The following highlights some of the popular Traditional Tajikistani Foods. If you manage to be in an Tajikistani restaurant or you are visiting Tajikistan, I recommend the following:
1. Plov
This dish is made in giant pots called Kazan and is served in markets all over the world. It is believed that only men are the masters of plov preparation. There are hundreds of variations and every family has its own beloved plov recipe. This dish has lamb, onions, carrots and a small dried berry called barberry. Plov has many names, in Tajikistan it is called Osh, but it is also known as pilaf, pilau, polu, pilav or palaw, to name a few. A delicious main dish that you will love.
2. Non
It can be found under several different names, such as tandyr naan, Lepyoshka or cena. There are many types of Uzbek bread, but the tandyr nan recipe is probably the most common. It can be found almost everywhere in Tajikistan, and every small town in the country has its own unique way of making it. Most of the time, the bread is simple (just flour, yeast and salt), but it can also be filled with butter, sesame seeds, mutton fat, different types of meat, nuts and even sultanas.
3. Sambusa Baraki
Sambusa baraki is a traditional Tajik meat-filled pie. It consists of a large triangular pie, usually made from a pan of tough, flaky dough made from flour, eggs, salt and water. Brush the dough with melted butter and then cover with the meat mixture. Typical stuffing ingredients include ground beef or mutton with fat tail, onion, cumin, spices and seasonings. Sambusa baraki are usually brushed with beaten egg yolk, sprinkled with sesame seeds and baked in a tandel (Tajik clay oven). This triangular cake has a crispy, flaky exterior and is often eaten as a snack or savoury snack.
4. Kaurmo Shurbo
It is a satisfying soup with tender pieces of meat, boiled potatoes and vegetables. Mutton pulp is fried in a cauldron until a golden crust is formed, chopped onion, carrots are put in strips and fried, tomatoes are added and everything is poured into cold water and cooked. The finished shurbo is sprinkled with herbs. Boiled meat, potatoes are served separately on a wooden plate.
5. Langman
Laghman is a very popular dish in Uzbekistan. Laghman is believed to have originated in ancient China, but over the centuries the dish has been influenced by different cultures and peoples, especially Uighur and Dungan cuisine. Generally, the main ingredients of this dish are noodles that must be cooked by hand, meat, spices and vegetables. This dish is very tasty, but it takes time and some practice to get used to eating it. Most restaurants in Tashkent usually prepare Uighur laghman, while Uzbek laghman is more common in Bukhara, Samarkand and Fergana Valley provinces.
6. Beshbarmak
It means “five fingers” in Kazakh and was named after the ancient tradition of eating with the hands, as food lovers say that using a knife and fork takes away all its charm. It consists of several pieces of horse meat boiled in spices for at least five hours. The result is a soft, juicy bite that melts in the mouth, accompanied by a thin wheat biscuit cooked in the same broth and delicious thanks to the long cooking time. It is placed on a large wooden pallet with a typical Kazakh pattern, and above all it should be as big as possible, as the recipe dictates.
7. Mante
These pastas are stuffed with minced lamb or veal and served with a sauce made from yoghurt, garlic and various herbs. The word manti refers to one or more types of pasta. Manti is a stuffing of lean minced lamb seasoned with onions and peppers. Also make a dough of flour, eggs, water, oil and salt. This dough works exactly like the classic wonton dough. Manti, like most stuffed pastas, is best eaten immediately as it doesn’t taste as good if reheated.
8. Apricots
The apricot is a rounded fruit, 3-6 cm in diameter, with an orange-reddish skin (depending on the type) and velvety. The flesh is fleshy, aromatic and sweet when ripe, with a hint of acid. Inside, there is a hard, curled stone. Dried apricots are an established product in northern Tajikistan, very popular and consumed by locals.
9. Tukhum Barak
Tukhum Barak is a traditional Tajik dish from the Khorezm region of Uzbekistan. The dough for these Uzbek ravioli is made from a combination of flour, eggs, water and salt. This mixture is kneaded, rolled, cut into strips and then filled with a mixture of beaten eggs, milk, butter, chopped spring onions and spices such as turmeric and black pepper. Once stamped, the ravioli are boiled in water and are ready to serve once they float to the surface. Tuxum barak is often served with sour cream or yoghurt.
10. Zeliony
In Tajikistan, people of all ages enjoy green tea. Black tea is also drunk, but is less popular in summer and in the countryside. This may be due to the benefits of green tea, which is rich in vitamins and anti-inflammatory properties. There is also Shirchay, which is a tea with milk, butter and salt, usually drunk in winter; and cholob, a drink made from yoghurt (chaka), water and salt. These ingredients are usually mixed until a froth is formed.
If you found this list useful, here are some more Traditional Asian Foods to try out on my Pinterest channel.