alt.hn

7/24/2026 at 2:43:57 PM

The Fabled Flatbreads of Uzbekistan (2015)

 https://www.aramcoworld.com/articles/2015/the-fabled-flatbreads-of-uzbekistan

by jxub

7/28/2026 at 8:22:12 PM

My wife and I started something during Covid where we'd pick a random city in the world (there are websites that do this for you), look at the region's popular/common dishes and pick one to cook for the weekend. Most recent was Mirza Ghasemi: A smoked eggplant dish cooked with garlic, tomatoes, and eggs, from the Caspian Sea area.

We would also sometimes make flatbreads from the area but man is it messy to do in your own place with flour flying around everywhere. We do make the flatbreads sometimes but it's usually easier to just buy frozen paratha from the Indian store.

Biggest surprise - everything's stew.

by comrade1234

7/28/2026 at 9:45:38 PM

> Mirza Ghasemi: A smoked eggplant dish cooked with garlic, tomatoes, and eggs, from the Caspian Sea area.

Eggplant is one of those incredible veggies that seemingly not a lot of people know what to do with. You can bake it on a grill or your cooktop stove to give it that amazing smokey taste. I often eat it as-is without adding anything else but pairing with eggs takes it to the next level. There is another dish from that same general region called Ajapsandali which is probably one of the tastiest breakfast meals you'll ever eat if you like eggplant.

by sakopov

7/29/2026 at 3:49:43 AM

Eggplant, after being charred on an open flame, is an incredibly versatile and flavorful ingredient to put into other vegetable dishes. Shout out to the Indian baingan bharta of course. Ratatouille made with charred eggplant is simply amazing.

The word "non" used throughout the article is the origin of the term "naan bread" from Indian culture (the Central Asian Turks/Mughals who ruled most of India for centuries developed "naan bread").

by profsummergig

7/28/2026 at 10:20:21 PM

Unagi Don using Aubergine is one of the few vegan cheats that is arguably better than the original. Rukmini Iyer does a nice riff with a vegan traybake on a similar theme that's very easy to throw together

https://thehappyfoodie.co.uk/recipes/miso-aubergines-with-to...

by piltdownman

7/28/2026 at 10:43:31 PM

> using Aubergine

Is “aubergine” a true synonym of “eggplant” or are you referring to a regional variety of some kind, different from the “eggplant” in other comments here?

by WalterGR

7/29/2026 at 6:59:19 AM

Eggplant is called aubergine in UK and Ireland. Full true synonym.

by barrkel

7/29/2026 at 1:05:12 AM

Aubergines are eggplants are brinjals.

by fakedang

7/29/2026 at 1:39:25 AM

I generally like lots of vegetables, and while I can certainly enjoy a good eggplant parmesan (anything breaded and fried with cheese and marinara sauce is usually pretty easy to like), eggplant has got to be my least favorite vegetable, and I've tried it lots of different ways.

It just has the consistency of some kind of styrofoam to me (or else just turns to mush if it's overcooked) with a bitter-ish taste I don't like. While it can serve the purpose of "it just soaks up the flavor/sauce of whatever it's cooked in", there are lots of other vegetables/beans/tofu I'd much rather use for that purpose than eggplant.

by hn_throwaway_99

7/29/2026 at 5:57:43 AM

I have the same experience with eggplant. I wonder if this is one of those tiny taste differences that is some sort of genetic/epigenetic in origin (not quite supertaster but atypical) since there’s several different experiences expressed here about eggplant. For instance, cantaloupe always tastes a bit rotten to me - even when tasting the same fresh cut fruit with friends and family it is pleasant for them and not for me.

by stevenwoo

7/29/2026 at 1:45:03 AM

Baked and made into a curry works for me. i.e. Baingan Bharta

It's remarkably easy to make at home, although worth trying as a side dish (at a restaurant) if you like Indian food.

by vlod

7/28/2026 at 11:43:32 PM

Worth bathing the decently sliced eggplant in whipped egg and then in flour, and frying in a decent amount of oil. Add herbs. Simple. This is common in the Mediterranean.

