Tajik Food! Нуши Ҷон!

For Zoe Jick and Eli Terris...

Before I fell asleep last night I realized I had yet to extensively broach the topic of Tajik food. I've mentioned the deliciousness of osh and showed some pictures of the absurd smorgasborg that was my birthday, but here and now I'm going to delve a little deeper. Get ready to get hungry...

From DW in Dushanbe

What makes Tajik food so great is its simplicity and ripeness: it is consistently the freshest food I've ever eaten. Pesticides and preservatives are not used here, therefore the food is brimming with flavor when properly refrigerated or preserved. But should one happen upon food not thoroughly kept one should expect to take the next few days off. Eating anything here is a roll of the dice--at home or at a restaurant. Nor does eating the same food as someone else guarantee safety; it's a dish to dish matter. The odds are generally in ones favor but know that at one point or another every traveler to Tajikistan gets sick; it's praticaly inevitable but easily cured with some anti-parasitic or anti-biotics. So when you come, be sure to bring some proper pills.

Getting back to the important things: Osh, also called plov, is the dish of Tajikistan. They cook it for birthdays, weddings, guests, and on any and every other celebration. As I mentioned a while back, Osh is made with a few basic ingredients: meat (usually lamb), rice, chopped carrots, sunflower seed oil (and lots of it), onions, and spices (it sometimes also includes chickpeas and cilantro). After much pre-cooking preparation, this delicious meat-rice stew is cooked for an hour-and-a-half in a large wok-like brass bowl over a fire; then it is ravenously devoured with one's hands, a spoon, or bread (my go-to). It's a personal favorite of mine.

From DW in Dushanbe

From DW in Dushanbe

The best way to start any meal in Tajikistan is eating salat-e shikarob, which is similar to salad-e Shirazi or Israeli salad. It is made with finely chopping tomatoes, onions, and some cucumbers and throwing them together in a bowl. Personally I like to chop up and add qalomfurs (really spicey peppers) into the mix. Shikarob is the most common appeitzer here and is--like everything else--eaten with bread.

From DW in Dushanbe

Noun. or bread, is essential to Tajik cuisine so much so it is considered sacred. At home I am given warm circular loaves of bread with each meal; they're really good. Go to lunch at any Tajik restaurant and you'll get the same. One of my favorite parts of Tajikistan is that there are lots of ways to eat your food: hands, spoon (the sppon is the go to utensil here), or bread. You can scoop anything from osh to shikarob to soup.

From DW in Dushanbe

Finally: soup. There are countless types of soups in Tajikistan. My favorites include laq-mon (a noodle, vegetable and meat soup pictured below, whose name derives from the word "lo mein") and shurbo (a tomato-based, meat soup). The others usually contain a chicken- or tomato-base, cooked with vegatables (lots of potatoes), and meat. Soups are staples of the Tajik lunch menu, and like everything else, are refreshing and delicious.

From DW in Dushanbe

Writing a book on the broad and enticing Tajik cuisine is not enough; there are so many more dishes like sambusas (little kanish-like pastries filled with onion and either meat, squash, or almost anything else), shashlik (kebabs), qourutob (a giant loaf of bread cooked in yogurt, topped with deliciously carmalized onions), dried furits, nuts,and so many more. And like noun, to help digestion, tea is part of every Tajik meal--black, green, etc.

From DW in Dushanbe

The Tajik people are very serious about their food. If your invited to a Tajik home prepare to eat lots because guests must eat--lots. And even after your full get ready to be commdanded "Gir!" ("take!") or "Khor!" ("eat!"). Food is an irreplacable element in the Tajik culture and my favorite part of Tajikistan. If you'd like to read a little more here is a link to the "Tajik Cuisine" wikipedia article.

P.S. Surprisingly ketchup is really, really good here.

The Jews of Tajikistan

The Jews of Tajikistan once numbered over 15,000. Today there remain no more than a few hundred; 400, I am told, mostly old and immobile citizens in Dushanbe. In my third week I went to Saturday services at the local synagogue, a building opened in March of 2009 after the bulldozing of the main synagogue, named the Bukharian Synagogue, that had served the local Jewish community for over 100 years.

