The teahouse and the gap

The heart of the neighbourhood

Every mahalla in Uzbekistan has its own choyxona, or teahouse, usually standing beside the mosque and the mahalla office. It is far more than a place to drink tea: neighbourhood news is debated here, weddings and ceremonies are planned, and old men talk for hours. In a traditional teahouse guests sit on a soʻri — a raised wooden platform spread with quilted mattresses — around a low table.

The menu is short but good: green and black tea, plov, samsa, shurpa, manti, kabob and dimlama, with halva, parvarda, novvot and nisholda for something sweet. Traditional teahouses do not serve alcohol. Beyond the neighbourhood ones, large teahouses are found across town and along the main roads.

The gap, a circle of friends

One of the most intriguing customs linked to the teahouse is the gap. A circle of friends, classmates or colleagues meets regularly — say once a month — with each member taking a turn as host, laying on a meal at a teahouse or at home, very often a plov. Women have their own gaps too. In some circles members chip in at every meeting and the pot goes to each in turn, combining friendship with mutual support.

For travellers, the teahouse is the easiest window onto local life. Drop into a neighbourhood choyxona at lunchtime and order the plov; between the conversations around you and the freshly brewed tea, you will soon feel part of the scene.