{"id":13224,"date":"2019-12-10T01:14:00","date_gmt":"2019-12-10T01:14:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mircorp.com\/?p=13224"},"modified":"2021-05-21T14:56:24","modified_gmt":"2021-05-21T14:56:24","slug":"traveler-spotlight-an-interview-with-award-winning-author-anya-von-bremzen-on-traveling-to-uzbekistan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mircorp.com\/traveler-spotlight-an-interview-with-award-winning-author-anya-von-bremzen-on-traveling-to-uzbekistan\/","title":{"rendered":"Traveler Spotlight: An Interview with Award-Winning Author Anya von Bremzen on Traveling to Uzbekistan"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Anya von Bremzen<\/strong><\/a> is an award-winning food writer<\/strong> and the author of such delectable cookbooks as Please to the Table<\/em><\/strong><\/a> and Mastering the Art of Soviet Cooking<\/em><\/strong><\/a>. A passionate foodie, world traveler, and expert on the cultures and cuisines of Russia and the former Soviet Republics, Anya fell in love with the country of Uzbekistan<\/a> in Central Asia<\/a> on a trip there in the early 1990s<\/strong>, when it was still a part of the Soviet Union. Ever since that first visit, she dreamed of one day making her return to the Silk Road.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Anya
Anya and her partner enjoying some traditional Uzbek tea. Photo credit: Anya von Bremzen<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

After two decades of waiting, news of Uzbekistan\u2019s progressive political and economic changes made over the last few years ultimately convinced Anya that now was the perfect time to revisit. <\/em>She reached out to MIR to plan her week-long sojourn through the Silk Road<\/strong> \u2014 a custom-made sampler of the modern capital of Tashkent, the celebrated city of Samarkand, and Uzbekistan\u2019s breathtaking 2,500-year-old oasis, Bukhara.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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We chatted with Anya about her highlights and favorite experiences on her trip to Uzbekistan.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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You first visited Uzbekistan in the early 1990s, when it was still part of the Soviet Union. How did this visit compare to your first?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Well, Uzbekistan<\/a> certainly changed a lot. You can really sense that it\u2019s a proud and independent nation<\/strong>, even down to the ways that some of the nation\u2019s history has been kind of revised since the Soviet era. For instance, the medieval conqueror Tamerlane was reviled as a monster during Soviet days, but now he\u2019s celebrated by the Uzbek people as a great national hero. It was also really interesting to see so much pride in the national costumes. Our guide, Abdu Samadov<\/a>, told us that people really like dressing up in local fabrics, both on national holidays and for everyday attire.<\/p>\n\n\n

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