman – lamb and noodle soup^[4]
• Manti – also referred to as kaskoni,^[5] dumplings filled with ground meat and onion that are steamed.^[3] Typical meats used include mutton and beef.^[3] Manti are sometimes prepared in a specialized steamer designed to cook them, called a mantyshnitsa.^[3]
• Meats include mutton, beef, poultry, goat meat, camel meat and horse meat (such as horse meat sausage)^[2]
• Melons (qovun), such as watermelon, are a prominent part of Uzbek cuisine.^[3] Qovun means "melon", and may refer to a melon that has an elongated shape, which has been described as "exceptionally sweet and succulent."^[3] Melons are often served as a dessert.^[3]
• Naryn – a pasta dish made with fresh hand-rolled noodles and horse meat.
• Noodle-based dishes^[5]
• Fried nuts and almonds^[2]
• Obi Non – also called patyr^[5] and nan,^[2] is a bread that is a staple food in Uzbek cuisine. It is formed into large discs and cooked.^[2] Tradition holds that the bread is always placed flat side up (rather than upside-down), and never cut with a knife.^[2] Non is a significant part of Uzbek cuisine, and is influenced by pre-Islamic traditions.^[2] It is typically prepared in tandir ovens.^[3] Styles of non can vary by region.^[3]
• Oshi toki – stuffed grape leaves^[5]
• Plov – a pilaf dish, it is a national dish of Uzbekistan.^[3][5] In Uzbek culture, it is customary for men to prepare the dish when it is served at feasts or celebrations.^[2] Per tradition, plov is typically eaten without the use of utensils, with the right hand, although sometimes a spoon is used.^[3]
• Rice dishes ^[2]
• Samsa – pastries filled with various meats and onion and cooked in a tandoor or standard oven.^[3][5]
• Shakarap – a salad prepared with tomato, onion, salt and pepper^[5] Some versions use a pumpkin filling during autumn.^[3]
• Kabob^[3][5] – meats (typically mutton or beef) grilled on a skewer or with a spit. Kabob are often sold at food stands and roadway stalls. Traditional kabob are prepared with meat only, omitting vegetables.^[3]
• Shurpa – a popular soup prepared with potatoes, vegetables and meat (typically mutton)^[3][5]
• Sumalak – sweet paste made entirely from germinated wheat (young wheatgrass)
• Suzma – clotted milk that is strained, forming curds^[2]
• Tirit – prepared to avoid wasting dry bread, it is prepared with the broth of offals and cutting dry bread and adding ground pepper and onion.
• Yogurt soup – yogurt soup cooked with a variety of herbs, rice and sometimes chickpeas.

Beverages

Fresh ayran with a head of froth

• Ayran – a cold yogurt beverage mixed with salt.^[6]
• Green tea (kok choy) is typically served without sugar or milk, and is often consumed in teahouses, known as choyhonas.^[2]
• Soft drinks ^[3]

Alcoholic beverages

• Beer ^[3]
• Champagne ^[3]
• Cognac ^[3]
• Vodka – is the most popular alcoholic beverage, and is typically drunk straight (sans dilution or mixer).^[3]
• Wine ^[3]

Desserts

• Candies ^[2]
• Fresh or dried fruit ^[5]

• Melons ^[3]

• Halvah ^[5] (lavz) – in Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, soft sesame halva is made from sugar syrup, egg whites, and sesame seeds. Solid sesame halva is made from pulled sugar, repeatedly stretched to give a white color, and prepared sesame is added to the warm sugar and formed on trays.

See also

• Agriculture in Uzbekistan
• Central Asian cuisine
• Index of Uzbekistan-related articles
• Kazan (cookware)
• Outline of Uzbekistan
• Soviet cuisine

References

External links

• Media related to Cuisine of Uzbekistan at Wikimedia Commons