Gastronomic guide to Uzbekistan: going for pilaf, samsa and mastava

Tashkent

Tashkent pilaf

In every region of Uzbekistan and even in every family, they keep their secrets and subtleties of cooking this both everyday and festive dish. 

The most popular option in Tashkent is the so—called wedding pilaf. For its preparation, mutton or beef and rice of the “Laser” variety are used. The composition includes chickpeas, yellow carrots and raisins. Pilaf is decorated with boiled quail eggs, pieces of kaza — tender homemade sausage made from horse meat — and dolma.

A must-have for all tourists is the BESH QOZO pilaf center: five types of pilaf are prepared here in huge cauldrons. Noisy, authentic, crowded and delicious. If you are not confident in your abilities, take part of a portion or one for two.

After a hearty lunch, we recommend going up to the observation deck on the Tashkent TV Tower or, if you are very hard to breathe, limit yourself to a walk to the rotunda next door.

The most popular option in Tashkent is the so—called wedding pilaf. Photo: Eduard Vlassov/Shutterstock.com

Mastava

Mastava is often called liquid pilaf, because this thick soup consists of beef, rice, broth, vegetables and herbs. First, the meat is fried over high heat (there is a joke that cooking of almost any dish of Uzbek cuisine begins with this step), then onions, carrots and peppers are added to it. After the base, or as it is called here, the zirvak is poured with broth, rice and chickpeas are added and brought to readiness. Mastava is served with onions and herbs.

Locals eat mastava for breakfast, but for tourists it is more likely an option for a hearty lunch or dinner.

Mastava is often called liquid pilaf, because this thick soup consists of beef, rice, broth, vegetables and herbs. Photo: AS Foodstudio/Shutterstock.com

Where to try the national cuisine

• BESH QOZO;
• Kamolon osh;
• “Caravan”;
• Art Plov;
• “Vaguri”.

Where to stay in Tashkent

• InterContinental Tashkent, an IHG Hotel is a five—star hotel in the city center with a panoramic swimming pool and a cool rooftop bar.
• Panarams Tashkent is a decent option with excellent service, responsive staff, hammam and live music on weekends. 
• City Palace is a palatial luxury near the center with a swimming pool and spa area.
• Ramada Encore by Wyndham Tashkent is a representative of the global network 3 km from the center. 
• The Elements is a new hotel with interesting interior solutions and delicious breakfasts.

InterContinental Tashkent, an IHG Hotel.

You give a tour!

Georgia is also suitable for delicious trips: satsivi from Megrelia, Adjarian khachapuri and khinkali from Mtskheta-Mtianeti are on the menu.

Samarkand

Samarkand pilaf

According to legend, Samarkand pilaf was highly appreciated by the commander Alexander the Great — what is not a reason to touch the great in the ancient city? 

Traditional Samarkand pilaf is cooked with chickpeas, yellow carrots and raisins. Another feature of it is in the method of serving: the layers in the cauldron are not mixed, rice, vegetables and meat (lamb or beef) are alternately laid out on a plate. Salads and snacks are served with pilaf, for example, green radish with sour cream (thick sour milk), tomatoes with onions, the obligatory flatbread and tea. All together — the meal of the gods.

Pilaf in Uzbekistan is cooked in the morning and eaten only until one o’clock in the afternoon. After that, you can see the sign “Osh Tugadi” — “The pilaf is over.” Portions in Uzbekistan are usually quite decent, so we recommend using the “take half” option. By the way, there is even an Uzbek proverb on this topic — “If you have to die, then let it be from pilaf.” And even health is wished here with the phrase “osh bulsin”, literally translated — “let it be pilaf”. 

Traditional Samarkand pilaf is cooked with chickpeas, yellow carrots and raisins. Photo: genius87/Shutterstock.com

Samarkand puff samsa

No, this is not at all the usual station-hasty food, which is full of numerous tents and stalls all over Russia. Samarkand samsa is the fruit of a passionate love of puff pastry and juicy meat filling of lamb, beef or chicken. It is baked in a tandoor, and this is just the case when the buyer “rakes in the heat with someone else’s hands” by purchasing a hot pie without having to climb into the blazing tandoor for it.

Look for the best samsa in the city in establishments on Kokandskaya Street — sometimes they are called: samsa. For example, in the cafe “4 tandoor” — here samsa is crispy and fragrant, it is taken out of the tandoor right in front of the guests. 

