Traditional Uzbek Sweets and Desserts

Uzbek cuisine encompasses a wide array of traditional sweets that grace tables at gatherings of all sizes, from the grand to the intimate.

Navat, a type of crystallized sugar ranging in color from yellow to light brown, is a staple on Uzbek tables. It's similar in appearance to a large lollipop and is usually broken into smaller pieces before serving. Made from grape juice and sugar syrup, Navat is enjoyed like hard candy, often accompanied by tea or used as a sweetener in place of regular sugar.

Parvarda strikes a delightful balance between caramel and fondant, crafted into elongated, pillow-shaped treats from sugar syrup and flour with a touch of citric acid. Fresh off the stove, it's soft and melts away in your mouth; left to sit, it hardens into a chewy caramel-like texture. While traditionally white or milky in color, today's parvarda comes in a rainbow of hues.

Halva, with its myriad of flavors and types, is another beloved Uzbek dessert. Whether it's made from sunflower seeds, sesame (tahini), nuts including peanuts and pistachios, or based on flour and milk, each variety offers a unique taste experience. Additives such as cocoa, chocolate, pistachios, and vanilla enhance these flavors, with Kokand, Samarkand, and Bukhara halvas being particularly esteemed. Pashmak, or cotton halva, consists of thin, white threads of flour and sugar, fried in oil to create a treat reminiscent of cotton candy.

Baklava, a traditional Eastern layered dessert, is cherished among Uzbeks for its flaky dough soaked in a sweet mixture of honey and ground nuts.

Beyond these, Uzbekistan's culinary delights include boortsog (deep-fried dough pieces), kozinaks (honey-roasted nuts shaped into rectangles), holvaitar (a liquid form of halva), behi dolma (steamed quince stuffed with nuts), nisholda (a meringue made from whipped egg whites and sugar, flavored with soap root decoction or licorice syrup), sumalak (a festive spring dish from wheat sprouts), and much more, each offering a glimpse into the rich tapestry of Uzbek culinary tradition.