In this new supermarket, you can try hot and fresh dishes, including pilaf and samsa. As noted by The Guardian:
At Brighton Beach, the store was so crowded that I could barely make my way through the throng of post-Soviet immigrants craving traditional products: manti with meat and pumpkin, as well as chak-chak — a dessert made of fried dough with honey. Compote made from seasonal fruits was also popular. In my childhood, these dishes were part of my diet, and I remember how my mother taught me to make manti, considering her a true magician.
After moving to New York in 2019, I often visited Tashkent on Brighton Beach to stock up on my favorite products. However, with the opening of the new Tashkent Supermarket branch in West Village, conveniently located near the subway, my life became easier. Since early March, various food bloggers have started drawing attention to this place, and Central Asian cuisine has become popular among New Yorkers. In particular, pilaf and samsa have attracted a lot of attention due to their unique taste.
Among food bloggers like sistersnacking and babytamago, Tashkent's "hot bar" was showcased, where dishes are displayed on heated trays. Elected Mayor Zoran Mamdani also praised the manti from this supermarket.
Odiljon Tursunov and his family, who moved to the U.S. in the early 2000s, could not find familiar products. In 2012, they opened their first store on Coney Island after Hurricane Sandy, and since then the chain has expanded to five stores in New York and a wholesale sausage production company in New Jersey.
As of 2019, there were over 1.2 million people from former Soviet republics living in the U.S., contributing to the success of Tashkent, especially in areas with a high concentration of immigrants. Misa Khairiddinova, the head of Tashkent's accounting department, noted that many Uzbeks, as well as Russians and Ukrainians who immigrated in the 90s, live in Forest Hills.
With the opening of the new supermarket in West Village, the owners aim not only to meet the needs of regular customers but also to attract new fans of Central Asian cuisine.
Historically, the inhabitants of present-day Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Turkmenistan led a nomadic lifestyle, while settled regions like Uzbekistan and Tajikistan developed agriculture. The culinary traditions of these areas were also influenced by neighboring cultures, such as Chinese and Iranian. The establishment of the Soviet Union in 1922 had a significant impact on local cuisine, expanding the variety of dishes and changing eating habits.
Tashkent actively procures products from former Soviet countries, including cheeses from Georgia and bread from Ukraine, creating a unique blend of American-Central Asian gastronomy.
Due to rising real estate prices in Manhattan and increased entry fees to the city center, Tashkent Supermarket has raised prices on hot dishes. Aziz Muzdybaev, an immigrant from Kazakhstan, noted that there are fewer discounts in West Village. "When we miss home-cooked food, we love to go to Brighton to buy pilaf and ayran," he says.
Jesse Badash, who lives in Queens, expressed interest in the new branch, although he noted that prices are slightly higher than in Brighton. "Figs were incredibly cheap," he added while browsing the store.
For Misa Khairiddinova, seeing the green Tashkent packaging has become a source of pride. "Central Asia is little known, and we are happy to present authentic Uzbek culture," she said.
On one Tuesday, I visited Tashkent in West Village. I noticed that Russian and other Central Asian languages were heard less frequently than in Brooklyn. However, amidst the bright lights and crowded shelves, I saw both newcomers trying unfamiliar dishes and regular customers searching for traditional flavors that evoke memories. This created a sense of connection to a culture that has long been perceived within the framework of Soviet heritage, despite its rich individuality.
