Uzbek almonds are smaller and denser, with a more pronounced sweetness. Californian almonds are larger, milder in flavour and graded to a standard size. Uzbek cooks use Uzbek almonds, which hold their texture better in baking and desserts.
Dried fruit & nuts
Uzbek almonds
Uzbek almonds from the Samarkand and Bukhara regions, with a thin skin and a sweet, dense kernel. Good with tea and in baking.
Uzbek almonds are smallish but dense, with a sweet note and a thin skin, typical of the orchards of the Samarkand and Bukhara regions. In Uzbek cooking they are served with tea and dried fruit, go into Eastern sweets such as navat and chak-chak and into sweet samsa fillings, or are simply eaten as a snack.
- Origin
- Uzbekistan (Samarkand and Bukhara regions)
- Category
- Dried fruit and nuts
- Packaging
- Loose from 200 g; 500 g packs
- Shelf life
- Up to 12 months in a cool, dry place
- Certification
- Halal, certified by ALHALAL
Almonds have been grown around Samarkand and Bukhara for centuries. The climate is dry and sunny, and the kernels grow dense and sweet, with no bitterness. The harvest is in August and September. At our counter you will find almonds from this season or last, shelled or in the shell depending on the time of year.
The classic thing to serve with Uzbek black tea is almonds with dried apricots and raisins, an afternoon snack that takes a minute to put together. For sweets and baking, whole almonds go into chak-chak, chopped ones into the filling of sweet samsa, and ground ones into Eastern desserts made with navat.
Shelled almonds keep for up to 12 months somewhere cool and dry. The fridge is not essential, but in hot weather it keeps them fresh for longer. Almonds that have started to taste bitter have oxidised and are no longer fit to use.
FAQ
Uzbek almonds: common questions
At the counter we keep raw, natural almonds. They can be salted or roasted on request, although in Uzbek tradition almonds are usually served raw, as a snack with tea.
Serve them with tea alongside dried apricots and raisins. Add them whole to chak-chak or chopped to sweet samsa. With honey and navat they make a simple Uzbek dessert, and they also go into sweet versions of plov.
In an airtight container somewhere cool and dry, for up to 12 months. In warm weather you can keep them in the fridge. A spoiled kernel tastes bitter and smells unpleasant.
For plov or tea
Everything for dinner at one counter
At Arkan Bazar in Riga you can get everything for a meal in one go: rice, spices, dried fruit, flatbread and tea. Planning a family celebration or cooking for a large group? Write to us through the form in advance, and we will have your order ready on time.