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The Kingdom of Plov – A Brief Introduction to Uzbekistan Cuisine

October 16, 2016 by Mr. Smile Leave a Comment

Before coming to Uzbekistan, it is very hard for me to imagine what kind of cuisine they have in the country. Usually, food could tell a lot of stories about a place, including the natural environment, history and especially the way how people live. For me, it is essential to know the culture of eating before getting even deeper into other aspects of a culture.

As a member of the previous USSR, Uzbekistan cuisine is greatly impacted by Russia in terms of the ingredients and the dishes. For example, people usually eat their meals with bread, and Manty(lamb-filled dumplings) & dill-based dishes are no strangers to Uzbekistan dining table. But on the other side, Uzbekistan also keeps some of the most traditional Central/West Asian dishes such as Plov. In addition, due to the proximity to Europe, Uzbekistan menu is also impacted by the European dining culture, which can be seen from the menu (from soup, appetizer, main dish to dessert).

Soup that is always with dill

Soup that is always with dill

As for the ingredients, Uzbekistan people mostly consume beef, lamb and chicken due to the religion. But to my surprise, I did see some pork dishes on the restaurant menu. That is probably because of the fact that most Uzbekistan are only “believers” who don’t strictly follow the Islamic rules. In terms of the choice of vegetables, I would say that is is a little bit boring (Actually Kyrgyzstan is the same) since it’s simply a rotation among tomatoes, bell peppers, eggplants and cabbages. This may be attributed to the lack of clean water to wash the leafy vegetables properly, or to the continental climate, or simply to the preference of high-calorie vegetables of the local people.

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Important bread for a meal, and salads made from tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers and eggplants.

I will share some of the dishes that I tried in Uzbekistan and hope that would be a great feast for you:

[Read more…]

Unforgettable Silk Road Trip in Uzbekistan – Samarkand

October 15, 2016 by Mr. Smile Leave a Comment

Samarkand

This ancient city was built as early as 5th century B.C. It is located right at the pivot of the ancient silk road between China, India and Persia. That is why it was once prosperous  in between 6th and 13th century until it was destroyed by Chinggis Khan in 1220. It might had been the end of the history for the city. However, Timur’s new empire in the 14th century set its capital in Samarkand and as a result it found its renaissance again for another 2 centuries. But after 16th century, due to the move of the capital and several earthquake strikes, it was no longer as important as before. It is during the Soviet time when the ancient sites got restored in a large scale to the credit of the Soviet government. However, it also took some liberty to add new decor to the mosque such as the blue dome at Tilla-Kari Medressa.

Registan Square

This might the single biggest tourist site in the whole Central Asia. It is surrounded  by three ancient medressas – Sher Dor, Tilla-Kari and Ulugbek. The magnificent arches, high-rising minarets paired with blue sky forms the best view of my trip in Uzbekistan.

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[Read more…]

The Glory of The Silk Road Empire – Uzbekistan Initial Impressions

September 20, 2016 by Mr. Smile 5 Comments

The reason why I chose Uzbekistan as the first stop of the round-the-world trip is simply coming from all my imagination about mysterious Central Asia, and the desire to see how the ancient silk road looks like today. From the high school time, in the history subject we have been learning a lot regarding the representative that China empire sent to the west, the exotic music prevailing in the Tang Dynasty, and the story of Timur. Saying has it that it’s much better to visit the places yourself than to read thousand pages of books. Therefore, I would really love to leverage this chance to visit Uzbekistan, the heart of Central Asia which had played as an important cultural exchange pivot in between EurAsia.

Uzbeks respect Timur as their national hero. In Tashkent, Samarkand and many other cities you may see the statue and the mausoleum of Timur which demonstrate the respect:

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[Read more…]

Who is Mr. Smile?

After working in Singapore for 4 years, Hank is amazed by how big the world is and how rich different cultures are. Thus, he decided to quit his professional job and started a round-the-world trip with Miss Smile Christine to explore the continents where they've never been to.

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  • Flight Ticket Purchasing Tips
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  • The Kingdom of Plov – A Brief Introduction to Uzbekistan Cuisine
  • Unforgettable Silk Road Trip in Uzbekistan – Samarkand
  • The Glory of The Silk Road Empire – Uzbekistan Initial Impressions

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