When cooking over gas, it is nice to remove the skin in cold water, chop up coarsely, and add yoghurt, garlic, olive oil, salt and herbs, with a good whizzing up following, to make a decent dip for flatbread or anything else.

by d4ng

7/28/2026 at 11:47:47 PM

I never liked eggplant as a kid, but my Chinese in-laws make some amazing eggplant dishes. My favourite is one where they cut it into inch thick slices, then slice the slice about 3/4 of the way through and stuff it with a seasoned pork mince, dust it with flour and deep fry until golden.

by carpo

7/29/2026 at 11:38:44 AM

Super good. I also love the Chinese bbq eggplant and ofc the classic ‘three delicacies from the ground’ (地三鲜）

by thenthenthen

7/28/2026 at 9:59:33 PM

While I don't care for eggplant, I used to make an exception for Moussaka Pizza (eggplant and meatballs) from Waterford Pizza in Waterford, CT. (I believe they're still there; but, it's been 40+ years.)

by 5555624

7/28/2026 at 10:08:55 PM

> Ajapsandali

I looked it up and that looks great. Kind of like vegetarian goulash with all of the peppers. And simple. I think we'll try this soon.

by comrade1234

7/28/2026 at 8:49:35 PM

> Mirza Ghasemi: A smoked eggplant dish cooked with garlic, tomatoes, and eggs, from the Caspian Sea area.

That sounds good. Makes me think of hunkar begendi.

by chucksmash

7/28/2026 at 9:05:40 PM

everything's stew. everything's a variation of the 4 easiest ingredients for humans to cultivate plus one or two local or regional specials

garlic/onions: aliums that thrive in most climates

rice: grass that can be drowned (to fuck off pests)

eggs: per day, one chicken produces enough binding enzymes to thicken and modify a meal for 5-8 people

veg/seed oils: cooking, flavor, etc

and since that's in the caspian sea area, they also have a ready supply of tomatoes and eggplant from centuries of trading with asia

by parl_match

7/29/2026 at 4:39:23 AM

Tomatoes are a New World crop, so those come from the Colombian exchange rather than some sort of thousands-year-old Silk Road trading history.

by elgenie

7/29/2026 at 7:57:07 AM

stew is also - the most forgiving dish regarding meats.. bad cut? Just stew it more.. this can go so far- that soldiers who where starving where used to cooking down the leather of boots and tournisters..

by 21asdffdsa12

7/28/2026 at 10:25:53 PM

> from the Caspian Sea area

That's a funny way of saying Gilan, Iran. The dish was invented by (and is named after) Mohammad Ghasem Khan Vali, the governer of Gilan province.

by yubblegum

7/28/2026 at 11:32:24 PM

I didn't see that anywhere. Is that like general Tso's chicken being from a chinese general?

by comrade1234

7/29/2026 at 12:52:39 AM

No, more like saying that a classic Chinese this is from "Eastern Asia area"

by yubblegum

7/28/2026 at 9:07:43 PM

I wonder how close that dish is to the Indian one Baingan Bharta (it lacks eggs).

by zer00eyz

7/28/2026 at 9:12:04 PM

It's similar but the egg almost makes it like custard and the spice is only turmeric and some red pepper and garlic. It's more subtle.

by comrade1234

7/28/2026 at 8:03:14 PM

My wife and I own a restaurant. It's a tough business.

I feel like there must be more interest among native-born Americans in foreign food these days, based on the fact there's 3 Uzbek restaurants within a couple of neighboring cities (which are maybe 200k people total). There's apparently only ~2000 Uzbek-Americans in all of northern IL! And mostly concentrated over an hour's drive away from where these restaurants are.

That said, my wife and I were very interested to try the Tashkent bread. I think this article calls it out - it's better very fresh. It was really good, but not as amazing as we expected (maybe lunch is the time to dine at the Uzbek place closest to us).

I still find it amazing that even (probably) family-run restaurants for such a niche cuisine can make a go of it. I take it as a good sign about American dining preferences.

by RajT88

7/28/2026 at 8:24:31 PM

I guess if you're a migrant, an ethnic restaurant (is that term politically correct?) is one of the most obvious businesses you can start.

