25. Uzbekistan: Cooking an Uzbek Family Feast

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This week we make our first foray into Central Asia to check out Uzbekistan and cook up an Uzbek Family Feast!

Uzbekistan, along with the other ‘Stans of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan, to a certain extent feels like it is shrouded in mystery to many of us here in the UK. It is largely untouched by mass tourism, and despite being the most visited of the ‘Stans, along with Kazakhstan, it still only attracts around 1000 or so visitors each year from the UK, compared to a whopping 8.5 million in Spain! Some may say that because of the fact it ends in ‘Stan and borders Afghanistan, it can be associated with negative connotations of being unsafe, but in fact Uzbekistan is considered to be one of the safest countries in the world. I think it’s much more likely that it is one of only 2 double landlocked countries on the planet and us Brit’s do love a beach! Yep, you have to travel a hell of a long way to reach the ocean and any ideas of following the rivers can be cast to one side immediately, as there is not a single river that leads to the sea in the country… Hats off to Vadim Menkov – one of Uzbekistan’s most recognised sportsmen. Never would have guessed he’s a highly decorated sports canoeist.

Uzbekistan was of course a Soviet Republic and like many of the former Soviet Republics, Uzbekistan has continued to forge its own identity in the 20 years since gaining its independence. It is at the heart of central Asia and is the most populous country with approximately 33 million inhabitants, with most of the population living in rural areas. The vast majority of the population are ethnic Uzbeks and Uzbek is the official language, although Russian is widely spoken too. It is a secular state with approximately 90% of the population identifying as Muslim, with the majority being Sunni Muslim. Uzbek’s are known to be tough and resilient and in sports they have made a name for themselves in combat disciplines, especially wrestling, judo and boxing but even in cycling, ‘The Terror of Tashkent’ Djamolidine Abdoujaparov, multiple winner of the Green Jersey point contest in the Tour de France, earned his nickname for his fearless and often dangerous cycling.

So, given it is unlikely that any of us will be visiting Uzbekistan given current statistics, what is the cross over into our daily lives? Well, it is highly likely some of the clothes in your wardrobe will have their roots (literally) in Uzbekistan, being the second largest exporter of cotton in the world. Perhaps the gold you are wearing around your neck comes from Uzbekistan, being one of the largest producers and exporters in the world and if you are partial to a bit of uranium, it ranks 7th in the world in its production. I think Uzbekistan is a country that will become a popular destination for travellers. Type Uzbekistan into ‘google images’ and it is clear why – it is a stunningly beautiful country that sits at a historic crossroads with beautiful ancient cities that have stood for centuries under various ancient empires along old spice routes. And don’t let Covid put you off – if you contract the virus in Uzbekistan you could be granted nearly £2500.