Uzbekistan Eating

Eating

Osh (Plov) is the national dish. It's made of rice, carrots, onions, and mutton, and yes, you will eat it if you go to Uzbekistan. Other foods include chuchvara (pelmeni), which is like ravioli stuffed with mutton and onions, manti, which are dumplings, somsas, which are pastry pockets filled with beef or greens, and soups. Drink There are two national drinks of Uzbekistan: tea and vodka (learned from more than a century of Russian domination of the land). Tea is served virtually everywhere: home, office, cafes, etc. If tea is served in the traditional manner, the server will pour tea into a cup from the teapot and then pour the tea back into the teapot. This action is repeated three times. Especially if you are being served tea in an Uzbek home, the host will attempt at all times to make sure your cup is never empty. If the host fails to refill your cup, it probably means it is time for you to leave. A mind-numbing variety of brands of vodka are available almost everywhere. Although Uzbekistan is predominately Muslim, for the most part the Islam practiced there tends to be more cutural than religous. Vodka ranges from cheap to very cheap, although the quality is questionable. Russian vodka is available in a few shops. The one thing not to drink in Uzbekistan is the water. Drink bottled, distilled or boiled water only. What comes from the tap is very unhealthy and will almost certainly make the uninitiated ill.