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example, in cattle-breeding regions the preference is given to meat,
oil and milk while the dishes cooked from vegetables and beans dominate
in the ration of agriculturists. There are such dishes that are
not cooked everyday, but only for weddings, festive boards and honorable
guests.
There are more than a hundred types of plov, about 30 types of shashlyk,
70-80 types of soups, a lot of types of bread, somsa and confectionaries
in Uzbek cuisine. There are so many delicious and sweet-scented
dishes among them!
In Uzbek cuisine, there are dishes that are cooked in a certain
season of the year. For instance, a salad from radish with sour
cream, sumalak, dumplings with greens, somsa with greens, plov with
stuffed grape leaves, roasted cauliflower, green gram soup with
mint are cooked in spring.
Shashlyk with tomatoes, stuffed cabbage, stuffed bell pepper, lagman,
salad with suzma, cold soup from sour milk and greens, stewed shashlyk,
stewed meat, stewed vegetables, ayran, tea, fruit compotes etc.
are cooked in summer.
Roasted meat, fish shashlyk, roasted young lambs, quail soup, plov
with quince, manty with potatoes and pumpkin etc. are cooked in
autumn.
In winter there are plov with kazy karta, postdumba and lamb fat;
kazy karta, lamb shashlyk, radish salad, soup with fried meat, moshkichiri,
various fruits preserved for winter, jams, compotes, pickles.
The art of cookery same as the other types of art does not develop
separately but influenced by the traditions of nations, people and
inhabitants of nearby countries.
For example, if you take a look at the history of formation of contemporary
Uzbek cuisine, there are distinguished elements of Russian, Ukrainian,
Caucasian, Tatar, Kazakh, Uigur and Tajik national cuisines as well
as tens of others.
Uzbek cuisine occupies one of the unique places in the variety and flavoring qualities of dishes; the oriental originality is peculiar to it.
The principal cause of the variety of Uzbek cuisine is connected with the historical past of the region. The location of Uzbekistan in the center of the Great Silk Road, that had been connecting civilizations of the West and the East for long centuries, and also the place occupied by Uzbekistan between western and eastern cultures are the main reasons of the unique wealth of Uzbek cuisine.
Taste of eastern spices, abundance of various sweets, taste of greens and vegetables, various tasty drinks, high-calorie dishes cooked from meat of all kinds of animals, and, certainly, fine taste of tea which is an integral part of eastern cuisine are the guarantees of physical and mental health of a person.
Cuisine is especially distinguished and developed aspect of Uzbek culture. Unlike nomadic neighbors, Uzbek people had stable and settled civilization during many centuries. People cultivated corn and domesticated cattle between deserts and mountains, in oases and fertile valleys. As a result, the abundance of products allowed Uzbek people to express their unique tradition of hospitality, which in its turn enriched their cuisine.
Seasons of the year, especially winter and summer effect on the ingredients of the main menu. Fruits, vegetables and nuts are ubiquitous in summer. Fruits such as grape, melons, watermelons, apricots, pears, apples, quinces, persimmons, cherries, pomegranates, lemons and figs grow in Uzbekistan in abundance. Vegetables, including a few lesser known varieties of green radish, yellow carrot and gourd family in addition to ordinary eggplants, peppers, turnips, cucumbers and juicy tomatoes are not less abundant.
Winter diet traditionally consists of dried fruits, vegetables and canned products. Noodles and dough dishes are also common foods during cold seasons of the year.
The main preferable source of protein in Uzbek cuisine is mutton. Sheep are valued not only for their meat and fatty tails (the source of fat in culinary) but also for their wool. Beef and horseflesh are also used as food in significant amounts. Camel meat and meat of goats are less widespread.
The taste of Uzbek dishes is not particularly hot, but of course spicy. Some seasonings used during cooking are black caraway, red and black pepper, barberry, coriander and sesame seeds. The most popular herbs are parsley (fresh coriander), dill, celery and raikhon (basil). Other seasonings include wine vinegar, which is separately added to salads, pickles and other sour-milk products. A great variety of bread, both butter and unleavened one, is the main element in food for the majority of population. Flat bread or Non (aka lepeshka) is usually baked in clay ovens (tandyrs) and served with tea, not to mention each separately taken dish. Some types of lepeshkas are baked with onion or meat, baked in dough; others are scattered by seeds of sesame or calonji.
