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Host: Shodiyor (Sunnat)

Samarkand, Uzbekistan

USD
$62 per person

Uzbek cooking class in a small village near Samarkand

Host offerings
  • Rural farmhouse
  • Home cook
  • Pets
  • Vegetarian
  • Alcohol
  • Transportation
  • Cooking class
  • Market visit
  • Food tour

Meet Shodiyor (Sunnat)

Shodiyor was born and brought up in Samarkand. He worked as a teacher for a few years before completing his masters. One day at university he saw a group of tourists with a guide, who was giving them information about the history of his homeland. That is when he found his calling and his goal was to become a guide. Shodiyor has been working as a guide for over 7 years sharing his knowledge with travelers who are curious to learn about the history, culture, art and food of Uzbekistan.

What to expect

Please note menu might vary. If there are particular dishes you are interested in trying, please include your request in the booking form.

Market visit: (1-20 guests) Shodiyor will pick you up from your central hotel in Samarkand and drive you the picturesque village of Eshim Oksok, 15 kilometers away from Samarkand. It is a wonderful way to witness the way of life of the Uzbek people and experience their hospitality. The experience takes place in Shodiyor's humble home, where you will get to meet his family and cook and eat together with them. Begin your experience with a short tour of the local market, its a neighborhood market where locals shop for their fresh, seasonal fruits and vegetables. Visit Shodiyor's favorite vendor and buy a few ingredients that you will need for your cooking class. Back home, in your 1.5 hour Uzbek cooking class learn to make plov and a salad or a traditional bread. Either learn to bake and observe the process of making non (Uzbek bread) in a tandir (traditional outdoor oven). Or then learn to cook plov, the famous one pot rice and lamb dish. Traditionally plov in Uzbekistan is cooked by men and there are more than thousand recipes with various ingredients depending on the region you come from. There also a number of whole books dedicated to just this dish! Shodiyor and his family will teach you the one that is used by their family for generations. After you cook, sit down the traditional way on the floor and eat with your hands, the meal you helped prepare.

In case you don't wish to cook plov or non, here are a few other dishes you can choose from: laghman (a dish of meat, vegetables and pulled noodles) or kazan kebab (fried meat and potatoes) or dolma (stuffed grape leaves) or gilmindi (Uzbek pancakes) or manti (dumplings) - please let Shodiyor know in advance if you'd like to cook any of these dishes instead of plov.

Notes: Shodiyor can offer a vegan and vegetarian meal, on request. Please let him know if you have any dietary restrictions in advance while booking your Uzbek cooking class online. The price includes the cost of return transportation from central Samarkand hotels and 1 glass of local wine or vodka per person.

Languages spoken: English, French, Russian

Sample menu

This is just a sample menu to give you an idea of the types of dishes the host cooks. Your menu will vary according to seasonal availability.
  • Salad
  • Plov (one pot rice and lamb dish) or Non (bread)
  • Water and Tea
  • Vodka or Wine

Traveler reviews

5.0 (8)
Absolutely loved this experience. Easily my favorite trip experience, and paired perfectly well with a separate day tour of the city. The family opened their home and were so warm and welcoming. There was no pretention, just a hands-on activity. Come with an open mind and empty stomach. Don't make of the mistake like I did and overeat on the bread before the palov was ready. It was difficult because the bread was so good! The fresh tandoor taste is just so special. Even if you do, you won't regret it.
- Maria_H June 16, 2024
This was my favorite thing that I did while in Samarkand. The best part was getting to know our guide, and our host, who taught us to cook the plov. They showed us true hospitality, and made us feel like a member of their family. The process of cooking the plov was very interesting, as we cooked the plov in a big pot over an open fire, which is the traditional way to cook plov. And of course, the final product was delicious!
- Colton_E May 13, 2024
This was my favorite thing that I did while in Samarkand. The best part was getting to know our guide, and our host, who taught us to cook the plov. They showed us true hospitality, and made us feel like a member of their family. The process of cooking the plov was very interesting, as we cooked the plov in a big pot over an open fire, which is the traditional way to cook plov. And of course, the final product was delicious!
- Colton_E May 13, 2024
This was a fabulous experience in Samarkand. Sunnat my guide was very friendly and did his best to make sure I had an enjoyable time.. He picked me up on time from my hotel and we went to the local market to buy ingredients. I met lots of friendly locals there who were happy to chat with me. We then went to the family’s home where I received a very warm welcome. We prepared the dough for the tandoor oven and the ingredients for the pilaf dish and then went outside to cook them which was great fun. The food was absolutely delicious. I was also treated to a song and a dance by the lovely little girl. It was a thoroughly enjoyable experience and I would highly recommend this trip.
- Dawn_G April 29, 2024
This was a fabulous experience in Samarkand. Sunnat my guide was very friendly and did his best to make sure I had an enjoyable time.. He picked me up on time from my hotel and we went to the local market to buy ingredients. I met lots of friendly locals there who were happy to chat with me. We then went to the family’s home where I received a very warm welcome. We prepared the dough for the tandoor oven and the ingredients for the pilaf dish and then went outside to cook them which was great fun. The food was absolutely delicious. I was also treated to a song and a dance by the lovely little girl. It was a thoroughly enjoyable experience and I would highly recommend this trip.
- Dawn_G April 29, 2024
Very memorable experience. First you go to the market at Samarkand train station and then you go to the home of the family and make both Plov and bread over open fire. Had a very good experience with guide Sunnat
- Trail275 March 30, 2024
Very memorable experience. First you go to the market at Samarkand train station and then you go to the home of the family and make both Plov and bread over open fire. Had a very good experience with guide Sunnat
- Trail275 March 28, 2024
Very memorable experience. First you go to the market at Samarkand train station and then you go to the home of the family and make both Plov and bread over open fire. Had a very good experience with guide Sunnat
- Trail275 March 28, 2024
Read More
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Shodiyor (Sunnat)