Samarkand samsa is the fruit of a passionate love of puff pastry and juicy meat filling of lamb, beef or chicken. Photo: Marina Rich/Shutterstock.com

Kazan-kabob

Classic Uzbek cuisine. Kabob means “fried meat” in Persian, but with a cauldron everything is clear without translation. Kazan kabob can be called an alternative to shish kebab – it is the same lamb or beef, only in a slightly different guise. It is believed that the correct cauldron-kabob is obtained in a very old cauldron, which has seen a lot in its lifetime. 

First, the meat is fried in boiling oil, and then stewed over low heat. Ideally, the smoke should permeate the meat. It is paired with potatoes, spices and herbs — it turns out to be a simple but incredibly delicious dish.

Kazan kabob can be called an alternative to shish kebab – it is the same lamb or beef, only in a slightly different guise. Photo: SnapFocus/Shutterstock.com

Wine and cognac

No, we were not mistaken — Uzbekistan has not only pilaf, but also its own wineries. Perhaps the most famous is located 15 km from Samarkand, in the town of Bagizagan. Interestingly, Russian entrepreneur Dmitry Filatov began to develop winemaking in the region in the second half of the nineteenth century. The revolution of 1917 damaged his plans, but thanks to the talent of Soviet winemaker Mikhail Khovrenko, the production was kept afloat. 

You can taste the products of the M. Khovrenko factory at the Museum of winemaking. Dry, semi-dry and semi-sweet wines, cognacs, including three- and five-year-olds, are presented. Especially interesting are the vintage balm “Samarkand”, infused with herbs of the Zarafshan valley, cognac “Samarkand” and whitedessert wine “Gulya-kandoz” with a velvety taste. It is made from local grape varieties “ak kishmish” and “Hungarian muscat” and aged for two years.

And at the Bagizagan winery, you can see how grapes are grown, taste the dry red and white wines of the same name, vermouths from local mountain herbs and chacha.

You can taste the products of the M. Khovrenko factory at the Museum of winemaking. Photo: krarte/Shutterstock.com

Where to try the national cuisine

• “Pilaf Center No.1”;
• “Pilaf Center”;
• “Samarkand”;
• Labi G’or;
• Karimbek;
• Shoxjaxon;
• Platan;
• “4 tandoor”;
• tasting complex of Samarkand winery named after M. A. Khovrenko;
• winery “Bagizagan”.

Where to stay in Samarkand

• Mövenpick Samarkand — European comfort and Oriental hospitality in the center of Samarkand.
• Kosh Havuz Boutique Hotel — Jacuzzi on the terrace and breakfasts with national and European cuisine. 
• Zarafshon Parkside Hotel is next to the park, within walking distance from the center and with a local buffet kitchen corner.
• Shohjahon Palace is an oriental palace in the old part of the city, a 5—minute walk from Registan.
• Medina Samarkand is a hotel with wonderful breakfasts and panoramic views of the city.
• Khan Hotel Samarkand — overlooking the Shahi Zinda Memorial Complex.
• The Continental Hotel is a classic “foursome” with a spa area.

Mövenpick Samarkand.

The best gastrobars in Russia

You can treat yourself to goodies without going abroad: we have assembled a magnificent seven gastrobar in different cities of the country.

Bukhara

Bukhara pilaf

Bukhara pilaf, aka oshi sofi, differs in that the taste of each product can be recognized separately. This feature is related to the cooking process: each of the ingredients is separately brought to semi-readiness. Then they are stacked in layers in a copper boiler and finished. In the final, the pilaf is poured with boiling oil, usually vegetable — cotton or sesame. Bukhara pilaf is a leaner product compared to other versions of the famous dish.

In addition to traditional meat (lamb or beef), rice and red carrots, Bukhara pilaf has a lot of sweet ingredients: raisins, dried apricots, sometimes even nuts. But garlic and red pepper are not put in it, cumin, turmeric and saffron are taken from spices.

Bukhara pilaf, aka oshi sofi, differs in that the taste of each product can be recognized separately. Photo: JohaPlay/Shutterstock.com

Gijduvan shish kebab

is a favorite in the world of Uzbek kebabs. Only meat from the city of Gijduvan, which is 50 km from Bukhara, is used for it. It is believed that due to the characteristic climate of this area, the product acquires a special taste. 

