FOOD CULTURE OF THE FERGANA VALLEY POPULATION: TRADITIONS, TRANSFORMATIONS, AND LOCAL CHARACTERISTICS (EARLY 20TH–21ST CENTURIES)
Keywords:
Food culture, Fergana Valley, traditional dishes, ritual foods, food transformation, national food system, plov and bread culture.Abstract
This article examines the food and dietary culture of the Fergana Valley population from an ethnographic perspective. Drawing on the "food system" approach proposed by E.V. Migranova, the author explores the historical development of grain-based, meat-based, and dairy dishes, as well as bread and ritual foods (sumalak, holvaytar, chalpak, atala, and others), including their preparation technologies and associated customs and beliefs. The article reveals transformational processes in food culture under the influence of economic and political changes, interethnic integration, and globalization across three stages of the 20th century (the Tsarist period, the Soviet era, and the years of independence). It examines the preservation of traditional dishes alongside the introduction of new ones (laghman, macaroni, modern spices), the transformation of plov into an everyday meal, the role of meat and dairy products, customs related to beverages (tea, musallas), and their socio-spiritual significance. The study draws on local ethnographic observations and sociological survey data to compare the local distinctiveness of the valley with broader Uzbek food culture.
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