From DW in Dushanbe

Once, most of Tajikistan’s Jews were from Bukhara. Historically, the city has always been a part of Tajikistan, but after the Soviet takeover in early 20th century the maps were redrawn and Bukhara was moved to neighboring Uzbekistan. Jews lived in Tajikistan before the 1920's but a Soviet resettlement immigration policy brought, what became the majority of Dushanbe's (and Tajikistan’s) Jews from Bukhara.

The brimming new synagogue, like many other houses in Dushanbe and throughout the Middle East and Central Asia, is walled-in and contains a lush courtyard. It was in my second week here that I first went to the synagogue and spoke with the gentleman who lives there. The kind man, who sported a gray mustache and modest kippah, spoke in a soft voice of the life of Jews in Dushanbe in the last few years. After Tajikistan's declaration of independence, following the fall of the Soviet Union, thousands of Jews left the country for the United States or Israel. As is the case for most Tajiks life is not easy, but the Jews here get by, frequently with help from international organizations or families abroad, he said.

When I went to services a few weeks ago I had the privilege of leading part of the services in the small yet stunning shul. The congregants, all of whom were men and numbering no more than ten, were wrapped in a new talitot and read siddurim written in Hebrew and transliterated into Cyrillic. The chairs are new and leather-upholstered; the windows adorned by new white curtains; the walls were covered by fine wall paper, and in some rooms paintings of Jerusalem hang. The aron, or holy ark where the Torah is housed, is a large lock box wrapped in pomegranate-colored felt. While we did not read that day, I was fortunate to see Torah, clothed in blue velvet, the week before. Those present for Shabbat services were mostly Ashkenazi (namely, Russian), not Bukharan, which was an obstacle as I did not speak Russian nor they Tajik/Persian or English.

Strangely, I currently live in a Jewish home. Technically. The home in which I am staying was purchased from a shokhet, or Jewish butcher, just before the break out of the civil war in 1993. In fact, my neighborhood was once a full of Jewish families; most left for Israel and the US in the early 1990's.

The Jews of Dushanbe still meet each Saturday for services and for some holidays (Friday services are not held). It is no secret where the synagogue is located; I first found it by asking a taxi driver to take me there (people don't know streets here, only landmarks). There, I was kindly directed to the exact building by some locals. As everywhere, there are people who hate for no reason; while I haven't yet experienced it here, I trust it exists. My family here knows I am Jewish and as do all my teachers (many of whom once had Jewish friends, neighbors, and teachers) Fortunately, for the most part the Jews of Dushanbe live peacefully and without interruption.

One of the Most Beautiful Places

Iskandar Kul is one of the most beautiful places in all of Central Asia. The cool, turquoise water, sitting in the middle of towers of rock and mountain, gathers from melted glacier water that descend from up high; the lake, which at the right hour, is a mirror reflecting the besieging mountains, bleeds into a river that cuts into a valley, only to spill down a mighty waterfall.

From DW in Dushanbe

Last weekend, after four hours of mountain roads from Dushanbe, a drive no further than the distance from Baltimore to Washington DC, the Persian Undergraduate Flagship Program arrived at the Iskandar Kul national park, named after Alexander the Great (who, according to legend dropped lots of treasure into the cold waters). At our campsite, near a presidential compound, which itself was opposite a small icy spring, we ate lunch in the overwhelming presence of mosquitoes. After some rest by our riverside campsite we circled the blue pool to hike a few kilometers to the waterfall.

From DW in Dushanbe

From DW in Dushanbe

Back towards camp, after backtracking to the lake, some friends and I opted to walk the four kilometers (instead of riding the jeeps) to our site. Under the descending sun and mountain shadows we made way--very leisurely at that--back. Trying to describe not just the beauty, but the feeling and recognition of the natural splendor would be trying to grasp the entirety ofFor Whom the Bell Tolls from one paragraph; While I can give you a glimpse, a hint of what it was like to be there, it is an incommunicable sight and sensation.

From DW in Dushanbe

Over the next twenty four hours our guides took us to fields, springs, streams--sites innocent contrasted by the sharp and cold gazes of the mountains above. Pleasantly, our treks were primarily guided by where we wanted to go--caves, flower patches, mountains--not paths. Very refreshing and forgiving were the frigid springs spotted throughout the area. Out of water? Go to the spring for water at the source--so cool and so great.

