In this short commentary, Zach Selch explains why Central Asian (Silk Road) foods have become common in Moscow. He traces the historical roots to the Soviet Union’s expansion, which brought many Central Asian republics under Soviet rule for decades, and even earlier Viking‑era contacts that linked Russian peoples with Silk Road traders. Selch argues that Central Asian dishes are naturally suited to street‑food consumption—being portable finger foods—whereas traditional Russian fare is less convenient for on‑the‑go eating. He describes how, 15‑30 years ago, Moscow had almost no street food beyond simple bread and ham, but the influx of Central Asian vendors filled that gap, offering snacks that can be eaten while traveling. Selch recommends visitors try Uzbek cuisine, noting it ranges from inexpensive street fare to high‑end dishes. The segment concludes with a brief promotional pitch inviting listeners to contact his firm for help growing international sales.
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So why are we eating food— where do these foods come from, right? These come from Central Asia. These are the type of foods you would find— something very similar to this you'd find in Afghanistan, you'd find in northwest China, you'd find in Turkey, right along the Silk Road. These are Silk Road foods. How did they end up in Moscow, with Moscow being a little bit farther north? Well, I'm going to say that 150 years ago, you wouldn't have found these foods in Moscow, but with the expansion of the USSR, the Soviet Empire, taking over a lot of these satellite states. So most of the Silk Road fell under Soviet rule for close to 100 years, for 60, 70 years. And there's a lot of influence. People from these cities in the— in this— on the Silk Road came into Moscow, studied, worked. There was a lot of interaction bringing these cuisines in. But we also have to Remember that the history of Russians, the people from Moscow, are essentially Vikings that came out as far east as they got, traded, and intermarried, and settled with people on the Silk Road. And there's a lot of interaction. There's a lot of history between Central Asia and Moscow bringing these foods together. But they're very different from the traditional Russian foods. And this is a type of ethnic food that people want. Now, The other thing is Russian food doesn't necessarily lend itself to being finger food, whereas Central Asian food does. So these are the type of things that you can pick up at a train station and you can walk with you and eat it on the go, whereas maybe a big piece of pickled fish and a handful of cabbage isn't going to be the great— greatest thing to take with you. 20 years ago, 15 years ago, certainly 30 years ago, it was very hard to find street food in Russia because people didn't really eat on the street. They would pack from home. They didn't really want to, um, you know, they, they didn't have the disposable income. So if you wanted to buy something to eat on the street, it was essentially a piece of white bread or a piece of brown bread and some maybe fatty ham or something like that. The Asian food, the Central Asian food Not what we would think of, not what an American would think of as an Asian food, but the Central Asian food that you find on the street everywhere in Moscow has filled in that range of finger food, to-go food that wasn't around 15, 20 years ago. I remember how frustrated I was if the hotel restaurant was closed. It was virtually impossible to find a small snack someplace on the street that wasn't a piece of bread and a piece of fatty ham. So when you're in Russia, try out Uzbeki food. Some of— and I'm not trying— I don't want to do a disservice to Uzbeki food either. It isn't all street food, it isn't all cheap. Some of it's fantastic, high, high-level, high-end cuisine. But try it out when you're in Russia. Have some Uzbeki food. When you decide it's time to grow your international sales, call us.
