About Vozekh's treatise “The source of pleasure and the cloth of blessings”

In consciousness at many orientalists and experts’ poetry Bukhara is associated with those epithets which known travellers, historians, scientists and researchers deservedlyawardedit.Bukhara is known for its museums and architectural monuments, products of national masters of crafts, folklores which reflect a rich historical and architectural heritage, national traditions, and especially traditional culinary art.The gastronomy of Central Asia is a way of acquaintance withthe culture, traditions and features of local people and nations. Recently the gastronomy and cookery even more often have becoming the basic motive of a choice of a travel direction. The delicatessen is a complex concept which goes back to antique times.An ancient Greek poet Arhestrat wrotea book on a delicatessen with the title which is literally translated «Laws for a Stomach». The people of Central Asia have also left the indelible contribution in the world heritage of cookery.A well-known poet, scientist and thinker of XIX century lived in Bukharian emirate Kori Rakhmatullo Vozekhis consideredas one of such researchers of national gastronomic culture.

Kori RakhmatulloVozekh (1817-1894) – an Uzbek educator, writer, he was the adviser of Bukharian emir Muzaffar. Vozekh knewhistory, medicine, mathematics, Islamic jurisprudence, astronomy and other scienceswell. He wrote poems in the Uzbek, Tadjik and Arabian languages. He left a big literary heritage, approximately to 25 compositions of various genres.

Among them the anthology written in 1871 «Tuhfat al-ahbabfitazkirat al-ashab» (The Gift to favorites with the biography of friends), it includes the data ofBukharianpoets and scientists of the 18th-19thcenturies, the travel book «Savanikh al-masalikvafarasikh al-mamalik» (Incidents on the Ways and Farsahi States, 1887); the gastronomic treatise «Konilazzatvakhoninemat» (The Source of Pleasure and the Cloth of Blessings, 1880) which describesMiddle Asian, Arabian, Iranian and Indian cuisine extended in Bukharian Emirate; a satiric work about superstitions and prejudices "Akoid-un-niso" (Women’s Belief, 1883)are allocated. BesidesVozekhistheauthorofversesandgazelles [1].

As we mentioned earlier, the ethnic cuisine and culinary heritage of people is the way of acquaintance with culture and mentality of local population of Uzbekistan. Kori Rakhmatullo Vozekh Bukharian his culinary work «Konilazzatvakhoninemat» (The Source of Pleasure and the Cloth ofBlessings) describes a life and cookery of local residents of Bukhara. His treatise written in 1880, the author devoted to Muzaffar, Bukharian emir. 227 recipes of dishes, varieties of Plov, kinds of halvah, jam and flat cakes are presented in this book. The recipes of not only Central Asian kitchen, but also dishesofthe Hindus and

The first part consists of 22 units, and the second part comprises 20 units in which 169 kinds of halvah are given. Vozekh describesin detail the principle of preparation and useful medical properties of dishesin the treatise. The author systematized and classified dishes under names of the Arabian alphabet. For example, «Bobialif» (The Unit of Alif), «Bobidol» (The Unit of Dol), «Bobi sin» (The Unit of Sin) etc[2].

In the first part of the book the names of the dishes are given: ibrokhimia,oshianbarboris, oshiugro, olubolupalav, oshi hordes, oshirishta, anorpalav, bokilapalav, barro, bari, bariikashmiri, buronijazar, isfanoj, buronibodinjon, buronikhiyor, buronimorchuba, bovardi, bugro, bugroianor, bugroikhorazmi, yakhnipalav, lukmapalav, shibetpalav, palavi soda, palavizard, palavikhanoni, a burak, bakhat, jamolpalav, chukpalav, javoziba, jazaria, chalov, jushira, ranginak, sumokia, ujja, asida and others [2].

In the book the author results the kinds of flat cakes, halvahs and jamwhich were well-known among the population of Bukhara, Samarkand, Kokand and other places of Uzbekistan, such as: nonishirmol, noni kumoch, noni varaki, noni nakhudi, noni sagak, noni tafton, halvoi tar, halvoi ordi, halvoi kunjut, halvoi lavzi,halvoi shakarkhamir, halvoi angur, halvoi pista, halvoi sobuni, halvoi maghzi, murabboi olucha, murabboi pusti tarbuz, murabboi sabzi, murabboi bihi, murabboi tut, murabboi rayhon, murabboi amrud and others.

Many recipes are unusual under recipes of preparation and are peculiar to the people of Central Asia, and some of them even are lost. Sweets were prepared with additives from nuts, pistachios, kunjut and almonds. And jams were preparedfrom a water-melon, carrots, pears, petals of roses, a cherry, a quince, mulberry fruits and others fruit.

In his book the author describes useful properties of murabboi olucha, i.e. jam from a cherry so: «… galabaisafrobinshonadvatashnagirosokingardonad. Bigirand oluchai sultoni har qadar ki khokhand va dar degi sangi kunand va duse jush doda furud girand, digarbora bo asal yo kand yo shakertabkh namoyand» (diminishes bile and calms thirst).

It is necessary to take a king cherry, how much you want and put in a stone copper; boil it twice or three times, then add honey or sugar, and bring to thicken [2].

If to sum up, the importance of the treatise «Konilazzatkhoninemat» (The Source of Pleasure and the Cloth of Blessings)is that it opens medical properties of dishes and has medical value.

It is necessary to consider, that today gastronomy is not only a way of selection of products and cooking, it is also a complex of economic, social, religious and cultural features of countries and nations. The delicatessen of the concrete country reflects not only natural value as the geography, landscape, climate, but also local culture, such as traditions and customs, and also contains echoes of ancient ceremonies, national medicine, transfers features which are peculiar family way of the local people.