Arriving on Saturday and leaving on Sunday did not permit a lot of extensive exploration; nor would a lifetime there. If you ever make it out here, go to Iskandar Kul.

In addition here are some of my favorite pictures from the trip:

From DW in Dushanbe

From DW in Dushanbe

From DW in Dushanbe

Women in Tajikistan

This post is dedicated (but not necessarily related) to two birthday boys: Elan Cohen and Bryan Katz. Elan celebrated his last week; Bryan's just the other day. Happy birthday to both of you guys.

It's a little more than two weeks until I leave Dushanbe for the heavier heat of the New York/Maryland. These eye-opening and dusty five-ish weeks have led to more than just an improvement in my Persian language skills: at the same time that I find myself challenged by my classroom education, the great majority of my learning has occurred outside of it. Be it learning the Tajik language, figuring out what foods to not eat, finding quiet reading spots, etc. One of the most interesting cultural observations I've witnessed is the role of women in Tajik society.

Let me start with this: these are observations, not professional sociological studies substantiated by data or interviews. I am calling it as I see it, but please do not take this post as the end-all-and-be-all of women's status in Tajikistan. Moreover I am not passing judgement; all cultures are unique and to claim one's supremacy over another is at the heart of prejudice, cultural conflict, and the root of many of today's international problems.

Before I arrived in Tajikistan, of the few people who knew what and where it was, and those who didn't, would comment how I was heading to a backwards land where, among other prejudices, women are objectified and vieled. Such assumption usually trigger images of the Taliban or Hamas, closing girls schools and exacting harsh fines--not always financial--for immodesty. This is not the case in Tajikistan.

In this small country many women do where veils and scarves, for both religious and fashion-related reasons. Many wear the kurta, a snuggie like dress (pictured below) while many dress in jeans and t-shirts; a trend, I've noticed, that is occurring all over--Morocco, India, Israel, Russia, Tajikistan, and other countries have had much of their traditional dress replaced by Gucci or other Western fashions.

Women in Tajik society also have options. In this, the poorest of the former Soviet satellites, all who are able to, usually work. It is out of necessity that women work; in the bazaars or shops, government offices or cell phone stores.
On the otherhand a great many women also beg, sometimes with crying children or sleeping infants held close. Of most of the beggars and homeless I've seen, most have been women.

In the Tajik home it is thru the labors of the women--in my homestay, namely my mother, sister, sister-in-law, etc.--that a home functions. In my neighborhood this is the norm; in other areas it may be different. My neighborhood is fairly conservative and usually, when I'm leaving for or returning from class, women are sweeping floors, cooking food, chasing children--frequently with the help of their daughters. In my family, my father and five brothers work incredibly long hours and usually return home late at night, if at all. There to feed them and help them are the women. I feel strongly asserting the following: the family unit in Tajikistan is cohesive, supportive, and strong (of course, not all families are such but in my experience and that of my classmates it is so).

What makes Tajikistan like the US is that opportunity exists, and women are seizing the opportunity (perhaps a little slowly). A few women--traditional, women--have expressed to me that women belong at home, that a good wife is silent and cooks well. My young homestay niece (pictured previously with a kitten in hand) is given dolls and at her young age--she's about one year old--rocks and lulls them.

But if you go out into the streets of Dushanbe at night you will see young men and women together, holding hands, drinkind, going to the bars or clubs. In the cool nights I think people come out dressed a little lighter and more Western.

As Persian studies major my experience and studies of Persian culture go beyond Iran, as the Persian world includes Afghanistan, Tajikistan, and other countries. In my Journalism class last semester I posted about Iranian Women, I discussed, briefly, the lives and challenges of Iranian women. In Tajikistan many of the same challenges exist but the societal standards are different. More importantly the way Tajik women respond to those standards differs to the way Iranian or American or Japanese or Italian women would react. At the same time Tajiki culture is bombarded with Russian music videos and Armani pants, the people retain a unique and exclusive approach to living. Like all cultures there exist special and excusive circumstances--influences and expectations--for women; in Tajikistan their is opportunity but also tradition.

Mine and America's birthdays

Hi all, sorry for taking so long to post again--a lot has happened since my last update when I had come back from northern Tajikistan. I've since turned 22--a day marked by nice 80 degree weather and an incredible schmorgasborg of a birthday party--and the USA 234.

