Food in Tajikistan: These 5 delicious dishes you must know

Did you know that the saying "good food is balm for the soul" comes from Tajikistan? The Tajiks take the phrase at its word and have a very diverse cuisine, whether sweet, fried, grilled or steamed. In this article, we'll introduce you to the 5 culinary highlights of the country. 

In Tajik families, people traditionally sit on the floor with mats and eat from a common bowl with their right hand. The head of the family is always allowed to start and only then the rest of the family is allowed to eat. The cuisine is very strong in taste. However, most meals are started with a dessert and tea, followed by the main dishes, such as soup or meat, followed by a final dessert.

Halwa

This dessert, which is often eaten as an appetizer, consists mainly of flour, sugar and is refined with nuts such as almonds, pistachios, vanilla or dried fruit. Halwa can be extremely sweet and is addictive due to the combination of fat (from the nuts) and sugar. 

Osh: The national dish of Tajikistan

Osh is considered the typical national dish and is traditionally prepared exclusively by men and typically on a Sunday. In other countries of Central Asia it is also known as Plov. Every family here maintains its own recipe and there are said to be over 500 different types of Osh, some of which are even considered UNESCO World Heritage Sites. 

It is prepared with mutton (or lamb, depending on the region), vegetables such as onions, grated yellow turnips and chickpeas, and rice, garlic and traditional spices. Everything is stir-fried in a large wok. Cumin plays an important role in the preparation and often some raisins are added for a sweet note. 

Shashlik

Another highlight that you can't miss at any Trip in Central Asia should miss is shashlik. In Tajikistan, mutton is grilled on a skewer over hot coals. The food is very popular and can be found on almost every corner. The grilled meat is served with raw onion rings and usually also rice.

Manty: Filled noodle dumplings

Manty might remind you a bit of the well-known ravioli, because they are filled pasta dumplings, but they are more related to the dumplings as they are prepared in China or Russia. The filling consists of meat and vegetables and traditionally they are eaten with the hands.

Chebureki

These small dough cakes are one of the most popular snacks in Tajikistan and can be found on almost every street corner. They are filled with either minced meat, cheese or potatoes. The Tajiks like it sweet, which is why sweet food and drinks are also served as dessert.

Tea & Kefir

Tea is the national drink and is drunk at any time of the day. Either as green tea or Schirtscho (black tea with butter and salt). The tea is drunk from a "pialah", a cup in the shape of a small bowl. Kefir is a favourite with breakfast, and beer, wine, vodka or shampanski (Russian sparkling wine) are also part of every feast.

Hungry for more?

These were our top 5 dishes that you should definitely try in Tajikistan. If you are convinced to try the culinary specialties once on the spot, sign up for our Newsletter and find out when our Tajikistan trip goes live. Besides the traditional cuisine, you can have many other authentic experiences there to get to know this special culture, country and people.

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