Spices have been known almost since the beginning of history. They were once one of the most valuable items of trade; there was a time when common salt was valued more than gold. Oriental spices have more than once pitted people against each other, seeking to master “divine” aromas, and even entire armies...

Today we will talk about spices used in national Uzbek cuisine. These fragrant flowers, seeds and herbs have long been used in preparing dishes, giving them an incomparable taste and amazing aroma. So, we begin our journey into the world of higher matters. What are they, the spices of the East? What spices and seasonings are the distinctive features of national Uzbek cuisine?

Jeera (cumin)

This is the real queen of spices! In Uzbekistan, almost no dish is complete without cumin. This is an obligatory component of the world-famous Uzbek pilaf.

Zira is an oriental seasoning, a gourmet find and a storehouse of all kinds of macroelements. Even the works of Hippocrates speak about the properties and benefits of this spice. Zira was mentioned in Ancient Rome and Egypt and was a very expensive spice, available only to rulers.

Kashnich (coriander)

Coriander fruits are the basis of their historical homeland - in Central Asia and the Middle East. This spice has a sweetish, pleasant aroma with a delicate citrus undertone. The use of seasoning in national Uzbek cuisine is so widespread that it is easier to list the names of dishes with which it is not used.

Kashnich goes perfectly with meat, and especially with lamb, so beloved in Central Asian countries. It is the most important part of a huge number of first courses, thick sauces and roasts.

Red pepper

It is believed that the smaller and redder the pod, the more bitter it is. Hot peppers add a little “spicy aggression” to the taste of dishes. It is often served with hot soups and pilaf. It promotes appetite and enhances taste.

Red capsicum is used in fresh, dried and ground form. It can be added to absolutely anywhere. This can be an appetizer, salad, first or main course. The concentration of the pepper's flavor is on the internal plates and seeds. Based on these features, in order to eliminate excess bitterness, too spicy components from the fruit are usually removed from the fruit before consumption.

Black pepper

The spice is used both whole and in ground form. The taste is hot and quite spicy. This spice is also called an antiseptic.

Black pepper is very similar in use to red capsicum. It can also be added almost anywhere. In ground form, it is used to season salads, appetizers, soups, and meat. And in the form of peas, peppers are used in marinades for pickles, shurpa, pilaf and lagman.

Ground coriander is a fragrant spice with a sweetish-sharp taste, which is obtained from the seeds of an annual plant called cilantro. Coriander is widely used in cooking around the world as a spice, but most often in eastern countries.

Coriander mainly consists of proteins and carbohydrates, as well as many vitamins and minerals, the calorie content of the product is only 24 kcal.

The Mediterranean is considered the homeland of this spice, where it was known even before our era. Following the Roman conquest of Britain in the first century, coriander eventually spread throughout Europe. In the 15th-17th centuries it was brought to the United States of America and Australia, and in the eighteenth century this spice appeared in Russia.

In ancient times, warriors took it with them on the road as a talisman when they went to war; it was believed that it gave strength and helped to heal from wounds. Cooks used coriander not only as a spice, but also as a natural preservative that protected meat from spoilage.

Currently, coriander is cultivated throughout the world. It is used not only as an additive in cooking, but also in cosmetology.

How is it different from cilantro?

Coriander is noticeably different from cilantro, despite the fact that this is the same plant, and the spices obtained from it are different. Many people confuse them, believing that they are the same spice under two different names, but this is not the case. Different parts of cilantro have different flavors and aroma and are used for different purposes.

• Cilantro is a green herb with a bitter-tart taste and a sharp, spicy smell, which is often used in dishes like parsley or dill.
• Coriander is the seeds of cilantro; it has a specific aroma and a spicy, bittersweet taste.

Ground coriander and green cilantro are rarely used to prepare the same dishes due to their specific differences.

What can I substitute for ground coriander in a recipe?

You can replace coriander in the recipe, for example, with cloves. These two spices have a similar aroma. It is enough to use 2-3 pieces. The following spices can serve as a good substitute for coriander:

• basil and black pepper;
• cilantro;
• a combination of mint, anise and thyme;
• a mixture of Provencal herbs.

If you don't have coriander or don't want to use it in a recipe for some other reason, feel free to choose one of the substitution options listed above. The main thing is to remember that everything should be in moderation, otherwise you can overdo it and thereby ruin the dish.

