The Bread Men of Uzbekistan

This week’s episode (in video format) of The Raconteur takes us to the ancient Silk Road city of Samarkand, Uzbekistan, where I find that hospitality toward travelers has been a way of life here for millennia.

The author encounters a van stuffed with hundreds of loaves of fresh-baked bread. The van is part of a network of bread men who fan out each morning through Samarkand, Uzbekistan, ensuring the delivery of this delicious staple to the city’s many cafes, restaurants and shops. (Photo: ©Craig K. Collins)

The author encounters a van stuffed with hundreds of loaves of fresh-baked bread. The van is part of a network of bread men who fan out each morning through Samarkand, Uzbekistan, ensuring the delivery of this delicious staple to the city’s many cafes, restaurants and shops. (Photo: ©Craig K. Collins)

The Sher-Dor Madrasah stands elegant and illuminated at The Registan in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. (Photo: ©Craig K. Collins)

The spectacular Gur-i-Amir serves as the final resting place for Timur, the fearsome Central Asian emperor who conquered much of the known world in the late 1300s. (Photo: ©Craig K. Collins)

The Shah-i-Zinde mausoleum complex is an architectural wonder and has served as the burial site for sultans, princes, and princesses for over 1,200 years. (Photo: ©Craig K. Collins)