Bread is the base of life
Noni the Tajik bread
"Bread is the base of life"
"Collecting peaces of Noni I take them close to my eyes,
Hot Noni I take close to my eyes"....
Mirzo Tursun-zade (Tajik poet)
I can still remember the smell and taste of lepeshki (Russian) in
Dushanbe and buying this fresh Tajik bread for 10 kopeks (or 20
for the fancy one, with sesame seeds). I couldn't wait to come
back to the apartment start taking pieces from a side. At home,
with
butter, hot lepeshki disappeared very fast.
Boulder, Colorado is a sister-town of Dushanbe. Several years ago
a Chaihona (Tea house) was built there by Tajik artisans. Aside
from tea, the Chaihona also offers different types of Noni - Tajik
bread. Beautiful and tasty Noni can also be found in Brooklyn, NY,
where it is made by immigrants from Central Asia. It is beautiful
because it is decorated with different patterns, especially when
made for weddings (Noni "Tooena").
If I had to describe the shape of Noni, I would use word circle ,
sun or sunflower. It really warms you up and makes you happy, just
like the sun. Noni -Tooena is also decorated as a solar system
with small planets. Circle is the symbol of unity, of the
absolute and of perfection. It's also a symbol of heaven, in close
association with the symbolic significance of the Wheel. Sunflower
is a symbol of the sun and of nobility.
In Tajik cuisine, bread or Noni, is an important part of everyday
menu. Sometimes it could be a meal itself, with beverages like
tea, milk, or Sheer Choi (combination tea with milk). In the
summer, Noni is often served with watermelon and other fruits as a
healthy
snack, or even lunch. Wheat, barley and recently cornflower are
used to make Noni in Tajikistan. Bread can be sour (Noni-hamir) or
regular ( Noni-fatir). Noni has an invariable round shape, but can
vary in size or thickness. Sometimes it is baked in the oven
call "tanduro" (sticking to the sides of the oven). Sourdough Noni
is made in a Wok (no oil) -"koturma" or on a hot stone oven -
"tobasangi". Other bread -"kumor" can be made from sourdough on
milk and egg on ash inside the oven, and is a thick Noni.
Most types of Noni-Fatir are made from wheat flower. The dough is
usually prepared on water with salt, but sometimes the bakers may
use milk with butter instead. In the different places bakers can
add Gee (Indian clarified butter), scallion, egg, almond,
sesame seeds, squash, sugar, herbs, fry lamb fat to the dough.
Vahob Khodjaev (Lepeshki. Tadjikskaya kuhnya, "Irfon", Dushanbe,
1989) introduces readers to the different types of Tajik Noni:
Noni-kuturma; Arazani; Koturma Pieozi (with onion); Noni
chafelakva shireshak - with "grass"; Noni kartoshka (with
potatoes - kartoshka, Russian word for potato), Noni Bodomi -
almond; Noni Jazanok- peaces of fry lamb fat. The booklet includes
recipes for some types of Noni.
The various types of bread are a part of Tajik history and the
history of human kind. Some Noni are close to the bread in Central
Asian region, India -Gardacha, or Chapatti (thin), Non Gusht (with
meat) reminds a Pizza, Noni Zagora (cornflower) as a tortiias.
"Collecting peaces of Noni I take them close to my eyes,
Hot Noni I take close to my eyes"....
Mirzo Tursun-zade (Tajik poet)
