Lepyoshka is round bread which is staple food of Uzbekistan. You can find these round shaped dough bread sold at every street corner of Uzbekistan. Uzbek people eat this all the time including with breakfast or major meals. It is similar to non or patyr breads, in form and ingredients. In addition to Uzbekistan, it is also popular in other central Asian countries namely: Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.
A typical lepyoshka is gold colored soft, round like a disc with a depression in the middle that prevents dough from rising. It is about the size of a medium pizza however restaurants often serve smaller and colorful version.
The lepyoshka is made of various types of dough: with butter, milk, eggs and sugar. In addition meat, vegetables and herbs are stuffed depending upon the recipe.
Type Of Uzbek Breads
Although breads aka Non is ubiquitous, the variety changes with location. The typical Tashkent lepyoshka is light, fluffy, chewy often decorated with sesame seeds and glazed with milk. It is meant to be eaten while hot with tea or a hearty meal.
On the other hand, Samarkand bread known as patyr is heavy, golden with glazed end and Black sesame seeds clustered in the center. It is a good choice with a soup or stew. The Samarkand patyr is usually flavored with meat, vegetables and herbs.
The Kokand patyr is rather large, about 32 – 35 cm in diameter, flat and thin, with a pattern stamped on the entire surface. Visitors love to buy these varieties of cakes because it’s extraordinary peculiarity of staying soft for a long time without losing rich flavor.
Traditional Bukhara obi non is often sprinkled with sesame or nigella and famous for its distinct delicate aroma.
Lepyoshka: Interesting Facts
- Classic Uzbek bread or Non is baked in traditional tandyr oven. A variation of this oven is popular in India known as Tandoor to prepare Naan bread which is thinner and triangular in shape.
- Women are generally not allowed inside the traditional bakery. All baking is done by men exclusively
- Uzbek never cut bread and they prefer breaking with hand it in smaller portions. Cutting bread with knife is considered offensive to the bread.
- The bread is often used as a plate , to put on it the fruit or other food items.
- Most common Obi Non is staple bread of Uzbek people. These clay oven baked breads are mentioned in ancient written poem The Epic of Gilgamesh. Circa 2100 BC
- In Andijon and Qashqadaryo, flaky Obi aromatic non bread is prepared with cream and butter and served during matchmaking meetings
- Baker put their own stamp known as chekich in the center of the bread. It not only identifies the baker, also helps in preventing dough to rise in the center.
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