The Thai government used to sponsor (not sure if they still do) Thai diaspora who want to open a restaurant in a foreign country, it was their way to market the country and attract tourists.

by netsharc

7/28/2026 at 11:35:58 PM

Thai cuisine is remarkably interesting due to Global Thai and both the funding for restaurants as well as the standardization of curry recipes that was led by the government to help spread cultural awareness of the cuisine.

by munk-a

7/28/2026 at 10:49:46 PM

OK, I'll bite. In this particular case I personally would have said "a restaurant of your national cuisine" or even omit the adjective altogether since it's somewhat obvious from the preceding conversation what you mean.

My main qualm with this usage -- aside from being dated -- is that all cuisines are ethnic, but singling out the hypothetical migrant's as such implies that it is particularly ethnic. So in this sense it is a bit othering.

To be clear, I don't write this to call you out for your usage or accuse you -- I'm just answering your good-faith question.

RE your point, I don't agree that it's so obvious -- cooking and running a restaurant are pretty hard regardless of where you are from!

by vector_spaces

7/29/2026 at 7:09:42 PM

Here ethnic cuisine more or less means regional cuisine, where the region is outside of the speaker's own cultural identity. It goes beyond national, which is very broad. Therefore I think it's a fairly useful descriptor.

For example Oaxacan and TexMex are ethnically Mexican, but seen as regional within their borders by the respective nations. There's deeper indigenous roots there too. Food traditions of the Jewish diaspora can't be said to be Israeli cuisine. Things that start as regionally unique become seen as ethnic over time: I dunno like rocky mountain oysters, fish and chips, buffalo wings, as they become more intertwined with the culture of those people and that culture is exported.

Ethnicity was coined to avoid the racial connotations but in the US, ethnic studies brought it right back. If one wishes to avoid the word here maybe cultural is probably the best substitute but still a bit too narrow. You'll also see Global/International/Continental/Intercontinental as well, much like in music.. but I think that misses the point too.

by goosejuice

7/29/2026 at 7:59:13 AM

The moment you ask yourself that- you are already poisoned. Because walking around on eggshells, makes you hate those who force you to be over considerate in time. Which results in buildup and release of tension.. just be yourself- and be kind intrinsicly..

by 21asdffdsa12

7/28/2026 at 8:35:18 PM

Migrant is actually the wrong word entirely, I think.

Migrants move around to follow the work. (Think more like "Nomad") Immigrants resettle in new places.

I'm reading more about it, and probably these restaurants survive based on a combination of:

- Family run, keeping labor low (labor always number 1 cost)

- Central Asian and Muslim customers (much more than just Uzbeks)

- Setting up in low-rent locations like strip malls

So a few big nights a week can sustain the family business. I guess there's a way it adds up to a profitable business.

by RajT88

7/28/2026 at 9:02:14 PM

>Migrant is actually the wrong word entirely, I think.

immigrant, im- (variant of in-) ; migrant into your country

emigrant, ex- ; migrant out of your country

both are still migrants. there is no specific cause for migration required to be an migrant.

you just need to move somewhere new to live.

by knome

7/28/2026 at 9:07:38 PM

You are technically correct. The best kind of correct!

In terms of common usage though, it's as I said, especially in North America.

by RajT88

7/28/2026 at 10:25:17 PM

I believe they were asking whether or not "ethnic" is the correct term.

"Foreign food" or "foreign restaurant" seems to be the norm where I live, but maybe I'm uncultured. "Ethnic" wouldn't offend anyone I don't think.

by ComputerPerson

7/29/2026 at 12:30:35 AM

Could be. "Ethnic" sounds to my ear a lot less possibly offensive than "migrant" given the current climate.

by RajT88

7/28/2026 at 10:49:46 PM

I did notice that the Muslim Chinese restaurants have a lot of non-Chinese Muslim customers, maybe because they want halal.

by frollogaston

7/29/2026 at 4:08:23 AM

Well, you have to be an esoteric migrant. This technique doesn’t really work for a Chinese or Indians.

by dyauspitr

7/28/2026 at 9:25:42 PM

"There's apparently only ~2000 Uzbek-Americans in all of northern IL"

where did you get this number? does that include chicago, because i live in Chicago area ... seems low.

by oa335

7/28/2026 at 9:42:19 PM

https://www.neilsberg.com/insights/lists/uzbek-population-in...

