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Central Asian Food and Markets
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Ah food, the great leveler. The story is no different in Central Asia. The clock ticks slowly and the color wheel takes a spin up and down the food pyramid.
On the finished food front, you'll find a lot of somsa, plov, and shashlik. To balance this carnivorous offering, seek out some of the sweetest and most beautiful grapes and melons on the planet.
A collection of our best food and market photos from Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.
Dig deeper into Central Asian Cuisine and find out the best and worst of food and markets in the Caucasus and Central Asia.
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Afternoon Break
Ready for afternoon tea at Khiva's main market. Dig deeper into Central Asian Cuisine and find out the best and worst of food and markets in the Caucasus and Central Asia.
Tea and Somsa
The somsa, a meat and onion-stuffed pastry available throughout Uzbekistan, are stuck to and baked inside of a clay oven (similar to naan). Dig deeper into Central Asian Cuisine and find out the best and worst of food and markets in the Caucasus and Central Asia.
Simmering for Hours
Carrots, peppers, raisins, chick peas, and spices simmer together with rice and beef for hours to make the perfect plov. Flamingo, a simple outdoor cafe/restaurant became a favorite for lunch where a big plate of fresh plov would cost less than $1. Team it with tea and you've got a fitting Uzbek meal. Dig deeper into Central Asian Cuisine and find out the best and worst of food and markets in the Caucasus and Central Asia.
Sharing a Joke
An unprotected moment at the bazaar in Nukus, Uzbekistan.Dig deeper into Central Asian Cuisine and find out the best and worst of food and markets in the Caucasus and Central Asia.
Sweets for the Sweet
An appropriate salesgirl for Uzbek sweets, the bazaar in Khiva. Dig deeper into Central Asian Cuisine and find out the best and worst of food and markets in the Caucasus and Central Asia.
Tasty Corner
A corner at Osh Bazaar in Bishkek is defined by spices and Korean pickled vegetables and noodles.Dig deeper into Central Asian Cuisine and find out the best and worst of food and markets in the Caucasus and Central Asia.
Veggies and Rice, Kyrgyz Style
Ganfan became our favorite Kyrgyz cafe food (though it's technically a Dungan specialty) since it normally had a fair amount of vegetables and was usually lighter on the meat than its noodle-based counterpart, lagman.Dig deeper into Central Asian Cuisine and find out the best and worst of food and markets in the Caucasus and Central Asia.
In Season
Plentiful pomegranates at the bazaar in Osh, Kyrgyzstan.Dig deeper into Central Asian Cuisine and find out the best and worst of food and markets in the Caucasus and Central Asia.
Bundles of Flavor
A friendly vendor stacks herbs at the bazaar in Osh, Kyrgyzstan.Dig deeper into Central Asian Cuisine and find out the best and worst of food and markets in the Caucasus and Central Asia.
Pepper Time
Osh, Kyrgyzstan.Dig deeper into Central Asian Cuisine and find out the best and worst of food and markets in the Caucasus and Central Asia.
Apple Season in Kyrgyzstan
If only we had a kitchen and could make apple crisp. Taken at the Karakol bazaar.Dig deeper into Central Asian Cuisine and find out the best and worst of food and markets in the Caucasus and Central Asia.
Sweet Treats for the Pamirs
We stocked up on dried fruits and nuts in Osh, Kyrgyzstan to take with us to the Pamir Mountains in Tajikistan. After several days of eating potatoes and bread, these dried apricots became a prized possession.Dig deeper into Central Asian Cuisine and find out the best and worst of food and markets in the Caucasus and Central Asia.
Time to Make the Somsas
This man shows us how to bake a somsa (Central Asian pastry stuffed with meat and onions) on the side of a tandoor-like oven. Osh, Kyrgyzstan.Dig deeper into Central Asian Cuisine and find out the best and worst of food and markets in the Caucasus and Central Asia.
Spicy Goodness
Osh seemed to harbor the largest volume and variety of spice and pepper options in Kyrgyzstan.Dig deeper into Central Asian Cuisine and find out the best and worst of food and markets in the Caucasus and Central Asia.
Decisions, Decisions
How to pick the perfect melon when there are so many to choose from? Taken at the bazaar in Osh, Kyrgyzstan.Dig deeper into Central Asian Cuisine and find out the best and worst of food and markets in the Caucasus and Central Asia.
Charcoal Brows
Creating a unibrow with eyeliner or charcoal is popular in the Dushanbe market scene, much to the dismay of eyebrow waxers.Taken at Shah Mansur Bazaar in Dushanbe, Tajikistan.Dig deeper into Central Asian Cuisine and find out the best and worst of food and markets in the Caucasus and Central Asia. arket.com
Lurking Behind Her Loaves
At first, this bread girl at the Varzob Bazaar hid behind her pile of loaves when the camera came out.Within a few minutes, she gained her confidence and turned into a ham. Amazing what a few smiles and encouragement can do. Taken in Dushanbe, Tajikistan.Dig deeper into Central Asian Cuisine and find out the best and worst of food and markets in the Caucasus and Central Asia.
Perfect for Ajvar
Red peppers and eggplant are in season at Almaty's Zelyony Bazaar.Now, all we need to do is import some Balkan cuisine (ajvar, red pepper spread) and Mediterranean cuisine (roasted eggplant) and we'd have a meal. Dig deeper into Central Asian Cuisine and find out the best and worst of food and markets in the Caucasus and Central Asia.
Holding Court at the Market
Taken at the Shah Mansur Bazaar in Dushanbe, Tajikistan. Dig deeper into Central Asian Cuisine and find out the best and worst of food and markets in the Caucasus and Central Asia.
Perfect Start to Arrabiata
Peppers and tomatoes, the foundations for a perfect arrabiata sauce...if only we had access to a kitchen. Taken at the Varzob Bazaar in Dushanbe, Tajikistan.Dig deeper into Central Asian Cuisine and find out the best and worst of food and markets in the Caucasus and Central Asia.
Young Entrepreneurs
These two boys decided to make a little money after school by selling apples at Almaty's Zelyony Bazaar. Read more about our experiences in Almaty and the Tian Shan Mountains.
Trail Mix
Nuts, dried fruit and candied fruit at Almaty's Zelyony Bazaar.Dig deeper into Central Asian Cuisine and find out the best and worst of food and markets in the Caucasus and Central Asia.
Blessing Fruit: A How To
Dried herbs are smoked and employed as a purifying and blessing tool in Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.These women insisted Audrey breathe in the smoke to help cleanse her lungs. She fell into a coughing fit instead. Dig deeper into Central Asian Cuisine and find out the best and worst of food and markets in the Caucasus and Central Asia.
Perfect for Mexican food
Chorsu Market was full of chilies, cilantro, cumin and other spices used in Mexican cuisine. If only we had a kitchen... Dig deeper into Central Asian Cuisine and find out the best and worst of food and markets in the Caucasus and Central Asia.
