Samosa

Uzbekistan, India, and Tanzania

Samosas are enjoyed worldwide, coming in various shapes, sizes, and names. This has always sparked my curiosity – whose samosa is it anyway, and why so many variations?

The samosa’s journey on the Silk Road is believed to have started in Central Asia, and the origin of the word itself can be traced back to Persian literature, where this triangular-shaped snack was known as ‘sanbosag’, possibly translating to ‘lovely triangles’, and later evolving into the Central Asian ‘samsa’. The Uzbek Samsa is a popular savoury pastry from Uzbekistan with significant influences from Persian cuisine; it is typically stuffed with onions, meat and various spices, and baked in a tandoor oven, imparting a unique flavour to the pastry.