$62 USD

per person
100% VETTED
Learn more
  • 100% satisfaction guarantee or your money back
  • Credit card is not charged until the host confirms your booking
  • Private experience
Pricing (per person)*
1 person 2-4 ppl 5+ people
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
 $62 $62 $62
Alcohol
 $0 per person
Transportation
 $0 per car
*Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
1 person 2-4 ppl 5+ people
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
 $62 $62 $62
Alcohol
 $0 per person
Transportation
 $0 per car
*Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
Experience Timings
 Lunch Dinner
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
 9:00am-1:00pm 3:00pm-7:00pm

Meet Shodiyor (Sunnat)

Shodiyor was born and brought up in Samarkand. He worked as a teacher for a few years before completing his masters. One day at university he saw a group of tourists with a guide, who was giving them information about the history of his homeland. That is when he found his calling and his goal was to become a guide. Shodiyor has been working as a guide for over 7 years sharing his knowledge with travelers who are curious to learn about the history, culture, art and food of Uzbekistan.

What to expect

Please note menu might vary. If there are particular dishes you are interested in trying, please include your request in the booking form.

Market visit: (1-20 guests) Shodiyor will pick you up from your central hotel in Samarkand and drive you the picturesque village of Eshim Oksok, 15 kilometers away from Samarkand. It is a wonderful way to witness the way of life of the Uzbek people and experience their hospitality. The experience takes place in Shodiyor's humble home, where you will get to meet his family and cook and eat together with them. Begin your experience with a short tour of the local market, its a neighborhood market where locals shop for their fresh, seasonal fruits and vegetables. Visit Shodiyor's favorite vendor and buy a few ingredients that you will need for your cooking class. Back home, in your 1.5 hour Uzbek cooking class learn to make plov and a salad or a traditional bread. Either learn to bake and observe the process of making non (Uzbek bread) in a tandir (traditional outdoor oven). Or then learn to cook plov, the famous one pot rice and lamb dish. Traditionally plov in Uzbekistan is cooked by men and there are more than thousand recipes with various ingredients depending on the region you come from. There also a number of whole books dedicated to just this dish! Shodiyor and his family will teach you the one that is used by their family for generations. After you cook, sit down the traditional way on the floor and eat with your hands, the meal you helped prepare.

In case you don't wish to cook plov or non, here are a few other dishes you can choose from: laghman (a dish of meat, vegetables and pulled noodles) or kazan kebab (fried meat and potatoes) or dolma (stuffed grape leaves) or gilmindi (Uzbek pancakes) or manti (dumplings) - please let Shodiyor know in advance if you'd like to cook any of these dishes instead of plov.

Notes: Shodiyor can offer a vegan and vegetarian meal, on request. Please let him know if you have any dietary restrictions in advance while booking your Uzbek cooking class online. The price includes the cost of return transportation from central Samarkand hotels and 1 glass of local wine or vodka per person.

Languages spoken: English, French, Russian

Sample menu

This is just a sample menu to give you an idea of the types of dishes the host cooks. Your menu will vary according to seasonal availability.
  • Salad
  • Plov (one pot rice and lamb dish) or Non (bread)
  • Water and Tea
  • Vodka or Wine