Useful properties and contraindications

The beneficial properties of coriander have been known to people since ancient times. Today, coriander is no less widely used in the field of medicine. It can benefit human health in the following cases:

• with inflammation of the endocrine system;
• for diseases of the visual system;
• promotes the removal of worms;
• has a positive effect on the body in case of liver diseases;
• normalizes the functioning of the stomach and intestines;
• improves appetite;
• helps relieve pain and improve the general condition of joint diseases;
• reduces blood cholesterol;
• strengthens blood vessels, which normalizes heart function;
• helps with cough;
• heals wounds;
• improves skin condition.

Despite the fact that coriander has numerous beneficial properties, it, like almost any other product, has individual contraindications. Coriander should not be eaten by people who suffer from stomach ulcers, heart disease, or diabetes. Contraindicated in pregnant women and nursing mothers.

Use in cooking

Ground coriander has a wide range of uses in cooking. This seasoning gives dishes a special specific taste and unique aroma. Most often coriander is added:

• as a seasoning for meat and fish;
• to various sauces;
• in pickling and preservation (using whole seeds);
• to a variety of baked goods;
• for salads;
• for soft and alcoholic drinks.

Nowadays, coriander can be found in the kitchen of almost any housewife. In some dishes, the use of this spice has become indispensable, and the above list cannot cover the entire range of uses of this spice.

Over the centuries-old history, the people of Uzbekistan have accumulated a wealth of experience in preparing many unique dishes that are popular among real gourmets all over the world.

Story

The mixture of culinary traditions of the Persians and Turks, as well as the advantageous location at the crossroads of trade routes, made the recipes of Uzbek cuisine very diverse, both in products and in cooking methods. And modern Uzbek cuisine in all its diversity was formed relatively recently under the powerful influence of Russian cuisine - in the middle of the 19th century.

There are noticeable differences between regions in Uzbek national cuisine. For example, in the north, pilaf and dough dishes are considered the main dishes, while in the southern part of the country, preference is given to multi-component dishes made from vegetables and rice.

Hospitality is one of the characteristic features of the people of Uzbekistan. The ability to receive a guest is valued among Uzbeks above the wealth of the table itself or the wealth of the family. The hosts meet distinguished guests at the gate and say hello. In every Uzbek home, a guest will be greeted with a bowl of fragrant green tea. The whole meal takes place around dastarkhana, a rectangular Turkic tablecloth on which food is displayed. Translated from Persian, the word “dastarkhan” means a tablecloth, a set table with food.

National dishes

For a European, fully enjoying an Uzbek feast is an impossible task. Not only is Uzbek cuisine rich and filling, but people here eat slowly, for a long time, and tastefully. A long series of dishes amazes the unprepared imagination of those accustomed to diets. Up to ten dishes per meal is the usual Uzbek hospitality.

The most famous dish of Uzbekistan cuisine is considered pilaf. There is even a legend according to which this dish was invented by the Great Tamerlane. Depending on the area where the dish is prepared, Samarkand, Bukhara, Fergana and other pilafs are distinguished. Moreover, the recipe and name of pilaf changes depending on the purpose and time of year - festive, ordinary, summer, winter, spring pilaf, but in Uzbek cuisine there are more than a hundred types of pilaf. What all pilafs have in common is a basic set of products and some spices: meat, rice, carrots, barberries and cumin. In Uzbekistan, pilaf is usually prepared by men, approaching the matter seriously and prayerfully.

Another famous Uzbek dish is lagman Its main component is long noodles. Lagman can be prepared in various ways: with a large amount of broth it is served as a soup, with a small amount of broth it is served as noodles with gravy. Lamb, peppers, carrots, onions, beans and spices are also used in preparation.

Often in Uzbekistan the word “ shurpa" used in the meaning of the word "soup". But classic shurpa is a soup with potatoes and meat. There is no clear technology for preparing this dish, but there are several signs of shurpa: high fat content, the presence of a large number of spices and herbs, a large number of vegetables and even fruits.

Domlama, or, as it is also called, Dimlyama, or Basma, in Uzbek, is a juicy and tasty vegetable dish made from lamb or beef. It is prepared in an aluminum cauldron or thick-walled pan, into which diced meat, onions, tomatoes, potatoes, carrots, eggplants and cabbage are placed in layers. Domlama at the stake is especially good.

