Ingredient appreciation — what makes Samsa special

What sets Samsa apart is the handling of lamb tail fat kurdyuk. In lesser versions this is treated as a background note. Here it's central and the warming and hearty result shows it. I've started buying it to cook with at home after this experience.

Uzbek cuisine sits at the crossroads of the ancient Silk Road trade routes. The a Samarkand chaikhana teahouse atmosphere was right for this kind of food. I had ayran as recommended and it matched well. If you want to understand what makes this cuisine distinctive, Samsa is the place to start.