Regarding the foods in Uzbekistan, you will notice that different regions have their specialties. For example, Samarkand is famous for its rich plov, while Khorezm is known for its unique lagman noodles.

The cuisine features an array of dishes, including hearty stews, savoury rice dishes, dumplings, shasklyks, and soups.

Uzbek cuisine is about experiencing the warmth and generosity of a culture that celebrates food as a central part of life.

Foods in Uzbekistan – Top 20 Dishes

1) Plov

Rice with chunks of meat, fried julienned carrots, capsicum and caraway seeds, all cooked in mutton fat, which gives it flavour.

Plov, also known as pilaf, is the national dish of Uzbekistan; and it’s a firm favourite among locals.

Our favourite plov was unsurprisingly from the local markets in Bukhara, Uzbekistan. 

It is a cheap, filling, and tasty meal. If you find a plov with juicy raisins, you’ve found a good one!

2) Lagman

Lagman, also known as latiaozi, is a Central Asian dish, said to have originated in the northwestern region of China. 

The name means “pulled noodles” or “hand-stretched noodles,” highlighting the dish’s key feature.

A dough made from flour, eggs, water, and salt is cut into noodles with a sharp knife.

The noodles are boiled in salted water, strained, and then covered with a special sauce prepared from mutton, potatoes, carrots, peppers, onions, and tomatoes. 

All these ingredients are fried with water and stewed to readiness.

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3) Tuxum barak

Tuxum barak is a traditional dish from the Khorezm region of Uzbekistan.

These ravioli are made from dough of flour, eggs, water, and salt, filled with a mixture of beaten eggs, milk, butter, spring onions, and spices.

After boiling until they float, they are often served with sour cream or yoghurt.

4) Manti

Round dumplings filled with minced mutton, mutton fat, and onion are served on their own or, if lucky, with yoghurt and tomato salsa on the side.

We found some pumpkin filled manty in Khiva, Uzbekistan, which was a welcome change from countless mutton meals. 

When it comes to dumplings, we love them in China, maybe because we prefer to eat dumplings there rather than these bizarre foods you find in China. 

5) Shivit oshi

Shivit oshi is a distinctive Uzbek dish featuring vibrant green noodles topped with a savoury beef stew.

A specialty of Khorezm cuisine, it’s primarily found in Khiva, near Uzbekistan’s border with Turkmenistan. 

The noodles get their bright green hue from a dill infusion and are served with a rich stew of beef, potatoes, and carrots.

For the best experience, enjoy shivit oshi with a bit of tangy yoghurt or sour cream.

6) Obi Non

Obi non, also known as lepyoshka, is a traditional Uzbek flatbread thicker than naan and often shaped into a disc with a decorative top.

It is prepared using a simple mixture of flour, water, salt, and yeast and traditionally baked in a clay oven called a tender, giving it a distinctive flavour and texture.

Food in Uzbekistan is usually served with some form of bread.

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7) Hanum

Hanum is a traditional Uzbek dish featuring steamed rolls of dough filled with meat and vegetables. 

Like manti or dumplings, the dough is typically made from flour, water, and salt, then rolled out and filled with minced meat (often lamb or beef), onions, and sometimes potatoes or carrots. 

The filled dough is rolled into a log shape and steamed until cooked.

Hanum is often served with various accompaniments, such as yoghurt, sour cream, or a tomato-based sauce. This is one of my favourite dishes in Uzbek cuisine.

8) Chuchvara

Chuchvara is a traditional Uzbek dish consisting of small dumplings filled with minced meat, beef or lamb, and onions and spices.

These dumplings are typically boiled and served in a savoury broth, often garnished with fresh herbs and sometimes with a dollop of sour cream. 

Chuchvara is similar to other Central Asian dumplings, like Russian pelmeni or Chinese jiaozi, but it has a unique flavour and a different preparation style.

9) Shashlik

Shashlik or skewered meat (usually mutton) is cooked on a grill called a mangal. Nowadays, it is also made of chicken, pork, or beef. 

The skewers are either all meat or sometimes a combination of pieces of meat, chunks of fat and vegetables such as capsicum, onion and tomato.

We ate many shashliks along the way as we travelled throughout Uzbekistan and ‘the Stans’. A few were good, but most had chewy chunks of mutton and a little too much fat for our liking.

10) Dimlama

Dimlama is a traditional Uzbek stew often made during harvest season. 

