Prepare your stomach for a whole lotta bread and mutton… or learn how to say no.

One example of Tajikistan's food situation: one morning over tea, some mother in Shaimak hamlet chatted dreamily about her daughter-in-law bringing cabbage from the nearby town. Cabbage, indeed. Have you ever seen someone talking about cabbage with a twinkle in their eye? Tajik cuisine, despite its location along ancient Silk Road trade routes, maybe relatively simple. The great bulk of cuisine in the nation is made up of meat, milk products, and carbohydrates (bread, potatoes, rice). Spices include salt and pepper, and vegetables might be scarce. Mutton that has been boiled, fried, or otherwise cooked to death is very common.

If you're a vegetarian or vegan planning a trip to Tajikistan, you should learn a few terms and foods ahead of time. Tajiks understand vegetarian diets, but not vegan diets, therefore communicate your demands to them as soon as possible. It will spare you from eating bread and "salad" of tomatoes and cucumbers at every meal and will help you avoid unpleasant situations in people's houses. If you're a vegetarian or vegan, here are some things about Tajikistan you should know before visiting.