Learning to Make Uzbek Bread in Tashkent (+ Masterclass Details)

This guide will share all the details (and photos!) from my time making Uzbek bread in Tashkent. It will also explain why I think signing up for a food or culture tour in Uzbekistan’s capital is a good idea and how you can book the same bread-making masterclass that I did.

As I scroll back through my photos from Uzbekistan, one thing appears in far too many photos: bread. Or Uzbek non. Whether I was walking down a street and saw a woman selling bread on the side of the road or whether I was strolling through the Chorsu Bazaar, I never failed to buy non and eat it on the spot.

Before even arriving in Tashkent, I knew I wanted to take a food tour and a cooking class. I found a couple of offerings by the amazing team at Craft&Culture and I signed up for them without any hesitation. I was going to learn to make Uzbek bread in Tashkent!

In this guide, I share my experience baking Uzbek bread (non) in Tashkent, including what the workshop includes, things to expect, and how you can book one for yourself.

This particular experience contains both bread-making at a local bakery, along with a trip through the Chorsu Bazaar. It is an absolute must for food-lovers visiting Tashkent.

If you have any questions, please drop them in the comments or send me a message. Now let’s get into all things non!

A Little Bit About Uzbek Non

There is no escaping it… non is everywhere in Uzbekistan. And it is GOOD. Like most foods, it varies from region to region, but it is typically cooked in a tandir (a clay oven) and has thick edges with a thin, crispy center. The center is often stamped with a chekich, something that is often used as an identifier for bakeries and individuals since tandirs are often shared by the community.

Bread is sacred in Uzbekistan and it holds symbolism throughout all walks of life. Serve it to me with a side of kaymak, and you’ve made my day (as a tourist, at least). Obi non is what I learned to make with Craft&Culture and it is considered to be an everyday bread.

My Experience Baking Bread in Tashkent (+ Bazaar Visit)

The bread-making masterclass and the Chorsu Bazaar visit may be swapped in order, depending on the time of your experience. Be sure to let them know of any dietary restrictions before this tour (I had to inform them of my fake dill allergy, which was good for them to know at the Chorsu Bazaar).

Part 1: The Bread Making

The day started with Craft&Culture picking me up from my hotel (this may or may not be included in your experience… be sure to confirm with them first). We took a taxi to a different part of town, where Gulbozor Non (a bakery that delivers daily to the Chorsu Bazaar) was waiting for us.

When you walk inside, there is a large table with chairs that will be your workstation. A local master will come and teach you (with translation from Craft&Culture) everything you need to know about Uzbek non. The ingredients, the traditions behind it, and how to create the perfect shape. I was even handed a chekich with my initial on it.

You will get to watch the master do everything before you tackle it on your own. The dough must be prepared long before arrival, but you get to do the shaping and the rest of the process on your own.

Once you have created your masterpiece bread (in my case), you will go to the back area of the bakery where the tandir is located. You’ll then be shown how to place your own creations in the tandir. I think mine barely made it inside… but hey, they cooked and were edible.

After they come out of the tandir, you will have a chance to try them with some delicious kaymak, dried fruits, tea, and more. Mine were not the most aesthetic breads to come out of the tandir, but hey, they tasted pretty delicious!

Part 2: Visiting the Chorsu Bazaar

After wrapping up your bread-making session, you will have the opportunity to head to the Chorsu Bazaar.

This is really exciting as you can stroll through the many vendors while learning more about different Uzbek foods, ingredients, and details about cultural traditions with food. Yusuf, an Uzbek local and co-founder of Craft&Culture, knew many of the vendors and was able to bridge communications between all of us.

We tried kurut (a fermented, dried cheese that I have always loved and eaten a lot in Kazakhstan), pickled veggies, dried fruits, and more. I always recommend visiting bazaars in Central Asia with a guide your first time, so you can get to chat with people, as well as ask them for photos without using people as props without their permission.

Why I Think You Should Take a Workshop with Craft&Culture in Tashkent

Tashkent is often used as a thoroughfare between the famous Silk Road destinations and wherever you’re coming from. While I loved Tashkent for its imposing modernism architecture, I understand this is not for everyone.

Between the Soviet-era mosaics and wide avenues, there is a lot of culture in Tashkent and I think it deserves a few days of your time.

Craft&Culture offers quite a few workshops and chances to learn about Uzbek culture from a local perspective. This is a way to enrich your trip and come home with a few new skills (that my Ikea oven will reject… but hey, I tried).

If you have any questions about baking Uzbek bread in Tashkent, please let me know in the comments or send me a message. Thanks!

More Tashkent Travel Guides

• Tashkent Airport to the city center
• Cafes in Tashkent
• Delicious plov in Tashkent

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