Osh (Plov) is the national Uzbek dish and can be found everywhere in the country. It's made with rice, carrots, onions and mutton. Plov will taste different according to the region where it's prepared, so make sure you taste it in more places than one.

This Uzbekistan Restaurant Guide tells you all you need to know about the food and cuisine in Uzbekistan. Enjoying a meal in one of the traditional Uzbekistan restaurants is the perfect way to end a day of sightseeing or shopping in Uzbekistan. We have also provided more local information and suggestions on where to enjoy a meal in:

- Samarkand
- Tashkent

Food & Cuisine in Uzbekistan

The basic Uzbek menu is greatly influenced by the seasons, particularly summer and winter. Summer brings with it fruits, vegetables and nuts. Uzbekistan is prolific in its fruit production. Apricots, melons, grapes, pears, cherries, apples, pomegranates, figs, lemons and dates grow in abundance here. Vegetables are also in generous supply. Along with the usual quota of turnips, eggplants, cucumbers, peppers and tomatoes, you will encounter some rarities here like yellow carrots, green radishes and many pumpkin and squash varieties.

In winter, Uzbeks traditionally eat dried fruits, vegetables and preserves. Wholesome pasta dishes are also typical chilly weather foods.

Mutton is the protein of choice for the Uzbeks. They value their sheep, for they get not only their meat and fat (for cooking oil) from sheep, but also wool. Great quantities of beef and horsemeat are eaten in the country, while camel and goat meat are not so common. You won't find Uzbek dishes notably hot and fiery, but they are certainly full of flavour. Some of the main spices the Uzbeks use in their cooking are red and black peppers, black cumin, barberries, sesame seeds and coriander. The most commonly used herbs are basil, celeriac, cilantro (fresh coriander), dill and parsley. They also like to season their dishes with fermented milk products as well as with wine vinegar, applying it liberally to salads and marinades.

Uzbek cuisine continues to develop and borrows the best from Russian, Tartar, Dungan, Korean, German and Tajik cuisines. The Russian influence has been particularly evident.
Borsh is a beetroot soup, entrecote is beef steak, and cotlet are grilled meat balls - all inspired by Russia.

Local Delicacies in Uzbekistan

Osh (Plov) - is the national Uzbek dish and can be found everywhere in the country. It's made with rice, carrots, onions and mutton. Plov will taste different according to the region where it's prepared, so make sure you taste it in more places than one.

Pel'meni - which has its origins in Ukraine, is similar to ravioli. It is basically a dish with small boiled dumplings of meat and onion, sometimes served in a vegetable soup.

Chuchvara - is also similar to ravioli and stuffed with mutton and onions.

Manti - is a lamb and onion-filled dumpling-like food.

Somsas - are pastry pockets filled with beef, mutton, pumpkin or potatoes. In the spring, you can eat green somsas made from "yalpiz", a kind of grass which grows in the mountains and in the rural regions. What's amazing is that people just pick the grass for free and make tasty somsas with them. You can buy freshly cooked somsas on the streets.

Lagman - is a soup with meat, spices, vegetables and pasta. According to the traditional recipe, it must have 50 ingredients.

Shashlik - is grilled meat usually served with onions only.

Bread - The Uzbeks eat a lot of bread (they call it "non"). Samarkhand's famous round bread is called lipioshka and is available anywhere. In the bazaar it costs around 400 sum. There is a curious custom attached to the lipioshka: it should never be laid upside down, or placed on the ground, even if it is in a bag.

Drink

Tea is an ancient way of showing respect for guests in the finest oriental traditions. In Uzbekistan, a whole set of mores surrounds the preparation, offering and drinking of tea. Green tea is offered to guests and is the most popular form of tea in the country, although it is black tea that is preferred by the inhabitants of Tashkent. Very rarely are these teas prepared with milk or sugar. An entire section of the typical Uzbek menu is dedicated to various tea preparations and the snacks that go with them, such as somsa, bread, halva and all sorts of fried foods.

The "choyhona" (teahouse) has always been a centre for social activity and is usually built under the shade of trees, beside a stream. Here, men dressed in robes gather to chat and make business deals. The seating is arranged on platforms adorned with ancient carpets. The men sit at low tables and indulge in delicious palov, kebabs and many a cup of green tea.

In Uzbekistan you'll come across two drinks that are consumed across the country: tea and vodka. The latter is a legacy from more than a century of Russian rule. Tea is served everywhere - in homes, offices and cafes.

How tea is served in the traditional manner: After tea is first poured into a cup from a teapot, it is poured back into the teapot. This action is repeated three times. If you are offered tea in an Uzbek home, your host will make sure that your cup is never empty. And if your host does not refill your cup, it probably means that it is time for you to go.

As for vodka, you can find a mind-boggling variety of brands available almost everywhere. Although Uzbekistan is predominately a Muslim country, the Islam practiced here mostly tends to the cultural rather than to the religious aspect. Vodka is cheap, but be careful of too cheap vodka as the quality will be questionable. You can find genuine Russian vodka is some shops. When it comes to water, avoid tap water, which is unsafe, and go for bottled water instead.