Uzbek non is baked in a tandoor, a clay oven where the dough is pressed onto the hot inner wall. That gives it a distinctive crust and an aroma that is hard to reproduce in a home oven. Inside, the bread stays soft and slightly open.
Prepared foods
Uzbek non flatbread
Uzbek non is a round tandoor flatbread with a golden-brown crust and a soft crumb, baked in Riga and delivered to the counter each morning.
Uzbek non is a round tandoor-baked flatbread and the centrepiece of any Uzbek table: it is eaten with plov, shurpa and lagman, or simply with tea and dried apricots. The crust is thin and golden brown, the crumb soft and slightly open. The centre carries a pattern pricked with a chekich (a bread stamp), which makes Uzbek non easy to recognise.
- Origin
- Baked by partner bakers in Riga
- Category
- Bread and tandoor-baked goods
- Packaging
- Sold singly, about 25 cm across
- Shelf life
- Up to 24 hours fresh; up to 7 days frozen
- Certification
- Halal, certified by ALHALAL
Our partners in Riga bake the bread in the morning and bring it to the counter for opening time. By midday part of the batch has gone to family lunches, and the rest stays on the shelf until evening. Fresh non leaves the counter still warm; if you are making the trip especially for it, aim to arrive before 13:00.
At an Uzbek table, non is broken by hand, never cut with a knife, out of respect for bread. It usually comes to the table whole with plov, shurpa or shashlik and is then broken into pieces. To go with tea, the non is dried a little, and with dried apricots and walnuts it becomes a simple Uzbek dessert.
If you are not eating it straight away, wrap the non in a cloth tea towel, which keeps it soft for longer than a plastic bag. For longer storage, freeze it: 5–7 minutes in the oven brings back its freshness and the aroma of the tandoor.
FAQ
Uzbek non flatbread: common questions
The bread is set out in the morning, by 09:00–10:00, and the earlier you come, the better your chance of a warm one. After 13:00 it is usually still fresh, but no longer hot.
It is at its best on the day it is baked. On the second day you can dry it in the oven and serve it with tea. To keep it longer, freeze it on the day you buy it and reheat it for 5–7 minutes in a 180 °C oven.
Plov, shurpa, lagman and shashlik, or tea with dried apricots and navat. At breakfast it is eaten with butter and honey or with homemade kaymak (a thick clotted cream). At an Uzbek table, non is broken by hand rather than cut with a knife.
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.