TASTE OF BUKHARA

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As spring brings renewal and sweetness, these cherished Bukharian baked delights — from tea-dipped cookies to symbolic Shlissel challah — fill our homes with comfort, memory, and the promise of blessing

 

Chorek-e Tokhmegon (Bukharian Egg Biscotti)

 

Perfectly crisp with a touch of vanilla and sesame – a light treat for spring gatherings.

 

Ingredients:

• 3 eggs
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• Sesame seeds for topping

 

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Beat eggs and sugar until fluffy. Add oil and vanilla.

Fold in flour and baking powder.

Roll into cigar shapes, sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Bake for 20 minutes until golden. Cool and slice if desired.

Bukharian families often serve these biscotti-style cookies with tea in the spring, symbolizing a return to warmth and hospitality after winter.

 

Kichlach-e Nabot (Bukharian Rock Candy Cake)

 

This uniquely Bukharian twist uses rock sugar (nabot) and nuts for a festive sweet loaf.

 

Ingredients:

• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 tsp cardamom
• 2 cups flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/3 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/4 cup crushed nabot (rock sugar)

 

Instructions:

Beat eggs, sugar, and oil.

Add dry ingredients, then stir in walnuts and rock sugar.

Pour into a loaf pan and bake at 325°F for 35–40 minutes.

Cool and slice.

A Shabbat treat that carries nostalgia for the Bukharian homes of Samarkand and Bukhara—where rock sugar symbolized sweetness and peace.

 

Gugusha (Bukharian Apricot-Walnut Turnovers)

 

A flaky pastry with a rich fruit-and-nut filling, ideal for tea time.

 

Ingredients:

• 2 cups flour
• 3/4cup margarine or oil
• 1/2 cup warm water
• 1/2 tsp salt

Filling:

• 1/2 cup dried apricots, soaked and chopped
• 1/4 cup crushed walnuts
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon

 

Instructions:

Combine dough ingredients until smooth. Let rest.

Mix filling ingredients in a bowl.

Rolldough thin, cut into circles, fill, and fold.

Seal and bake at 350°F for 25 minutes. Dust with powdered sugar.

Popular in Bukharian kitchens around springtime when fresh produce is still limited but preserved fruits abound.

 

Shlissel Bukharian Challah
(Braided Key Challah After Pesach)

 A soft, sesame-topped challah shaped with a symbolic key for parnassah.

 

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp dry yeast
• 1 1/2cups warm water
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup oil
• 2 eggs1 tbsp salt
• 5–6 cups flour
• 1 egg (for brushing)
• Sesame seeds

 

Instructions:

Dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water. Let it bloom.

Add oil, eggs, salt, and flour to make a soft dough.

Knead and rise for 1 hour. Punch down and shape into braids or a key motif.

Brush with egg, sprinkle sesame seeds.

Bake at375°F for 30–35 minutes until golden.

Bukharian Jews uphold the widespread minhag of Shlissel Challah with their own twist: braiding into spirals or layering into ringed challah rolls for extra beauty and symbolism.