Chorsu Bazaar, Tashkent

Chorsu means “four streams” or “crossroads” in Persian, referring to the meeting of four roads at the centre of the old town. There has been a market here for centuries: when Tashkent was a caravan town on the Silk Road, merchants from across Central Asia, Persia, India and Russia traded at its crossroads. Today Chorsu is still where people from Tashkent and the surrounding region come to buy food and everyday goods, and it is one of the best places in Uzbekistan to see daily life.

The market’s centrepiece is the huge domed hall built in the Soviet period, its turquoise and blue dome visible from far away. Around it spread open-air sections, covered rows, shops and workshops, extending into the streets of the old town.

The domed building is circular, with several levels of stalls around a central space. On the ground floor you will find:

• Spices: pyramids of red pepper, cumin, coriander, saffron, barberries, and ready mixes for plov, shashlik and soups.
• Dried fruit and nuts: dried apricots, raisins of many kinds, dried melon, figs, almonds, walnuts, pistachios and roasted apricot kernels.
• Dairy: kurt, small balls of dried salty yoghurt, a classic snack, plus cheese, cream and yoghurt.
• Meat: whole sections of lamb, beef and horse meat, including the horse-meat sausage kazy.
• Sweets: halva, navat (crystallised sugar), sugared nuts and pastries.

From the upper gallery there is a good view down over the stalls and the dome.

Outside, the bazaar continues in open-air rows and covered halls: fresh fruit and vegetables, which change with the seasons, from cherries and apricots in early summer to melons, grapes and pomegranates in autumn; bread sellers with stacks of round non still warm from the tandir; pickles and salads sold by Korean-Uzbek women; and sections for household goods, clothes, ceramics, textiles, skullcaps and souvenirs.

Food stalls and canteens around the market serve samsa, plov at lunchtime, shashlik and other dishes. It is a good place for an inexpensive and authentic lunch.

• When to go: mornings are busiest and freshest. The market is open most days from early morning until late afternoon; some sections close on Mondays. Check locally.
• Tasting: sellers often offer a taste of dried fruit, nuts or halva. It is polite to accept, and there is no obligation to buy, but buying something small is appreciated.
• Bargaining: prices are often flexible, especially for dried fruit, nuts and spices. Ask the price per kilogram, compare a few stalls and negotiate with a smile.
• Vacuum packing: many stalls can vacuum-pack dried fruit, nuts and spices for travel.
• Photography: most sellers are happy to be photographed, but ask first.
• Valuables: the market is crowded; keep an eye on your bag and phone.
• Cash: bring small notes in soum. Card payment is increasingly accepted but not everywhere.

Walk slowly and taste: a handful of dried apricots or golden raisins, a piece of halva, a roasted apricot kernel, a ball of salty kurt, a slice of melon in season. Buy a warm round loaf of bread and eat it as you go, as locals do.

Location: in the old town of Tashkent, next to the Kukeldash madrasah.

Metro: Chorsu station on the Uzbekistan line, right by the market. See the Tashkent metro.

Combine with: the Kukeldash madrasah and the Juma mosque beside the market, and the Khast Imam complex about 2 km north through the old town. For more on Uzbek food, see the food of Central Asia.