Gijduvan shish kebab is also prepared in an unusual way: lamb from the neck is passed through a meat grinder, frozen and ground again (sometimes the process is repeated up to four times). Onions, mutton fat and spices are added to the minced meat, divided into portions and cooked on the grill. Shish kebab is served with onion rings and fresh vegetables.

A favorite in the world of Uzbek kebabs. Photo: schankz/Shutterstock.com

Vaguri

Another name for this meat dish is mutton in Bukhara. The secret lies in a special way of marinating meat: it is soaked in carbonated water, and then fried twice in hot oil. The meat cooked in this way turns out to be tender and very soft, but at the same time elastic.

Alat samsa

Unlike Samarkand and other familiar variants, this samsa is cooked not in a tandoor, but in the oven. Unleavened dough is kneaded in meat broth, and tomatoes are added to the filling to chopped meat and onions — this samsa turns out very juicy and crispy on the outside. 

Unlike Samarkand and other familiar variants, this samsa is cooked not in a tandoor, but in the oven. Photo: Feruzbek/Shutterstock.com

Where to try the national cuisine

• The Pilaf;
• “Old Bukhara”;
• Chinar.

Where to stay in Bukhara

Wyndham Bukhara is a chain hotel with a swimming pool, sauna and live music in the evenings.
• Mercure Bukhara Old Town is an oriental fairy tale with a view terrace and a beautiful spa area.
• Garden Plaza Bukhara is a lovely garden and breakfast with a national flavor. 
• Orient Star Varahsha Hotel is within walking distance from the historical part of the city.

Wyndham Bukhara.

Please come to the table

Our tour guide to the cities of the vast will help you get acquainted with local dishes of Russia. We collected places with pies, pancakes, fried smelt, cabbage soup and pike.

Khiva

Tukhum-barak

This word hides an analogue of our dumplings with egg. An egg beaten with milk is poured into an envelope made of thin lean dough, sealed and the product is sent to boiling water for 3-4 minutes. Sometimes the tukhum-barak is additionally fried after. The dish is usually served with sour cream and herbs.

Shivit-osh

It is difficult to surprise a Russian person with a lagman nowadays, but we swear, you will not find such a thing in your city. Shivit-osh, or lagman in Khorezm, is not a simple, but a green lagman. A bright dish is made from noodles, in the dough for which dill is kneaded — it turns out to be a rich color. Thick gravy (waja) is made from meat and vegetables: lamb, potatoes, carrots, onions, garlic, pepper and spices. This lagman is complemented by a sauce of matzoni and herbs. An elegant summer dish that is sure to please not only the taste, but also the view.

Shivit-osh, or lagman in Khorezm, is not a simple, but a green lagman. Photo: Oybek Ostanov/Shutterstock.com

Where to try the national cuisine

• Zarafshan;
• Terrassa;
• Kabobchi.

Where to stay in Khiva

• Arkanchi Hotel with a good location for walking in the Old Town;
• Khiva Palace Hotel — architecture of the Oriental palace, swimming pool, discounts on the GURU loyalty program;
• Abdullah in ichan Kala Guest House features carved railings, balconies and a green courtyard.

Khiva Palace Hotel.

Kokand

Kokand halva

The same recognizable brand of sweets as, say, Gaziantep baklava in Turkey. Kokand halva is made from powdered milk, butter and sugar, adding various nuts and fillings, such as pistachios, almonds, chocolate, raspberries and strawberries. A moderately sweet soft halva will be an excellent addition to tea.

You can try and buy this delicate dessert from the Ferghana Valley at markets, souvenir shops or pastry shops in large cities. The elegant packaging of such a halva makes it an excellent gift, the main thing is to save the delicacy for the recipient and not eat it earlier. 

Kokand halva is made from powdered milk, butter and sugar, adding various nuts and fillings. Photo: Renvema/Shutterstock.com

Where to try the national cuisine

• Avvali Kokand halva;
• any market in the country.

We don’t know about you, but we already want meat and pilaf with the whole editorial staff — and even tasted Uzbek cuisine in the process of creating this article. So go ahead, walk along the still unexplored gastronomic paths of Uzbekistan! Have a nice vacation!

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