My host-family welcomed a great majority of my classmates into their home for a dinner of fresh salads (tomato-cucumber, mushroom, eggplant, and countless others), warm bread, osh, cookies, and the largest and best birthday cake I've ever had (made by hand by my home-stay sister). They were so kind as to welcome us into their home and deal with the mayhem that comes with 25 students. Somehow they still managed to cook too much food, a living testament of Tajiki hospitality and sincerity. They also gave a very nice shirt as an additional present. I also received a traditional Tajik hat, a kif holder, and a stone tree from my teachers. Afterward we headed out to the cool and humid outdoor lounges of downtown Dushanbe where we watched some World Cup soccer and had some drinks.


The following day started with a trip to TALCO (Tajik Aluminum Comapny). TALCO is responsible for up to 60% of Tajikistan's foreign income, according to some. Checking out its wikipedia page it apparently eats up 40% of the countries electricity, and is responsible for a great number of blackouts. Nonetheless it is a crucial part of the country's economy and is housed at an enormous facility. After a few hours of touring--seeing smoldering aluminum reaching temperatures of 6000 degrees and the structure's museum--we checked out some rice farms and flax seed oil factories, soon followed by a lazy ride back into Dushanbe.

For the 4th of July we went to the US Embassy for BBQ and "fireworks." It was nice to be surrounded by English again, toss around the football, and have some decent hamburgers. The fireworks were a nice try but were a far cry from those off of the Statue of Liberty or National Mall. Monday was a day off from class so my classmates and I went our awesome Persian teacher's house to cook a lot of Iranian food. It was the right cap to an extended weekend.

Take care.

Busy

Hey I'm sorry its been a while since my last post. This past week has been quite busy--there is much to report; from a week of classes and fun to my birthday to the Tajik Aluminum Company to the 4th of July celebration at the US Embassy. I'll post tomorrow/soon. With pictures, too.

Take care

Wanna see more?

I've updated my online picture album with some photos of the Panjakent-Khujand Trip and my neighborhood. If you'd like to check them out go here. Here are some of my favorites.

From DW in Dushanbe

From DW in Dushanbe

From DW in Dushanbe

From DW in Dushanbe

North by Northwest

Early Saturday morning eight of my classmates and I left Dushanbe in two jeeps, heading toward the ancient cities of Panjakent and Khujand. Rarely paved, the roads were overwhelming and great--the best part of the trip. To best represent my rawest impressions of the journey I took notes at points throughout. The road to Panjakent is best characterized by smells: of gasoline, desert and burnt trash. At times when we would exit the cars to admire the vistas and take photos the air was its lightest--when the air was weak and fresh, so much so anything else was lost. At all times the air was unreal in lightness or gagging in smog.

From DW in Dushanbe

Most of the ride was in between the narrow roads of mountain sides and the roaring, brown river hundreds of feet below. The landscape shifts were stunning: from city to desert to mountain to desert to oasis. Dry rocks, red rocks, green rocks, sprinkled the mountains and the roads; some still hung thousands of feet up, snowed in or carved out from the spring-time melt. Driving through had taken us through natural beauty of places like Colorado, the Alps, Morocco, and the Izrael Valley.

From DW in Dushanbe

The trip to Khujand was equally stunning. As opposed to the mountains roads to Panjakent, situated on and around their waists, the road to Khujand took us over them--up to heights of 3300 meters (~11,000 feet)--into stubborn snow.

From DW in Dushanbe

The ride down led us into valleys--on shaky and bumpy roads, perhaps more so than the ride up--in between greener mountains that gradually dried until we arrived in the flat and arid plains leading to Khujand; a city split by a river, humid, but watched by towering western mountains. Khujand, the republic's most important financial city is found at the peak of the map of Tajikistan, slipped between Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan. Its great trees, busy streets, and markets had the whispers of Tel Aviv's metropolitan charm. Walking into the Panjshanbe Bazaar (or Thursday Market) is a punch; the nose fills with freshest spices and the salt of body odor, too. Eyes and ears are overwhelmed by colors and packs of shoutters; hands and calls, welcomes, thick movie-taught hellos.

From DW in Dushanbe

Our trip from Khujand to Dushanbe--a flight--was laughably rickety. The plane on which we flew was an old Soviet plane that suffered turbulence before we even took off. The (thankfully) quick flight was a fitting close to adventure--an arthritic ride back home.

