Traditional Tajik food and dishes tell the blended history of Turkic people and others that later arrived in Tajikistan. As one of the world’s oldest cuisines, many ancient recipes today haven’t altered much over the centuries.

Since this land’s ancestors were nomads, Tajik foods were made for long travels with limited resources. Here are some of the traditional Tajik food and dishes you must try when you visit this beautiful country.

 

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When in Tajikistan, one must devour its national dish: qurutob. It’s basically a bread salad layered with dried cheese (qurut) soaked in water, added with strips of fatir flatbread, onions, tomatoes, herbs, cucumber, flax seed oil, meat, and peppers.

A delicious stroll through Mehrgon Market and you’ll soon see that there’s no shortage of flatbread. In Tajikistan, they’re called non – typically round and large. Similar in other cultures, bread is life and art in Tajikistan. They’re traditionally baked in an outdoor tandoor oven which is made from clay. The texture is softer than a pretzel, and exudes a delightful taste.

Plov is a tasty rice dish consists of carrots and different kinds of meat, like: beef, lamb chicken or horse; all prepared together in a giant heated kazan, or cauldron.

Plov might be Uzbekistan’s national dish, but in Tajikistan, sometimes they’re referred to as osh which means: food.

Tajik soup is shurbo made with big pieces of meat, broth, potatoes, onions and carrots. It’s one of the most traditional foods in Tajikistan. Meats can vary as well, from chicken to lamb. Shurbo is thick and hearty, typically served as a main dish.

Try a street food often seen on the side of streets: sambusa – triangular pockets stuffed with minced meats (mostly mutton and tail fat,) onions, spices, seasonings and cumin seeds. The flaky savory pastry is made with flour, eggs, water and salt. The outside dough is normally dabbed with melted butter. Then baked in a tandoor clay oven.

The milk tea in Tajikistan is called shirchoi, often consumed with pieces of bread soaked inside. A spoonful of butter is sometimes added into the milk tea for a hint of cream. In this country, shirchoi can be enjoyed during breakfast.

Dimlama is a hearty Tajik food that is healthy and filling. The ingredients added into the soup include: potatoes, carrots, onions, cabbage, tomatoes, bell peppers and occasionally, meat. Everything is thrown into a pot, then stewed over a few hours.