Samarkand plov
A layered plov in which nothing is stirred: the rice stays pale, and the carrots and meat are served on top of it.
Norin
A cold dish of hair-fine, hand-cut noodles tossed with shredded horsemeat and qazi sausage — the refined starter of weddings and big feasts.
© Екатерина Борисова, CC BY-SA 4.0
The art of the knife
Norin (naryn) is made from horsemeat and dough, and the whole craft lies in the knife work. The dough is rolled almost paper-thin, briefly boiled and cut into strips 2–4 mm wide and a few centimetres long. Boiled horsemeat, qazi or qarta are shredded just as finely, mixed with the noodles and seasoned with black pepper and finely chopped onion. The result is cold and delicate-looking but surprisingly filling.
It is served two ways: dry, as a cold starter topped with rounds of qazi, or wet, in the hot broth in which the meat was cooked.
Where and when
Norin is most closely associated with Tashkent cooking, but today it also turns up in Samarkand canteens and on bazaar counters. In a traditional feast it comes after the samsa and before the plov. Before holidays and weddings women spend hours slicing norin together — part conversation, part test of skill.
Qazi, its companion
Norin’s inseparable companion is qazi: meat and fat from horse ribs packed into a casing, air-dried or smoked, then boiled and sliced into rounds. Qazi also crowns the wedding plov, and ready-made links are sold in the meat halls of the bazaars.
Cuisine
Cuisine
Samarkand bread
A tandoor-baked round with a thin, stamped centre, a plump rim and a glossy crust — Samarkand’s signature taste and the classic gift to carry home.
Tandoor samsa
Flaky pastries filled with lamb, onion and tail fat and baked on the wall of a tandoor — Samarkand’s favourite breakfast.
Kabob (shashlik)
Lamb, liver and minced-meat skewers grilled over charcoal and served with raw onion, vinegar and hot bread — the smoke that drifts down every Samarkand street.
Manti
Large steamed dumplings from a tiered steamer, filled with hand-chopped lamb, onion and tail fat — or with sweet pumpkin.
Shurpa
A hearty soup of mutton, carrots, potatoes and herbs, either simply boiled or browned first, served in a deep bowl with bread.
