What to bring from Uzbekistan as a gift or as a keepsake | Guide Club

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Uzbekistan is a country of artists and craftsmen. Many traditional crafts that were formed many centuries ago still flourish here. This is a paradise for those who like to buy souvenirs and beautiful things to remember them by. There are many gifts waiting for you in bazaars and souvenir shops, which are not found anywhere else. The only problem is how to put everything you want to buy in a suitcase. So that you can plan in advance what to bring from Uzbekistan, we have compiled a list of the best souvenirs with photos. Choose the most interesting things, and purchases will delight you and your loved ones for a long time.

The most delicious gifts from Uzbekistan

It is impossible to travel around Uzbekistan and not get acquainted with its cuisine. To prolong the gastronomic pleasure, you can bring some delicacies with you to Russia. You can also treat friends and family with them.

Honey and other sweets

With the exception of the winter months, something is constantly blooming in Uzbekistan. That’s why there is always a lot of fresh honey of different varieties. May honey, harvested from fruit trees and meadow flowers, is especially popular. Buckwheat honey is famous for its bright aroma and beneficial properties. There are also unusual varieties: coriander, cotton, acacia and others.

But jars of honey are not the only sweets that can be brought from Uzbekistan. Other goodies are no less delicious:

• Jam. The choice of jams and jams is so large that it can cause confusion. In addition to the traditional strawberry, cherry, raspberry, apricot, plum, pear and quince, there are also rarer varieties. For example, sea buckthorn, melon or flower petals.
• Pashmak. The candy resembling cotton candy is called Uzbek halva. Pashmak consists of the thinnest threads of flour and sugar, fried in oil and gathered into balls. Sometimes nuts are added to them. Fresh pashmak turns out to be delicate and silky, it literally melts in your mouth.
• Navat. This national sweetness is similar to caramel candies. It is made on the basis of sugar syrup with grape juice. Additional ingredients are possible: honey, spices, nuts and seeds. Navat, prepared according to traditional recipes, is sold in bazaars.
• Nishalda. Sweetness in the form of thick white cream is traditionally prepared in Ramadan, but it can be enjoyed at other times. It contains a secret ingredient that is rarely found in Russia. This is a soap root, the decoction of which makes the beaten egg whites especially lush and stringy. Sugar syrup and anise or vanillin are added to the whipped whites for flavor, the whole mass is well mixed.

Dried fruits and nuts

Uzbekistan is famous for its juicy and sweet fruits, which are dried in large quantities. Someone uses special equipment for this, someone dries in a natural way, as in the old days. In both cases, most of the nutrients are preserved. Dried fruits are served with tea, used as a snack, added to pastries and meat dishes. The variety is fantastic, and you can buy dried fruits anywhere.

Crispy Uzbek nuts are just as delicious. Hazelnuts, peanuts, almonds, pistachios, cashews and walnuts are grown here, and apricot kernels are also sold. The favorable climate allows you to do without chemicals, so that both nuts and dried fruits are environmentally friendly. You can try them before buying.

Spices

Uzbek dishes are so delicious and memorable partly because spices are generously added to them, which are convenient to bring from Uzbekistan for yourself and as a gift. For example, it is worth bringing barberry and cumin berries, without which it is difficult to imagine Uzbek pilaf. Coriander, bay leaf, red and black pepper are suitable for various soups, meat and fish dishes. And turmeric gives chicken, rice, vegetables and pastries an appetizing yellow color, besides it is very useful. You can buy cinnamon and nutmeg for desserts, as well as saffron, the most expensive spice in the world with an amazing aroma.

Kazy

Meat dishes and sausages make up an important part of Uzbek cuisine. If you choose what delicious things you can bring from Uzbekistan, pay attention to the kazy horse sausage. It is a delicacy that is eaten hot and cold, separately or as part of other dishes. You can cook pilaf with kaza, or you can just cut it on the table and surprise the guests. Natural fat is added to the sausage, so it is quite juicy. Thanks to the pepper and cumin, it has a piquant taste and aroma.

Kurut

The nomads of Central Asia learned how to make kurut at least a millennium ago. These are hard balls made from salted fermented milk. They provided good nutrition on the road, because all the benefits of milk are preserved in them in a concentrated form. Dried kurut is stored at room temperature for up to five years, so it has saved people more than once during periods of drought and famine. Now kuruta balls are still sold in oriental bazaars. They are eaten as a snack, added to soups and salads.

