Authentic experience in Samarkand, combining a local market visit, hands-on Uzbek cooking class, and an authentic home-cooked meal. Your experience begins with a guided tour of a small neighborhood market near the Samarkand railway station. This local market is where residents shop for fresh, seasonal fruits, vegetables, meat, and dairy products. Shodiyor will introduce you to his favorite vendors, where you will purchase a few ingredients for your Samarkand cooking class.

After the market visit, you will drive together to Shodiyor’s family home in the picturesque village of Eshim Oksok, located about 15 kilometers from Samarkand. At his simple and welcoming home, meet Barchinoy, his sister and your host for this home cooking experience in Samarkand. During this 1.5-hour Uzbek cooking class in Samarkand, you will learn how to prepare plov and a fresh salad. Alternatively, you may choose to bake traditional Uzbek bread in a tandir, a clay outdoor oven. Begin by chopping the meat and carrots for your plov or kneading the dough for your bread at the dining table, before joining Barchinoy in the outdoor kitchen to cook over a traditional wood-fired stove.