Another well-known dish of Uzbek cuisine is samsa. Uzbek puff pastry, which has recently become popular outside of Uzbekistan. Most often, samsa is baked in a square or triangular shape. The filling is usually minced meat, as well as onions and spices. Samsa is prepared in a tandoor - an Uzbek oven-broiler.

An Uzbek dish of amazing beauty and purity of taste Narhangi- meat stewed with vegetables - is not so well known, but it definitely deserves special attention because it combines many traditional elements of Uzbek cuisine. The whole recipe can be boiled down to the fact that all the ingredients are thrown into a cauldron, simmered over low heat and laid out on plates. But there is one very subtle nuance here - they must be laid out in the correct order in order for the meat to be stewed in vegetable juice.

However, the most amazing dish of the abundant Uzbek table is sumalak, which is prepared from specially sprouted wheat grains with the addition of cottonseed oil, flour and walnuts. Externally, sumalak looks like light brown jelly, thick like honey, and tastes a little sweet. He's incredibly helpful! For thousands of years it was brewed before the start of field work to strengthen strength and compensate for the spring lack of vitamins. Sumalak is traditionally prepared at night in the courtyard to the accompaniment of songs and doira (tambourine) in a large cauldron by several women (sumalak does not tolerate men’s hands) and is distributed in the morning to anyone who wants it. There is a belief: when you first bring it to your mouth, you need to make a wish, and it will come true.

Fermented dairy products are the pride of Uzbek cuisine. Made from sour sheep's milk katyk(fermented milk) and Suzma(reminiscent of thick sour cream or soft cottage cheese). These products with high nutritional value and unusual taste can be eaten as separate dishes, or they can be used to season salads and soups. And well known to us ayran- This is a cold, invigorating drink made from suzma or sour milk diluted in cold water.

It should be emphasized that the Uzbeks have maintained an extremely respectful attitude towards bread. From an early age, children are taught to pick up every crumb that falls on the ground, “so that the bread is not defiled.” Breaking bread during a meal (the flatbread is not cut) is the duty and right of the eldest in the family. The main Uzbek bread is the unleavened flatbread obi-non. Its round shape symbolizes the sun. The tradition of making obi-non flatbread dates back about 5,000 years.

Sauces, spices and seasonings

Uzbek cuisine is simply unthinkable without spices. Just a hundred years ago, these spices came to the territory of Uzbekistan thanks to trade caravans that plied the roads of the Great Silk Road, bringing incense from distant countries - China, India, etc. When transported from city to city, the price for them increased, and in the bazaars In Tashkent, Samarkand, Bukhara, the cost of a handful of spices could be prohibitively high, and not everyone could afford such a purchase. Nowadays, buying spices is available to everyone.

As you know, the most common Uzbek spices are cumin, barberry, cilantro seeds (coriander), saffron, anise, ground black and red capsicum. Among the herbs that are often used (both fresh and dried) are dill, lamb onion, garlic, raikhon (basil), mint, parsley, and cilantro. It is believed that these seasonings stimulate the appetite, and greens help actively digest food.

Zira It is used quite widely in Uzbek cooking; not a single Uzbek pilaf can do without it! But it is created not only for pilaf: any meat dish will simply bloom with it. It has a pleasant spicy aroma and, unlike many other spices, is added to the dish at the beginning of cooking.

Barberry It has a sour taste and a weak odor, but is superior to other spices in terms of the amount of vitamin C. It is used when preparing pilaf, roast and soups with meat broth.

The third important spice for real Uzbek pilaf is saffron– not only colors the dish a pleasant yellowish color, but also gives it a unique aroma. Moreover, since ancient times, saffron has been used in Uzbekistan not only as a seasoning and dye, but also as a medicine and incense.

Cilantro seeds (coriander) They have a specific spicy aroma; they are sprinkled on barbecue meat during marinating. Also, crushed coriander is added to soups 5 minutes before they are fully cooked.

Anise added to such popular Uzbek dishes as pilaf, lagman and others that contain meat. In Uzbekistan, the spice is added to tea - this drink has calming properties and is good for migraines.

A special place on the Uzbek table is occupied by salted and pickled wild onion sauce - Piez-Ansura, which grows in the mountainous regions of Samarkand and Surkhandarya regions. This onion is consumed only in salted and pickled form.