Traveler reviews

5.0 (8)
Absolutely loved this experience. Easily my favorite trip experience, and paired perfectly well with a separate day tour of the city. The family opened their home and were so warm and welcoming. There was no pretention, just a hands-on activity. Come with an open mind and empty stomach. Don't make of the mistake like I did and overeat on the bread before the palov was ready. It was difficult because the bread was so good! The fresh tandoor taste is just so special. Even if you do, you won't regret it.
- Maria_H June 16, 2024
This was my favorite thing that I did while in Samarkand. The best part was getting to know our guide, and our host, who taught us to cook the plov. They showed us true hospitality, and made us feel like a member of their family. The process of cooking the plov was very interesting, as we cooked the plov in a big pot over an open fire, which is the traditional way to cook plov. And of course, the final product was delicious!
- Colton_E May 13, 2024
This was my favorite thing that I did while in Samarkand. The best part was getting to know our guide, and our host, who taught us to cook the plov. They showed us true hospitality, and made us feel like a member of their family. The process of cooking the plov was very interesting, as we cooked the plov in a big pot over an open fire, which is the traditional way to cook plov. And of course, the final product was delicious!
- Colton_E May 13, 2024
This was a fabulous experience in Samarkand. Sunnat my guide was very friendly and did his best to make sure I had an enjoyable time.. He picked me up on time from my hotel and we went to the local market to buy ingredients. I met lots of friendly locals there who were happy to chat with me. We then went to the family’s home where I received a very warm welcome. We prepared the dough for the tandoor oven and the ingredients for the pilaf dish and then went outside to cook them which was great fun. The food was absolutely delicious. I was also treated to a song and a dance by the lovely little girl. It was a thoroughly enjoyable experience and I would highly recommend this trip.
- Dawn_G April 29, 2024
This was a fabulous experience in Samarkand. Sunnat my guide was very friendly and did his best to make sure I had an enjoyable time.. He picked me up on time from my hotel and we went to the local market to buy ingredients. I met lots of friendly locals there who were happy to chat with me. We then went to the family’s home where I received a very warm welcome. We prepared the dough for the tandoor oven and the ingredients for the pilaf dish and then went outside to cook them which was great fun. The food was absolutely delicious. I was also treated to a song and a dance by the lovely little girl. It was a thoroughly enjoyable experience and I would highly recommend this trip.
- Dawn_G April 29, 2024
Very memorable experience. First you go to the market at Samarkand train station and then you go to the home of the family and make both Plov and bread over open fire. Had a very good experience with guide Sunnat
- Trail275 March 30, 2024
Very memorable experience. First you go to the market at Samarkand train station and then you go to the home of the family and make both Plov and bread over open fire. Had a very good experience with guide Sunnat
- Trail275 March 28, 2024
Very memorable experience. First you go to the market at Samarkand train station and then you go to the home of the family and make both Plov and bread over open fire. Had a very good experience with guide Sunnat
- Trail275 March 28, 2024
Read More
Pricing (per person)*
1 person 2-4 ppl 5+ people
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
 $62 $62 $62
Alcohol
 $0 per person
Transportation
 $0 per car
*Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
1 person 2-4 ppl 5+ people
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
 $62 $62 $62
Alcohol
 $0 per person
Transportation
 $0 per car
*Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
Experience Timings
 Lunch Dinner
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
 9:00am-1:00pm 3:00pm-7:00pm
ABOUT TRAVELING SPOON

Traveling Spoon connects you with meaningful culinary experiences, from private cooking lessons to homecooked meals in people's homes. Enjoy an immersive cultural experience that gives you a glimpse into the local way of life.

FAQ

    You can cancel your reservation up until 48 hours before your experience for a full refund minus a 3% processing fee. Experiences within 48 hours are not refundable.

    If you have a question for your host, you can include a note in the field "Write a note to your host" during the booking process. Once your booking is confirmed, you will be emailed your host's direct contact information and you will also be able to message the host through your profile. You can always cancel your booking and receive a full refund 48 hours or more before your experience. If you have other questions you can also email us at reservations@travelingspoon.com.

    Most of our hosts are able to accommodate dietary restrictions and allergies, including vegetarian and gluten free options. For vegetarian travelers, we have an icon on each host profile to indicate whether that host can also offer a fully vegetarian menu. There is a section in the booking form to note any allergies or dietary restrictions which will be sent directly to your host.

    Some hosts offer alcohol as an optional add-on for travelers who are of legal drinking age. Pricing for alcohol is visible on the host profile page and includes one to two glasses of wine, beer or local alcohol.

    Have a flight or other tour planned and can’t make the timing provided? If the timing listed on the host’s profile doesn’t work for you, our hosts can often accommodate timing changes. Because all of our experiences are private our hosts are happy to tailor experiences to meet your travel needs. Simply note your request in the booking process.

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    All prices are noted per person prices unless otherwise specified. Transportation is typically charged on a per car basis. Children aged 5-11 are 50% off, and infants aged 0-4 are free. Hosts set their own prices and Traveling Spoon marks up the experiences; on average hosts receive over 70% of the price paid by the traveler.

    100% of Traveling Spoon experiences are private! Just you and your host and host’s family.

    Hosts typically respond to booking inquiries within 72 hours. If for some reason you have not heard from your host or if you have any questions you can always contact us at reservations@travelingspoon.com.

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    Some hosts offer transportation as an optional add-on for travelers. Typically this is round trip transportation with pick up and drop off at your hotel. Pricing is quoted per car. Specific instructions for transportation will be provided in your confirmation details when your booking is confirmed.

    Many of our hosts accommodate solo travelers. You can see if a host accepts solo travelers by looking at the traveler range found next to the experience descriptions on the host profile (indicated by the numbers in parentheses next to "In-home meal", "Cooking experience" and "Market visit").

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