Blog
Useful articles about trips, tips and service updates
Uzbekistan's Fruit by Season: From Cherries to Pomegranates
A month-by-month fruit calendar: when to come for apricots, grapes, figs and persimmons, and where to go to taste them at their best.
Bukhara's Bazaars: Where to Buy Fruit, Spices and Sweets
Where Bukhara residents shop themselves, where to go for spices and dried fruit and how not to overpay at the old town's tourist trading domes.
Bazaars of the Fergana Valley: Kumtepa, Shahrikhan, Jahon
Which Fergana Valley bazaars deserve a separate trip, on which days they operate and what to buy at each: fabrics, fruit, ceramics or souvenirs.
Urgut Bazaar: The Market Worth a Trip from Samarkand
What is sold at Urgut's huge bazaar, the best time to come, how to get there from Samarkand and how not to get lost among endless rows.
Alay Bazaar: A Market for People Who Know Their Food
How Alay differs from Chorsu, which rows are worth seeing and what Tashkent locals actually buy here. A practical guide for food lovers.
Siab Bazaar in Samarkand: Sweets, Flatbreads and Spices
What to buy at Siab next to the Bibi-Khanym Mosque, how to choose dried fruit and where to find Samarkand's famous flatbreads straight from the tandoor.
Chorsu Bazaar: How to Find Your Way Under the Green Dome
A guide to Tashkent's main bazaar: the rows of spices, dried fruit, meat and bread, the best time to visit and how to bargain without spoiling the mood.
Chaikhana and Tea: The Rules of Uzbek Tea Drinking
Green or black, why tea is poured back three times, and how to behave in a chaikhana. Everything you need to feel confident at an Uzbek table.
Uzbek Sweets: Parvarda, Nisholda, Halva and Navat
The oriental sweets sold at every bazaar: what they are made of, how to choose good ones, store them properly and carry them home.
Halim and Other Winter Dishes of Uzbekistan
Hearty halim of wheat and meat, moshkichiri and other dishes that Uzbek cooks prepare only in the cold season.
Sumalak: The Nowruz Dish Made from Sprouted Wheat
How sumalak is stirred through the night, why a whole neighbourhood cooks it together, and where to taste it in March when Uzbekistan celebrates Nowruz.
Shurpa and Mastava: The Soups of Uzbek Cuisine
How shurpa differs from mastava, what moshkhurda and ugra are, and which soup to order on a cold day. A short guide to Uzbek first courses.