The most common national seasonings in Uzbek cuisine are: Lausian- peeled crushed garlic with added oil and pepper - and guraob- bunches of unripe grapes passed through a meat grinder with added salt. Lozian is used for soups and flour dishes, and guraob is used for meat dishes.

Uzbek cuisine is perhaps one of the most important attractions of Uzbekistan, which will be a discovery for all gourmets.

In the article we discuss coriander seasoning and tell how the spice is used. You will learn what coriander seasoning looks like, what it tastes like, and what dishes it can be added to. By applying our tips, you will learn how to combine spices with foods.

Coriander (cilantro) is a plant, all parts of which are used in cooking.. You can use the roots, leaves or seeds of the spice as a seasoning. Read more about coriander.

Appearance (photo) of coriander seasoning

Cilantro is the herbaceous part of the plant. The leaves are used fresh or dried, added during the cooking process or to ready-made soups, meat, fish, and vegetable dishes.

The use of coriander in the form of roots or seeds is possible only in dried form. Fresh roots and green fruits emit an unpleasant odor, which, after processing and drying, transforms into a pleasant anise aroma.

Coriander seeds are the most popular part of the plant. They are added not only to main first and second courses, and salads, but also used to prepare sauces, baked goods, desserts and even drinks. On sale you can find whole seeds or ground coriander - a seasoning that will be indispensable in your kitchen.

Energy value and composition of spices

Chemical composition of cilantro leaves:

• vitamin A;
• B vitamins;
• vitamin C;
• carotene;
• routine;
• potassium;
• calcium;
• copper;
• phosphorus;
• iron;
• magnesium;
• sodium.

Calorie content of 100 g of coriander leaves is 23 kcal.

Chemical composition of coriander seeds:

• vitamin C;
• essential oil;
• fatty oil;
• pectin;
• alkaloids;
• starch;
• protein substances;
• sterols;
• tannins;
• fructose;
• sucrose;
• glucose;
• routine

Calorie content of 100 g of plant seeds is 24.8 kcal.

You will learn more about coriander seasoning in this video:

Use of coriander in cooking

Coriander seasoning is used not only in home, but also in industrial cooking. On a production scale, plant seeds and crushed dried roots are added in the production of sausages and other semi-finished products, canned meat and fish, and cheeses. Coriander is also used for baking bread and baked goods; culinary uses include the production of beer, tinctures and liqueurs.

Below we will tell you which dishes you add coriander to at home.

What does coriander seasoning look like?

Cilantro leaves grow on an erect, bare stem that is branched at the top. They are wide, cut into three parts. The pinnately divided leaves of coriander resemble parsley, but those of cilantro are rounder and wavy, smaller in size and emit a specific smell.

Cilantro seeds are spherical, slightly oblong, and have straight and sinuous ribs. The fruits are sandy or light brown in color.

What is coriander added to (what is it suitable for)

Where to add coriander in the form of leaves:

• meat, fish, legume and vegetable soups;
• fried, stewed and baked meat, shish kebab, khinkali, meat stew;
• homemade sausages;
• vegetable salads.

What coriander is added to - the use of ground coriander and plant seeds:

• various soups;
• meat and fish dishes;
• sauces - satsebeli, tkemali, adjika and others;
• marinades and pickles - for preserving meat and fish, cucumbers, olives;
• for preparing salads - Korean carrots, white and red cabbage salads;
• baking - grains are added to Borodino bread, chopped root - to baked goods, gingerbread;
• preserves and jams;
• beer, tinctures, liqueurs.

Now you know what coriander is and what the spice is suitable for. If you want to make the dish even tastier and more aromatic, combine it with celery, cumin, fennel, garlic and chili pepper.

Contraindications and precautions

Coriander is a useful seasoning, but there are contraindications to its use.

You should not add spice to food if you have the following conditions and diseases:

• individual intolerance;
• diabetes;
• increased blood clotting;
• heart failure;
• thrombophlebitis and other vascular diseases.

People with a tendency to allergic reactions, pregnant and lactating women should use coriander with caution.

How to use coriander for healthy people - no more than 2-4 sprigs of cilantro per day or no more than 1-2 g of seeds.

What to remember

1. Now you know what coriander is and what dishes it is suitable for, use it to prepare soups, meats, salads and baked goods.
2. The leaves, roots and seeds of the seasoning can be used for food.
3. Before using coriander, read the contraindications. Don't overuse the spice.