Mountain Tea

Tea is a traditional drink in Uzbekistan, it is customary for them to start and finish any meal. In the old days, when tea was brought along the Silk Road and it was expensive, classic green tea was mixed with local herbs. This is how traditional mountain tea appeared. It is still popular in Uzbekistan. In addition to the tea leaf, this drink includes many plants and spices: thyme, chamomile, mint, immortelle, ginger, marjoram, cardamom and others. Uzbek mountain tea has a bright aroma that reminds of a sunny summer. Other types of tea are also sold: green, black, jasmine.

Traditional clothing and textiles

Uzbekistan was the center of textile trade on the Great Silk Road, merchants came here from all over the world. And now this country is famous for fabrics, carpets and embroidery. When choosing what you can bring as a gift from Uzbekistan, do not miss the textile rows and shops.

Carpets

The Uzbek carpet is not just a souvenir, but a luxurious gift from those that are inherited. Carpets are mostly made of wool, so they are very warm. They can be laid on the floor or hung on the wall. There are also silk products, soft and colorful, but very expensive. The carpet can be made by machine or woven by hand, as in the old days. Handmade work is much more expensive, because it can take a whole year for a craftswoman to make one large carpet. But the machine samples are also very beautiful.

It is better to choose a large carpet in branded stores or in production, especially if silk or handmade is needed. If you do not want to spend significant amounts, you can find a small entrance or bedside mat at the bazaar.

Embroidery by suzane

In addition to the famous carpets, Uzbek craftsmen are able to make beautiful embroidery. It is called suzane — from the Persian word, which means “needle”. The basis for embroidery is usually cotton, silk or mixed fabric. The products come in different sizes: from small decorative pillowcases to bedspreads for a double bed. Embroidery adorns clothes, scarves, bags, tablecloths and tapestries on the wall. You can purchase a separate embroidered pattern and use it in your needlework.

As with carpets, embroidery can be hand-made or machine-made. Manual is much more expensive: it takes up to several weeks or even months of work for one product. The patterns in each region are different. They often have a symbolic meaning and serve as a talisman.

Skullcap

An unusual gift for a man from Uzbekistan is a traditional skullcap, which is worn here on holidays, and many people wear it all the time. It is sewn from cotton, silk or felt, it can be round and square. Each region has its own design. Square Chust skullcaps with white embroidery on a black background are especially famous. They often depict a pattern in the form of four peppers. There are also women’s elegant skullcaps embroidered with gold threads, beads, coins or stones.

Fabric and clothing in the ikat technique

In Uzbekistan and some other Asian countries, the traditional method of dyeing fabric is widespread. Ikat is a recognizable slightly blurred print with intricate patterns. Although this is a design known since the VI-VII centuries, it looks modern. In the ikat technique, cotton and silk fabrics are usually dyed. You can buy ready-made summer clothes or a scarf. If you choose what to bring from Uzbekistan as a gift to a needlewoman, buy a piece of dyed fabric. The hostess will figure out what to sew from it.

Fur and woolen items

A great gift from Uzbekistan is the thick and warm fur of Karakul sheep. It warms even in severe frosts. Especially exquisite things are obtained from karakulcha — the fur of unborn lambs. It is more shiny, thin and silky compared to a regular doodle, but wears out faster. Bukhara is considered the best place to buy astrakhan fur coats and hats. Socks and belts made of camel’s hair, which are sold in bazaars, will also be useful in winter. Your loved ones will be grateful for them. A wool belt is especially needed for those with back pain.

Natural silk

Uzbekistan makes different varieties of silk, the most famous is called khan atlas. The largest silk production center is located in Margilan. Many people come here on purpose, but Margilan silks are also sold in other cities. As in the case of ikat, you can purchase ready-made silk clothes or a piece of fabric. The variety of shades is extremely wide: there are monochrome and patterned designs, there is a simple white silk. This is a lightweight and compact gift that will remind you of your vacation for a long time.

Uzbek chapan robe

Robes in Uzbekistan are part of the national costume. The word “chapan” is translated from Arabic as “dress of honor”. In the old days, each class in society was allowed its own chapans. The nobility wore robes embroidered with gold and silver, and the commoners wore ordinary satin. Nowadays in Uzbekistan it is customary to wear inexpensive robes as home clothes and more elegant ones on special occasions.

