Shashlik
Char-grilled skewers of marinated meat over open coals.
Shashlik is Uzbekistan’s beloved kebab: chunks of marinated lamb, beef, or chicken threaded onto flat metal skewers and grilled over glowing charcoal until charred at the edges and tender within. The smell of the mangal (grill) drifting down a street is one of the country’s great everyday pleasures.
What's in it
- Lamb, beef, or chicken, marinated with onion and spices
- Alternated with cubes of tail fat for richness and basting
- Grilled over charcoal on flat skewers, turned by hand
- Minced "lula" kebab is a popular variation
Good to know
How it’s served
Straight off the skewer over sliced raw onion and a dusting of sumac, with non bread to wrap around the meat.
Pairs with
Sliced tomato-and-onion salad and green tea, or a cold drink in summer.
Order by skewer
Shashlik is priced per skewer, so order a mix of meats to share across the table.
The Smoke and the Skewer
Every grill master guards a marinade and a rhythm: how long the meat rests, how the coals are banked, when the skewer is turned. A piece of tail fat between the cubes melts as it cooks, basting the meat from within. Simple in theory, shashlik is a craft that locals will happily debate at length.
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