• Markazi makes 20 different types of samsas and sells nearly 3,000 of them every weekend
• Over the weekend, the kitchen chops up to 500 pounds of meat, a process that takes around 15 hours
• The best-selling item is the deluxe samsa, a colossal meal that weighs close to 2 kilograms

One of the most popular street foods in Uzbekistan is a pillowy pastry filled with minced meat, spices, onions, and sometimes vegetables. Known as samsas, these pastries come in all shapes and sizes and are always baked in vertical tandoor ovens. The result is a crispy and flaky outside layer that cocoons a steaming-hot meat center. We visited Samsa Markazi, a popular restaurant in Namangan, Uzbekistan, that makes 20 different types of samsas and sells nearly 3,000 of them every weekend.