# Samsa: Uzbek baked pastries

> Triangular or round baked pastries stuffed with spiced lamb and onion, baked in a tandoor. The Central Asian samosa equivalent — a perfect on-the-go snack at any bazaar.

**Samsa** (Uzbek variant of samosa) are the country's most popular baked snack — sold from tandoor bakeries, bazaar stalls, and restaurant menus everywhere.

Fillings:
- **Go'shtli samsa** — lamb mince + onion + cumin. The default.
- **Piyozli samsa** — mostly onion with a little meat. Sweeter, cheaper.
- **Kartoshkali samsa** — potato filling. The main vegetarian option.
- **Qovoqli samsa** — pumpkin filling (seasonal, autumn). Sweet and savory.
- **Tandir samsa** — baked pressed against the tandoor wall, like non. The outer crust chars slightly and picks up a smoky flavour. Triangle-shaped.
- **Puff samsa** — made with layered pastry dough (like croissant technique). Round, flakier, less common.

Prices: 5,000–15,000 UZS ($0.40–1.20) per piece depending on size and meat content.

Best samsa:
- Fresh from the tandoor at **8–10 AM** or **13:00** (second baking run).
- Eat within 15 min of leaving the oven; they go leathery when cold.
- Any neighbourhood tandoor bakery will have them. Bazaar stalls are reliable.

Pronounciation: SAHM-sah (stress on first syllable).

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Keywords: samsa, pastry, snack, tandoor, lamb
Updated: 2026-08-15
Category: food
URL: https://uzbguidedtours.com/kb/kb-food-samsa