Figuring some fudge factor too. It could be low - it's hard to find numbers for nationality counts for central Asians broken down by state.

by RajT88

7/29/2026 at 2:26:16 AM

that websites estimates are definitely too low - e.g. there are definitely more than 40 Uzbek people in Chicago... I've been to 3 uzbek restaurants in Chicago proper myself.

by oa335

7/29/2026 at 5:24:41 PM

Broadly (in another comment I made) I think I've made sense of it. Regardless of the real population, it's probably not just the Uzbek population sustaining these places. That most likely wouldn't be viable.

My wife's restaurant for example targets a nationality that is wayyyy more numerous (not Mexicans; that'd be easy enough), and it's tough for us to stay profitable.

by RajT88

7/28/2026 at 8:09:56 PM

Much of the Uzbek and Central Asian community is largely located in the Bay, NYC, and DMV. There are around 3 Uzbek restaurants in SF alone.

by alephnerd

7/28/2026 at 11:48:40 PM

It’s wild how NYC trumps every other city for ethnic food by miles. The number of central Asian places (mostly Uzbek and Georgian) is probably closer to 100.

by chadash

7/29/2026 at 4:11:36 AM

NYC is just a wonderful place. I lived there for a decade and loved every minute of it. I don’t want to live there anymore because now I have a family and I like having a huge amount of land and living in nature and serenity and all of that but New York City is one of the best places on the planet.

by dyauspitr

7/28/2026 at 8:31:36 PM

Theres Sofia (ex-Uzbek) and uzbegim, what’s the third one?

by YuriNiyazov

7/28/2026 at 8:35:08 PM

There used to be a third one a couple blocks away from Sofiya/Halal Dastarkhan in Tenderloin, but I think that may have shut down.

There also used to be 2 actual ethnic Uyghur restaurants (not Chinese from Xinjiang) in SF but they shut down as well.

by alephnerd

7/28/2026 at 8:09:29 PM

It makes sense and is also a surprise to see that Aramco has a lifestyle publishing arm.

That aside, this was a great article. There are some great videos on yt as well showing the baking process. But what those videos don’t show that this article points to is the these Uzbek bakers use natural sour dough leavening. I wish this article also included a recipe for the dough.

Another thing this article does that I like is that it describes how to eat these loaves, because it’s hard to guess just by looking at them. Hoping I get a chance to try one of these loaves someday.

by gtg239a

7/29/2026 at 12:21:42 AM

I've spent a lot of time chasing Uzbek bread and plov on YouTube, so I was very very surprised to see an oil company publishing such a beautiful article. I jsut hope it's not a sign of oil exploitation in Uzbekistan...

by epistasis

7/29/2026 at 3:22:50 AM

Uzbekistan has long been one of the largest natural gas exporters in the world and that is set to increase as they have huge untapped reserves. Same story with oil although they aren’t yet a top exporter, so far as I know.

by cgh

7/29/2026 at 3:23:05 AM

Apparently there is some active oil production there, but mostly run by Uzbekneftegaz, an Uzbek (not Saudi) company.

(I don't follow the Central Asian energy industry, I just found this on the Internet.)

by schoen

7/28/2026 at 9:47:34 PM

Uzbek food is very popular with all people from the former USSR. So there will be a lot more demand than just Uzbek-Americans.

by dron57

7/29/2026 at 12:25:53 AM

Totally. I take my family to the kosher Uzbek places here in NYC for just that reason.

by xyzelement

7/28/2026 at 9:58:26 PM

I went to an Uzbek restaurant in SF a couple weeks ago called Sofiya. Highly recommend. Food was so good that I want to visit the country now and probably will within the next year.

