Self-Guided Siab Bazaar Food Walk

The Self-Guided Siab Bazaar Food Walk is an independent tasting route through Siab (Siyob) Bazaar, the largest market in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. No operator is involved, so the cost is only the food itself, roughly 50,000 to 120,000 UZS (about $4 to $10) per person for a full round of tastings. The bazaar stands beside the Bibi-Khanym Mosque, about a ten-minute walk from the Registan, and has a domed central building plus several covered pavilions. The walk begins at the bread sellers at the entrance, where Samarkand non, the thick, domed, stamped loaf, is baked in clay ovens and sells for about 3,000 to 5,000 UZS. From there the route moves to the samsa bakers, the dried-fruit and nut aisles, where apricots, raisins, walnuts and halva are sold by weight, and the spice rows, and it ends with tea at a small stall or at Bibikhanum Teahouse next door. Expect two to three hours and six to eight stops. Tasting before buying is normal. Hours are reported as about 07:00 to 19:00 but sources disagree on the weekly closing day, so confirm locally, and mornings give the freshest bread. Cash in som is the most reliable payment. Vegetarians can eat well on bread, dried fruit, nuts and pumpkin samsa, but fillings should be confirmed with sellers. Phones and bags should be kept secure in crowded aisles, and photographing a stall is best done after asking the seller.