While recipes vary, it typically includes lamb or beef with onions, potatoes, carrots, peppers, tomatoes, garlic, turnips, pumpkin, green onions, cumin, and cabbage.

The key to dimlama is its layering: brown the lamb with onions first, then layer the remaining vegetables on top without stirring, finishing with cabbage to seal in the flavours.

11) Shurpa

Shurpa is a traditional dish that is a hearty and flavorful broth made with large chunks of meat (usually lamb or beef), potatoes, carrots, and other vegetables.

It’s seasoned with a blend of spices, such as cumin and coriander, and often garnished with fresh herbs, such as coriander or dill.

Shurpa is often served as a first course in Uzbek meals, particularly during colder months

12) Mastava

Mastava is a traditional Uzbek soup known for its rich and hearty flavours. It’s made with rice, small chunks of meat (typically lamb or beef), and various vegetables such as carrots, onions, and tomatoes.

The soup is seasoned with spices like cumin and black pepper and often garnished with fresh herbs.

Adding a dollop of yoghurt or sour cream to the soup gives it a lovely creamy texture and flavour.

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13) Tashkent salad

Tashkent salad is a traditional dish from Uzbekistan’s capital. It typically includes boiled mutton or beef, fried onions, and radishes, all cut into strips.

These are mixed with mayonnaise, salt, and pepper, then garnished with spring onions, herbs, and quartered boiled eggs.

14) Dried fruit and nuts

The variety of dried fruit and nuts in Uzbekistan and across Central Asia is incredible!

Furthermore, the quality and freshness is unbeatable! Think dried apricots, figs, raisins, dates, plums and nuts.

Most homes will always have a plate filled with various dried fruits and nuts if you go into any home in Uzbekistan.

You can find many products in bazaars and supermarkets, which are perfect for taking with you as a healthy snack on the journey.

15) Qurut

Qurut are small, hard, dried balls of fermented dairy commonly found in Uzbek cuisine. Made from strained yoghurt or sour milk, qurut has a tangy, salty flavour and a dense texture. 

Qurut is very popular in Mongolian cuisine, too.

They can be eaten as a snack, dissolved in water to make a refreshing drink, or used to flavour soups and other dishes.

Qurut is a traditional food in many Central Asian cultures and is valued for its long shelf life and portability, making it a popular choice for travellers and nomadic people.

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16) Shakarap

Shakarap is a simple salad from Central Asia, particularly popular in Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan. 

Made with thinly sliced tomatoes and onions, it’s seasoned with salt, red, and black pepper. 

This salad is served as a side dish with meat and rice or in small portions.

17) Halva

In Uzbekistan, halva is a sweet treat made from various ingredients, often flour, sugar, and butter. 

It has a dense, crumbly texture can be flavoured with nuts, seeds, or dried fruits.

Although there are different regional variations, it is typically enjoyed as a dessert or a snack, often during special occasions and celebrations.

18) Chak Chak

A popular dessert in Uzbekistan is chak chak.

This sweet treat consists of small, deep-fried dough balls or sticks coated in a sticky honey syrup.

The dough pieces are usually piled into a mound or shaped into a decorative form before the honey hardens, giving the dessert its signature look.

This is the perfect snack with hot, fresh Uzbek tea.

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19) Non (Bread)

In Uzbekistan, every meal feels complete with bread.

The most popular variety is a round, flat white bread baked to perfection in a traditional fire oven called a tandyr (tandoori).

As you explore different regions, you’ll notice the taste and shape of this bread subtly change. 

We loved wandering the streets or bazaars, finding the freshest bread being pulled from the tandoor ovens and getting stamped on top with a tool called a chekich.

The region determines the shape and consistency.

20) Samsa

Samsa, a popular Central Asian fast food, can be found everywhere, from local cafes to homemade kitchens.

Unlike Indian samosas, introduced to India by Central Asian traders in the 13th and 14th centuries, samsas are always stuffed with meat and onions and baked in the oven, never fried. 

While meat is the traditional filling, you might occasionally find versions with potato or pumpkin.

There you go! We’ve reached the end of our list of the most popular foods in Uzbekistan. We hope it has inspired you to try some dishes from Uzbek cuisine.

We loved travelling across Central Asia and learning more about this fascinating culture. We recommend you try to visit Tajikistan, one of the most beautiful countries in this region.

We had one of the most memorable experiences with a group of local Tajik women, which you can read more about in this post.

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