Spring Festival Navruz in Uzbekistan

Spring Festival Navruz in Uzbekistan

Navruz, “New Day” in Persian, is a spring festival, celebrated in many countries around the world. In Uzbekistan, Navruz is celebrated on March 21^st and is considered a very special day of the year.

The spring equinox, which usually occurs on this day, marks the beginning of spring, thus the “New Year” in the Northern Hemisphere. The people of Uzbekistan look forward to enjoying this spring scenery and celebrating traditional Navruz holiday.

Culinary delights specific for this holiday. Halisa (Halim) and Sumalyak are served alongside other specialties.

Halisa (Halim)—a type of porridge made from wheat and meat.

Sumalyak—it is a slightly tart, sweet dish with a puree-like consistency made from sprouted whet, flour and oil. During the process of cooking sumalyak, small pebbles and walnuts are thrown into the kazan (pot). It is believed that if you get a stone in your portion of sumalyak, your wish will come true.

Usually, sumalyak is cooked 24 hours, accompanied with music and dances all night long. The tradition is to share it amongst relatives and neighbours in the morning.

Sumalyak is boiled in a large kettle over a fire. On the eve of the holiday guests, children and relatives gather in a yard to celebrate the holiday.

The preparation for sumalyak begins in advance. In March, the period when wheat is sown, wheat starts growing in the countryside. By Navruz, when everything is ready, the taste of the dish depends on these wheat spouts.

According to a legend, the origin of sumalyak goes far back in time. Forty angels helped a poor woman to cook a dish from sprouted wheat, which she fed to her kids. Sumalyak turned out so delicious that the recipe spread throughout the world, and the dish was firmly established as a tradition in different cultures.

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