From DW in Dushanbe

In moments of instability and imperfection--driving on rocks and sand, inches from a catastrophic plunge or boarding a plane older than your father--try to laugh. And pray, maybe. I've heard before: worrying is like a rocking chair, it gives you something to do but doesn't get you anywhere. So just take it easy and hope the plane will land. And when it does, laugh.

Greetings from Khujand

I'm in Khujand right now. Our flight back to Dushnabe leaves in a few hours. It's been a great weekend and I will post pictures and some other content tomorrow. For now, I'm kiling some time here online and later at Ravshan Cafe, a stellar restaurent.

That's it for now.

Until tomorrow, take care

Weekend travel plans

This weekend a number of classmates and I will travel to the northern cities of Panjakent, Istirafshan, and Khujand. These three cities are among Tajikistan's finest and oldest. Panjakent today is a small city but contains a great amount of ancient ruins. It is also circled by a beautiful natural environs. Istaravshan is another small city and is famous for its knives; it is said to be over 2500 years old. Khujand was founded as a military fort by Alexander the Great around 300 BCE at the eastern most point of his empire. It has since been inhabited--one of the world's most consistently inhabited cities.

The drive north begins tomorrow morning at 5:00 am and will snake into the mountains of central Tajikistan. It will be a fantastic trip into new places. I will be sure to take pictures and notes; I'll let you see 'em when I get back.

Peace.

Choikhona Rohat, Varzob Valley, and Settling

This past weekend was great: Friday night a few friends and I watched the USA/Slovenia World Cup game at the local Hyatt. The Western (mostly American)crowd made it feel like we were back in the States. It is a very, very fancy hotel--easily the best facilities in Dushanbe. After the game and a few over-priced beers we made our way over to Choikhona Rohat, Tajiki for "Relaxed Teahouse." Settling at this gorgeous indoor-outdoor local gem in the 80º starred Dushanbe night --made better by fresh shashliks (kibabs) and warm local bread--perfected the night. We chased our food with some more chilled beers and a stroll by the Haji Yakoub Mosque.

From DW in Dushanbe

8:30 Saturday morning we left Dushanbe, driving along the Varzob River north into the mountains. Dushanbe is besieged by mountains--some still capped in slowly melting/year-round snow; others full of once-green brush, crisped by the Tajiki summer. The river lead us in to the Varzob region of Tajikistan, where the mountains have dried, barring a few towering peaks. There, myself and a few others made our way up a dry and steep summit. Only a few brave souls made it up the peak, from the original twenty or so hikers (the main obstacle being bad footwear and sharp slant). By the time we finished we were about 2200 meters (~7200 feet) up, looking down at the Varzob and the similarly snaking road. If you'd like to see some more pictures from the tip (and other parts of my travels here) they can be found here.

From DW in Dushanbe

From DW in Dushanbe

From DW in Dushanbe

After descending from the mountain the rest of the day was spent in bungalow-like huts that dangled over the roaring river, eating and relaxing. After a filling lunch of cucumber-tomato salad, fresh bread, watermelon, and osh--the Tajiki national dish, composed of oil, rice, carrots, mulberry, and mutton-- I took it easy for a bit while others swam in the pool filled by icy river water. Soft pillows, drawn shades, and the storming white river served as prime environs for reading and nap time. It was a serene Saturday that I will not soon forget.

In Dushanbe again and done fighting stomach aches round two, I am back in the swing of things. Classes are going, and I can feel my Persian slowly strengthening. And the same goes my Tajiki. I finally finished The Accidental Empire and have moved on to Saul Bellow's The Adventures of Augie March. It's fantastic.

Take care for now.

-DW in Dushanbe

Apologies

Sorry I haven't posted anything new recently. Expect some new stuff later today/tonight--maybe some pictures to go along with. For now: class!

Adios.

About something new

As the time for introductory posts has come to a close I'd like to know what people want to read here. Aside from the usual of food, thoughts, emotions, etc. what would you like to know about Tajikistan you can't find on its Wikipedia page. Please comment so I can begin to write about more things other than going to the local Turkish place for tea (as awesome as it is).