Central Asia is known for availability of various delicate sour-milk products. The most famous of them is katik or yoghurt made of sour-milk and suzma i.e. baked thick milk that is similar to cottage cheese. Normally, they are served separately in salads or added to soups and second dishes, which gives the latter a unique and sweet aroma.
Plov. (“Pilav’ in Uzbek language) is the main dish of Uzbek cuisine. It mainly consists of roasted meat, onion, carrot and rice with adding of raisins, barberry, “nohat” peas and / or fruits. Uzbek men are proud of their ability to cook the most unique and gorgeous plov. Head cook (“oshpaz” in Uzbek language) often cooks plov on the open fire in a separate cauldron. On holidays or during special events such as wedding, more than 1000 persons have a chance to taste plov. Of course, it takes years of practice to learn perfect cooking of this dish that sometimes contains up to 100 kg of rice.
Tea as a ceremony, is one of the most beautiful oriental traditions. Tea is offered to any guest and there is also an additional range of customs that include preparation, serving and drinking of tea. Green tea is prevailing and considered as a drink of hospitality. Black tea is preferred in Tashkent. Both types of tea are sometimes served with milk and more often with sugar. The ceremony of drinking of tea in Uzbek cuisine also includes eating of such food as somsa, lepeshka, halvah and various roasted and baked products.
Tea-room (Choikhona in Uzbek language) is an important part of traditions of Uzbek people. It is always located in a shady place, preferably near a cold creek. Choikhona is a place of meetings for social interaction, communication and friendship. Uzbek men enjoy delicious plov, shashlyk and endless tea bowls with green tea, while gathering around low tables placed on tapchans (low beds with bars) .
A few recipes of cooking of famous dishes: Plov, sumalak, shurpa, chuchvara, somsa, manty, lagman, naryn.
Plov.
The main national dish of Uzbekistan is plov. Normally, festive plov is cooked from mutton and rice with adding of a large amount of carrot and onion, as well as spices. Each ingredient of plov has a symbolic meaning, while holiday supper with plov has a ritual meaning connected to ancient traditions. Plov is cooked by ancient recipes and has a lot of varieties. For wedding ceremony, that plays a significant role in Uzbek people’s ceremonies, a special plov for weddings is cooked. In each region, there are their own secrets of cooking of this dish that create its unique taste and aroma. Normally, plov is served up on a big flat dish. According to the ancient tradition plov is eaten with hands from one common dish, however, now, especially in cities, you can see more often that it is eaten with using of spoons and sometimes forks. Plov is always dished up with lepeshkas.
Sumalak.
Sumalak occupies a special place in Uzbek cuisine. In ancient times, sumalak was cooked as a ritual dish before the beginning of spring cultivation works. Sumalak is cooked from spouted grains of wheat, that are being milled and then boiled in a cauldron with cotton-seed oil and adding of flour, during 10-12 hours. It is believed that sumalak should be cooked with singing of songs and playful merry trolls. After the dish gets cold, it is served on the table. It is considered that this dish gives people physical and spiritual power. There is a legend that tells about the origin of sumalak. Once a fortress town on the bank of Djeikhan river was under siege of nomads from the East. When all food finished, the heads of the fortress ordered to take out last sacks of soggy and sprouted wheat. When defenders of the town tasted this unattractive soup they felt such a burst of power and started to fight the attacks of the enemies back with such a fury that the enemies were put out of countenance and retreated. Peace was established again on the earth.
Shurpa, mastava.
Among liquid dishes, various types of shurpa and mastava occupy an important place in Uzbek national cuisine. The main ingredient is a fat meat bouillon. Shurpa and mastava are cooked from fresh or roasted beforehand meat. But more often from fresh mutton. Carrot and bulb onion that is being chopped in circles and added in a fresh state are important ingredients. Sometimes shurpa is cooked with turnip and peas. In some regions potatoes, fresh tomatoes and sweet pepper are also added. There are two types of shurpa: kainatma (shurpa cooked from fresh meat) and kovurma (shurpa cooked from roasted meat). Kainatma shurpa is more widespread and has a sweet taste and aroma. Meat is boiled in big pieces, while vegetables are boiled as a whole or in big lobules. Boiling is carried out on a small fire. Excessive boiling cannot be allowed. Mastava can be referred to the variety of shurpa. As a rule, it is cooked from roasted meat. The main ingredient is preliminary thoroughly picked and washed rice that is being put into bouillon 25-30 minutes before the cooking of the dish is finished. In some regions, they add caraway to make the dish more tasteful 50-60 minutes before the cooking of the dish is finished.
