Food to try in Uzbekistan — and where to find the best

Plov

Plov is the national dish: rice cooked with carrots, onions and lamb or beef in a huge cast-iron pot called a kazan. Every region has its own style — Samarkand plov is layered, Tashkent plov is mixed. It is a lunchtime dish: the big plov centres often sell out by mid-afternoon.

Samsa

Flaky pastries filled with meat and onion, pumpkin or potato, baked on the walls of a clay tandoor. Buy them hot from the oven.

Lagman and soups

Lagman is a hearty noodle dish with meat and vegetables, served as a soup or stir-fried. Shurpa is a clear lamb and vegetable soup, perfect after a long day.

Shashlik, manti and more

• Shashlik — skewers of lamb, beef or chicken grilled over charcoal.
• Manti — large steamed dumplings with meat and onion.
• Dimlama — meat and vegetables slowly stewed in their own juices.

Bread and tea

Round, stamped bread — non — is on every table; the bread of Samarkand is famous across the country. It comes with green or black tea, poured into small bowls.

Fruit, sweets and the bazaar

Melons, grapes, apricots and pomegranates are wonderful in season. At the bazaar, try dried fruit, nuts, halva and kurt — small balls of salty dried yoghurt.

Vegetarian?

Traditional dishes are rich in meat, but there is plenty to eat: bread, salads, vegetable samsa, soups, dairy, fruit and sweets. Tell your guide — they will find vegetarian versions and explain the menu.