One of my own hopes is to put myself in to new, "scary" situations--aka exploring outside the comfort zone of my classroom and local house; namely into the bazaars and sites, where a better flavor of the actual Tajiki people is attainable. By "compromising" I do not mean dangerous, threatening, or foolish situations; I mean ones in which I will experience things unknown/foreign/unparalleled/not-Western. I'll utilize the light of day and absolutely travel with friends, so (Mom and Dad) don't worry too much.

This is a "study abroad" but is better characterized as a foreign immersion program and it's important to actually challenge my skills and see new people/things. I've been slow in immersing myself here so far but its time to start going new places and meeting new people.

I'll let you know how it goes soon. In the meantime let's hear what suggestions you have for me?

Take care for now.

-DW in Dushanbe

Pictures from Dushanbe

I haven't yet opened my Duane Reed disposable camera but some of my friends have posted some great photos. With their permission here are some of first shots from Dushanbe.

Enjoy!








(For clarification that is a bear)

Getting the hang of things

First off, sorry for the initial link issues.

Things are going well: Classes began yesterday with some language aptitude tests and today we had our first actual lectures. My Persian class is going well--very well-- and Tajiki is too. It's a good feeling to get back in the classroom and jog my memory. Getting back into the classroom is a huge puzzle piece for in settling in to my new surroundings. It is undeniable that this experience will be an exceedingly great challenge. Probably the most outstanding obstacles are the food, water, and language. The food is great: I just need to get used eating oily and very rich foods regularly (regularly means 3 times a day). Dessert comes with every meal, instead of just dinner. I'm sure I'll tell more about Tajiki cuisine in a future post. Bottled water is the only option as the tap is treated only enough to make it appear safe.

My academic schedule obviously demands of me great attention and focus, but living in a household in which the only language spoken is Tajiki has proven a greater intellectual challenge than any normal classroom experience. As I previously mentioned, Tajiki is a dialect of Persian but is packed with Russian words and pronounced in a very Russian manner. This has definitely complicated my attempts to learn the language One the whole my homestay experience is at the same time both awesome and mentally challenging. I'm slowly making my way through my Tajiki dictionary with the help of my host-sister in an effort to supplement my Tajiki classes and facilitate at-home communication. Among the words I've learned so far are: ant ("murcha"), to negotiate ("savdo kardan"), and jar ("banka")--p.s. Tajiki is spelled in Cyrillic, the same characters as Russian.

The other bare neccessities of sleep, reading, fun are progressing. Adjusting to the time change is getting better. Now the only thing waking me up are malaria-pill induced dreams and the family of swallows nested in the adjacent room. Fortunately I am able to read more print books now since I've [consciously] left my computer in the US. I have internet access thanks to my classmates and the abundance of cheap internet cafes. I am currently reading The Accidental Empire by Gershom Gorenberg--an in-depth examination of the formational years of Israel's settlement movement.

That's it for now. Take care.

Hello all

Hello and welcome to the inaugural blog post for DW in Dushanbe. In the coming weeks I will post to this site on a semi-regular basis in an effort to record my thoughts and tell of my experiences while here in Dushanbe, Tajikstan. Dushanbe is the capital city of the Republic of Tajikistan, a small mountainous country situated between Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan. Dushanbe is home to a little under 700,000 of Tajikistans 7,000,000+ inhabitants. If you'd like more info click here for Dushanbe's Wikipedia page and here for Tajikistan's. If you do not know why I am here it is because I am participating in the Persian Undergraduate Flagship program. I will be here for two months during which I will study both Persian and Tajiki (a dialect of Persian), while touring and immersing myself in a totally new environment.

Since arriving on Thursday (after about thirty hours of travel--DC to Frankfurt to Istanbul to Dushanbe) most of our time has been dedicated to learning about the city of Dushanbe and acquainting ourselves with local traditions and culuture. I cannot adequately describe 1he immense hospitality of the Tajik people, most notably embodied by my wonderful host family. Immediately upon my arrival I was greeted by my host-brother who ushered me home with a warm smile. I was brought into the family room where my host-mother fed me and made sure that I had eaten more than my fill. I soon after met the remainder of my Tajiki family, each of whom was just as welcoming and gracious as the one before.

Since then I have walked around the city with my friends and classmates--there is still so much to see and do. I will post again soon.

Take care for now.