The Story Behind Huzaifa’s Uzbekistani Bakery ‘Laziz’
We’d all be breadwinners in the capitalist machine if this was the bread we were winning.
The wafting aroma of bread on a cramped alleyway in Nasr City, serenaded by the orchestra of busy streets and car honks, may not seem out of the ordinary, but, upon closer inspection, one may discover that what they thought was just a regular forn is, in fact, quite the contrary.
Welcoming us into their little carb-based heaven is a homey group of Uzbek students - Huzaifa included - baking particularly Laziz delicacies from Uzbekistan. Centred around a giant tandoor, a traditional cylindrical oven inside which the bread loaves are stuck, Laziz is a bakery specialising in creating an exciting variety of traditional Uzbek delicacies.
The bread-makers craft everything from traditional fluffy Tamees (flatbread) and customary Uzbek bread loaves to steamed rice concoctions, leaving visitors no choice but to indulge in copious amounts of their hand-made delicacies. The little bakery also makes miniature steamed minced meat or chicken stuffed dumplings, shaped like sambousa(k), that are commonly known as ‘Manti’, that seamlessly imbue lunches and last-minute dinners with culturally-entrenched delectables.
So, next time you’re speed-walking through Nasr City’s busy streets in search of a quick bite, trade in your croissants for a Tamees and thank us later.
