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by iLemming·16d ago·view on hn ↗
> I would have to make a trip just for the food

Totally. There are too many dishes to count that don't exist and unlikely ever will outside of that country. Traditional sausage Qazi is a must try; Naryin is a dish with customs tied specifically to Tashkent region - they usually don't make it in Samarkand, Bukhara or in the valley. Sumalak gets cooked in huge pots simmering whole night - women take turns to stir it, while singing songs and gossiping. Osh-palov is something worth waking up at 5AM just to go try it first thing in the morning. Khonim is better than any lasagna you ever had. Samosas have so many different shapes and flavors. Kebabs, oh my - that merits its own post. There are traditional cheese balls, for some reason, some westerners love them like crazy - "best thing to have with beers", some find them unsavory. There are different kinds of soups, dozen types of salads, pastries, deserts.

Besides traditional Uzbek - Persian/Turkic dishes, there are many ethic communities with their own unique cuisine, e.g. some Armenian dishes are made only there and nowhere else. Azerbaijani chicken gets marinated in special onion sauce for days, making the meat heavenly tender. Uzbek Koreans have their own traditions and Korean dishes that you can't find in the Korean peninsula itself, which confuses Taskent-visiting Koreans.

Anyway, culinary tourism to Central Asia is an absolute hit these days. It was difficult and even unsafe to travel before, when it was under harsh dictatorship. The place is still authoritarian, but much more relaxed. Just make sure not to bring any drugs, weed included - and you'll be fine.