by qurren

7/29/2026 at 12:17:47 AM

Thanks for the pointer, my (Ukrainian) family is going to love this. Plov!

by epistasis

7/29/2026 at 12:35:22 PM

Thanks, will try!

by e40

7/28/2026 at 9:18:05 PM

Yay, an article about my country is on the HN frontpage!

by Maksadbek

7/29/2026 at 4:32:14 AM

Uzbekistan has a very rich history. Samarkand (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samarkand) is a highly fascinating city added by UNESCO to its "World Heritage List" as Crossroad of Cultures - https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/603/

Justin Marozzi's book Tamerlane: Sword of Islam, Conqueror of the World is a great read on Timur who i believe is considered almost a god in your country (like Genghis Khan in Mongolia) - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timur

There was also a classic russian movie titled "Nepobedimyy"(1983) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0261099/) aka "The Invincible" on one of the founders of the russian martial art of Sambo (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sambo_(martial_art)) which was shot in Uzbekistan and features their styles of wrestling. It was almost like a documentary and i loved it for how real and earthy it was both for the martial arts and the locations.

Watch on Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3GLvE5cCFY0 or https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gssvFq0aRas

by rramadass

7/28/2026 at 8:23:32 PM

Article gave me an idea that Indus Valley seals were baker's stamps - that's why the imprinted goods were never found (eaten!).

by d_silin

7/28/2026 at 8:35:26 PM

I could probably spend a whole month eating fresh bread there every day and enjoy it more than a Michelin starred restaurant.

by julianeon

7/29/2026 at 6:49:43 AM

its pretty rare to see Uzbekistan on global news and even HN frontpage.. i have been there in May, its pretty wonderful. Although English isn't spoken in many places, I had a great impression of the food. I actually went there for the Soviet architecture at first, but the local atmosphere of daily life was also unforgettable. I randomly picked restaurants a few times, and both the meat and the bread (non/naan) were delicious

its very safe and the prices are cheap. The only downside is that public toilets are scarce and they all charge a fee, which is really hard to deal with as a Chinese person. I was shocked that the price of using a restroom often exceeded the price of a loaf of naan

also this reminds me to refresh my personal blog domain and keep writing blogs.. because i have no where to post travel blogs like this for now.

by yanhangyhy

7/29/2026 at 11:12:32 AM

2700 bc.. the world was already old in the olden times.. i wish we had a "heroes" journey book- where every text is a link to its inspirations, going all the way back..

by 21asdffdsa12

7/28/2026 at 9:29:10 PM

Surely "naan" would have been a way better transliteration choice than "non", right?

by littlekey

7/29/2026 at 5:42:32 PM

No, in Uzbek it is actually "non" and not "naan", "palov" and not "pilav", "somsa" and not "samosa", "tandir" and not "tandoor".

by iLemming

7/29/2026 at 2:11:30 AM

No, Uzbeks themselves use “non” when using Latin alphabet. Fun fact: in the past Uzbek language has been written in arabic, cyrillic, and, since ~2018, in latin.

Source: grew up there

by alex000kim

7/29/2026 at 12:05:51 AM

1. English transliteration has its own cultural inertia. It's not just about what's most phonetically sensible (that too only for some particular English region: how an American phonetizes non would be different from how a Brit or Aussie would).

2. Don't assume the Uzbeks say this word the same way as the Indians do. It may very well sound closer to "non" in Uzbekistan.

by roncesvalles

7/29/2026 at 12:55:31 AM

Uzbeks do say "non".

by Aspos

7/28/2026 at 10:29:16 PM

It seems like a non issue to me.

by debo_

7/29/2026 at 1:43:47 AM

I got a job at the local Uzbek restaurant, but before I could learn all the recipes and secret ingredients, I had to sign a naan disclosure agreement.

by walrus01

7/28/2026 at 9:58:20 PM

Probbly a deliberate choice to distinguish it from its Indian sibling?

