Usually three: soyagi (pale gold, shade-dried), objush (amber, scalded with boiling water) and an untreated dark variety. All three are Uzbek; the difference lies in how they are dried. Ask the seller for a taste before you buy.
Dried fruit & nuts
Uzbek raisins
Uzbek raisins from Khorezm: large, naturally dried grapes in several varieties, from pale gold to deep purple.
Uzbek raisins are large dried grapes with a full, sweet flavour and a soft texture. We stock several varieties, each with its own use in the kitchen: pale golden soyagi (dried in the shade), dark amber objush (scalded with boiling water) and an untreated dark purple variety.
- Origin
- Uzbekistan (Khorezm)
- Category
- Dried fruit and nuts
- Packaging
- Loose from 200 g, packed 500 g and 1 kg
- Shelf life
- Up to 12 months in a cool, dry place
- Certification
- Halal, certified by ALHALAL
In Khorezm, grapes are dried right in the garden, either hanging on the vine or spread out on mats in the sun. This gives them their characteristic flavour: sweet without being cloying, with a complex fruity finish. Soyagi is dried in the shade and stays pale gold; objush is scalded with boiling water before drying, which turns it amber.
Raisins go into plov (wedding plov and layered Samarkand plov), porridge, baking and sweet samsa fillings, or are simply served with tea. Before going into plov they are rinsed in cold water and dried; in the Tashkent wedding plov they are laid whole on the top layer.
Good raisins are supple and not sticky. If they clump together, they either hold too much moisture or have been coated in oil, whereas traditionally raisins are not oiled. We keep several varieties at the counter, and the seller will tell you which suits plov and which suits tea.
FAQ
Uzbek raisins: common questions
For the Tashkent wedding plov people usually choose soyagi (the pale one); for layered Samarkand plov, the untreated dark one. Objush is the all-rounder and works in both plov and porridge.
They are larger, the flavour is more complex and less one-dimensionally sweet, and they are traditionally not coated in oil, so they should not clump. The raisins at our counter are oil-free and loose.
In an airtight container somewhere cool and dry, for up to 12 months. There is no need to refrigerate them: in the fridge raisins pick up moisture.
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.