Ugra soups.
The soups cooked with adding of home-made noodles are popular in Uzbek national cuisine. Ugra is cooked in a bouillon or in fresh or sour milk. These types of the soup are more often cooked in Bukhara, Kashkadarya, Samarkand and Tashkent regions as well as in Ferghana valley. Stiff dough is prepared in water or milk with a little amount of melted butter or without it and sometimes with adding of eggs. After 30-40 minutes, dough is rolled out in thin slices being cut into strips with 8-10 cm width, with adding of flour. Then it is gathered in a pile and cut into noodles. Meat, potatoes, carrot and bulb onions cut into small dices, are fried with a little amount of fat with adding of fresh tomatoes. Fried vegetables are poured with cold water and boiled. Scum is being removed. French beans and salt are added optionally. The fire is being increased 12-15 minutes before the cooking of the dish is finished. Then noodles are added in small portions.
Chuchvara.
Chuchvara is the most widespread national dish. Sometimes it is called varak chuchvara (dumplings). The cooking method of chuchvara is the same in all regions. Stiff dough is prepared from flour, eggs, water and salt. Then it is kept for 40-50 minutes for swelling. In order to make minced beef or mutton, meat is cut into small pieces and chopped with bulb onions or minced, and then a little amount of water, pepper, salt and zira are added before this mixture is thoroughly mixed. Dough is rolled out in slices with 1-1,5 mm thickness and cut into small 4x4 cm squares. Minced meat is being put on the small piece of dough the corners of which are pinched and rolled up connecting the ends and making a form of a crescent with a hole in the center. Before serving chuchvara is boiled in a salty water or a bouillon. Then it is dished up with suzma spiced by milled pepper, bulb onions and tomatoes, black pepper or sour cream.
Manty.
After plov, manty is the most widespread and favorite dish of Uzbeks because in many regions mantys are dished up at the end of the meal. In Ferghana valley, Samarkand, Tashkent and Bukhara manty is one of the most important components of ration of local population. In other regions they are rarely cooked. Mantys are cooked from mixed in water stiff dough which is rolled out in slices with 4-5mm thickness and being cut into squares of 12x12 cm size. Minced meat, minced vegetables or greens can be a stuffing. Mantys are steamed during 35-45 minutes in special pots (kaskans). They are dished up with katik or sour cream.
Somsa.
Somsa is baked in all regions of Uzbekistan with various stuffing: meat, pumpkin, greens etc. Somsa is baked in tandyrs and also in gas or electric ovens. Medium stiff dough for somsa is kept for 20-30 minutes and then rolled out in a rope and cut into pieces with 10-15 gr. weight. They should not be thicker than 2-2,5 mm. The edges are rolled out thinner than the center. Minced meat is being put onto the center, formed into the dough and baked at a high temperature. The following is required for the dough: wheat flour – 25 gr., water – 105 gr., salt – 6 gr. As for the minced meat, the following is also required: mutton or beef flesh – 150 gr., fat – 35 gr., onion – 250 gr., zira – 1 gr., salt and pepper ad gustum.
Lagman.
There are two distinguished types of lagman: kesma-lagman and chuzma-lagman. The latter is cooked more often. Kesma-lagman has a history more ancient than chuzma-lagman’s one. Stiff dough is prepared from flour, eggs, water and salt and kept for swelling for 30-40 minutes under a napkin. Then the dough is rolled out in slices with 1,5-2 mm thickness and diameter equal to not less than 10-15 cm. Slices are piled and covered with flour. After that noodles are cut by a sharp knife. Noodles are being shaken up and boiled in a salty water. Then the noodles are poured by a sauce cooked from meat, potatoes, carrot, onion and tomatoes. Products are being roasted, poured by a little amount of water and stewed up until the cooking is finished. In Ferghana and Tashkent regions lagman is cooked with adding of radish and red hot pepper.
Naryn.
Naryn is a very widespread Uzbek dish cooked in all regions of the Republic. Stiff dough is prepared from flour, eggs, salt and water. Then it is covered by a wet towel and kept for 30-40 minutes. After that, dough is rolled out in a thin slice that is being cut into stripes with 5-7mm width. Flour is scattered on the dough gathered in a pile. Then noodles are cut and boiled. When dished up, noodles are poured with a little amount of bouillon. Beef and / or kazi (horseflesh) are put in small dices on the top. The following ingredients are required for dough: wheat flour – 900 gr., water – 90 gr., salt – 6 gr., 1 egg.
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