by shrx

7/29/2026 at 12:46:41 AM

I immediately googled “Uzbek population centers in United States”

by whall6

7/28/2026 at 8:19:26 PM

I spent about a year of my life in Uzbekistan. Food there is pure heaven

by FpUser

7/28/2026 at 9:19:48 PM

I know someone who spent ~ a year in rural Kyrgyzstan, and found the food to be very meat-based, with little variety. Maybe different in the cities, since they enjoyed the trips to Bishkek, and possibly Tashkent, somewhat more.

by hydrogen7800

7/28/2026 at 10:40:32 PM

Never ben to Kyrgyzstan. In Uzbekistan - yes lots of meat but also superb veggies and fruits.

by FpUser

7/29/2026 at 6:22:09 PM

Uzbek cuisine is a fascinating phenomenon because its traditions were shaped by interesting geography, climate and history. It is a double-land-locked country, therefore the lack of seafood and saltwater plants forced them to get inventive. Luckily, the agricultural heaven, which the region was in until the Soviet state's imbecilic decisions killed the Aral Sea, provided enormous variety. Imagine, the nature there even not too long ago was nothing short of amazing. There were species of tigers that went extinct in the 1970s (!) and freshwater fish that had existed nowhere else.

The geopolitical placement of the region made it a desirable target for invasions, and indeed that happened many times - Persians, Greeks/Macedonians, Seleucids, Greco-Bactrians, Scythians, Xiongnu, Huns, Arabs, Mongols, Chinese, Russians, etc. And every invader brought their cultural norms, and food traditions. Forced deportation of Koreans (by Stalin) added more to the pile. Fun fact: "traditional" Korean dishes of Central Asia have no equivalents in actual Korean cuisine, because people couldn't grow or find the ingredients endemic to the Korean peninsula, so they had to make their own, unique recipes.

Uzbeks take enormous pride in their cuisine and it is ingrained in their DNA - they can easily justify prepping a dish for weeks, then cooking it for over twenty hours, absolutely intending it to be devoured in less than fifteen minutes. That is the [uzbek] way.

by iLemming

7/28/2026 at 8:37:49 PM

Yes. It is.

And instead of trying to replicate that - it's a learning experience, you learn the world trying that - some advocate for hideous inductive panels. If I were somewhat religious I would say that this is a blasphemy. An unforgivable sin.

by lstodd

7/28/2026 at 8:50:18 PM

I did learn few things, everyone loves my Plov ;) No shortage of ingredients in Toronto and proper cookware.

by FpUser

7/29/2026 at 6:57:52 AM

Okay, how can I get a sampler pack of all those breads delivered here in the States?

by rickydroll

7/29/2026 at 7:15:22 PM

Honest answer? This is not simple, because to authentically bake that kind of bread, you'd need the "tandir". No, it's not like Punjabi or Indian traditional tandoors, those are similar yet different. Uzbek one's pronounced similar to "thunder" and it's made of special clay, you really can't order one in some pottery shop here in the US.

Some restaurateurs have managed to ship fragmented oven pieces all the way from there to clay them back together here. I reckon only a few authentic tandirs exist in the West, and most of them are on the east coast.

Your best bet for getting bona fide Uzbek bread is to ask someone traveling from Uzbekistan to bring you some. Anything else is not guaranteed not to be a pale attempt at a replica. And ask natives, not tourists without a clue - there's a wide variety - Samarkand and Tashkent bread can differ in size, tenderness, texture and taste, Ferghana valley recipes may include goat milk products that may completely change everything about it.

by iLemming

7/29/2026 at 2:20:01 AM

In the 1990s I travelled through Xinjiang and Gansu in China's northwest. At the time most of the people in rural areas were Uighur, Hui, Tibetan, or other minorities.

At one of the Uighur bazaars they were cooking all kinds of breads and skewered meat. I remember asking one of the younger guys about one that looked like a toasted puff pastry and he called it 烤包子 in Mandarin, i.e. "roasted dumpling." It had lamb inside, and it was fantastic, like a lighter version of a Cornish pasty.

by ilamont

7/28/2026 at 8:57:41 PM

Seems they've got an IP block on Israel.

by spacemule

7/28/2026 at 7:55:19 PM

Great article,

by AIorNot