Uzbek Cuisine

National Dishes of Uzbekistan

The basic ingredients of Uzbek dishes are flour, meat (beef or mutton), vegetables, herbs and spices. Uzbek dishes are rich in calories, due to a considerable amount of oil. Cottonseed oil and sunflower oil are most used. Fat is often used in many different dishes, but pork is never used in Uzbek cuisine.

Some of the Uzbek dishes are cooked only by men. Some special dishes are prepared only in festivals, holidays and special events.

Oshi Nahor, or Morning Plov, is generally offered to large groups of guests as part of a continuing wedding celebration in the early morning (between 6 and 9 am).

Other noteworthy national meals include: shurpa (shurva or shorva), a soup made of huge pieces of fatty meat (typically mutton) and vegetables.

Norin and lagman, noodle-based dishes that may be served as a soup or a main course.

Manti, chuchvara, and somsa, packed pockets of dough eaten as an appetizer or a main course.

Dimlama (a meat and vegetable stew) and various kebabs, usually served as a main course.

Main Dish of Uzbekistan is Plov (pilaf, palov, osh). Herbs and spices, such as coriander, zira (kumin), barberries, sesame, basil (raihon) are most popular in Uzbek cuisine.

• Appetizer
• Beverages
• Bread
• Sweets
• Vegetables and fruit
• Salads
• Soups
• Main courses
• Spices