At the Crossroads of Europe, Asia and the Middle East

Photo credit: Abdu Samadov

Good Manners in Central Asia: At the Table

Here Jake and his wife dine with his host family in Tashkent, Uzbekistan; notice that neither one sat at the head of the table. Photo credit: Jake Smith
Here Jake and his wife dine with his host family in Tashkent, Uzbekistan; notice that neither one sat at the head of the table. Photo credit: Jake Smith

MIR’s Jake Smith has lived and worked in several Central Asian countries, observing – and learning by experience – the art of what can be complex and confounding good manners in this part of the world. Here Jake offers his “best behavior at the table” tips in two of his favorite countries: Uzbekistan and Tajikistan.

Around a dinner table the seat of honor is always the head of the table opposite to and furthest from the entrance. This seat is typically reserved for the oldest person present, or for special guests. Others sit in descending order of importance or age. Women may sit in a separate room, though that is becoming less common. You should not start eating until the person in the seat of honor has started, generally after saying grace.

Whenever visiting friends or going out to a restaurant in Tajikistan or Uzbekistan, there would inevitably be a short period of awkwardness before the meal where hosts and invitees alike would debate over who should sit where, with everyone being as polite as possible by trying to bestow the honor of head-of-the-table on another. I quickly learned to ignore the commands instructing me, as a foreign guest, to take the honored spot. As a younger person, my place was further down the ranks.


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