Uzbek robes are extremely diverse, their design depends on the place of production. In Khorezm, bright colors and abstract patterns are preferred, in Bukhara — exquisite embroideries and ornaments, in Ferghana — light pastel tones, and in Samarkand — blue shades and floral drawings or stars.

Handicrafts

There are not many countries in the world whose inhabitants in the XXI century can practice the same craft as their great-grandfathers. But this is exactly the case in Uzbekistan. There are still many ceramicists, jewelers, painters, carvers, copper minters and other craftsmen who work in traditional techniques. Choosing which souvenirs to bring from Uzbekistan, you will see amazing things. And they will be different in each city.

Ceramics

Patterned ceramics are as much a symbol of Uzbekistan as carpets or skullcaps. In each region of the country, it is made in its own way: colors, ornaments, shape and manufacturing techniques vary. Rishtan ceramics with subtle blue-green patterns and Gijduvan ceramics in warm brownish tones became especially famous. But other regions have their own traditions: in Samarkand, Khiva, Khorezm. Modern designs are found in Tashkent along with traditional ones. As a souvenir from Uzbekistan, you can bring a tea pair or a whole set, a set of bowls, flower pots, a jug or decorative plates on the wall.

Samarkand paper

Samarkand craftsmen of the VIII century were the first outside of China who learned how to make paper from mulberry wood. It is also called silk — it is smooth, durable and very durable. In the Middle Ages, paper from Samarkand was in great demand. The documents and books recorded on it are still kept in museums in good condition. Such paper can even survive washing.

The art of making Samarkand paper faded by the end of the XIX century. But thanks to the efforts of UNESCO, at the end of the 20th century, the factory in the suburbs of Samarkand was restored. It produces several types of paper of different colors and densities. Everything is done on modern equipment, but using old technologies. If one of your loved ones is interested in scrapbooking or calligraphy, this is a great idea that you can bring as a gift from Uzbekistan. There are also ready-made souvenirs: postcards, notebooks, gift bags.

Miniature painting

What gifts should I bring from Uzbekistan if there is not enough space in my luggage? A miniature, another traditional Uzbek art, will be a wonderful souvenir. You can buy ceramic tiles with the image of a madrasah or a caravan wandering along the Silk Road. You can choose a miniature book, a jewelry box or some other painted product. Many miniaturists accept orders, but their work takes time, so it’s better to contact them at the beginning of the vacation.

Jewelry

An interesting gift from Uzbekistan for a girl is an unusual silver earrings. Patterned pendants are made by hand and decorated with ornamental stones. Also pay attention to the bright bracelets. Uzbek jewelry attracts attention and is suitable for special occasions. Carnelian is often found in jewelry for women, which is believed to bring happiness. The next most popular stone is turquoise.

Musical instruments

What can you bring from Uzbekistan to Russia to surprise everyone? One of the traditional oriental instruments can become such a souvenir. They look elegant and unusual. Musical instruments are sold in specialty stores and souvenir shops. The range is large: there are different types of bowed, plucked and percussion instruments. You can choose by appearance, or you can try to master the game of dombra, surnae or sato.

Wood carving

Wooden products with patterns are found everywhere in Uzbekistan. The facades of the houses are decorated with carved windows, columns and doors, the interiors are decorated with tables, chests and stools. A good idea to bring as a gift from souvenirs of Uzbekistan is beautiful wooden caskets for storing jewelry or cosmetics. You can buy a photo frame, a tablet stand, or a set of chess pieces. Elm, walnut, sycamore and other types of wood are used for carving. The patterns are so subtle and elegant that they are compared to lace.

Dolls and clay toys

Handmade dolls made of textiles, straw or wood are an important part of Uzbek culture. They come in both large and the size of a keychain. Dolls in national clothes are often found. This is a good souvenir from Uzbekistan for children and collectors. Along with dolls, hand-painted ceramic figurines are sold everywhere. They are more fragile, but this is an original decoration for the interior.

Now you know what souvenirs you can bring from Uzbekistan. Please note that it is customary to bargain here when buying. As a result, you can reduce the price by 20-30%, especially if you pay in cash. If you are traveling with a group, you can choose souvenirs in one store and get a discount for a wholesale purchase. It is especially convenient when you are accompanied by an experienced guide. He will advise you on the best places to shop and tell you about local traditions. To make your vacation exciting and your shopping successful, book a tour at the Guides Club!

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