Novvot (nabat) crystals in a bowl
Novvot as Samarkand market
Strings of novvot (Persian sugar)

Novvot (also known as navat, nabat, navot, kinvashakari or simply Persian or Uzbek sugar[1][2]) is a type of rock candy[3] popular in Middle East, Near East and Central Asia, particularly Uzbekistan and Iran. Novvot is prepared from sugar syrup (it consists of over 99% of sucrose) and can be colorless, white or brownish-yellowish.

Preparation

To make novvot, liquid (water[4] or grape juice[1]) and white sugar are boiled, and then poured to a container with threads or sticks, around which novvot crystals form over the period of three days of cooling down.[4][1] The threads could be made from eggs.[4] For flavoring, saffron or (less often) honey are sometimes added.[1][5] The former results in more bitter and golden-colored product.[1] Other food coloring substances are sometimes used, which can raise food safety issues in case of the usage of unauthorized substances by small producers and vendors.[5] The process usually results in formation of colorless, white or brownish-yellowish rock candy.[4][1][5]

As such, novvot is made primarily from recrystallized sucrose (finished product consists of over 99% of it) formed from saturated syrup.[4][1]

Nutrition

Novvot has similar calorie value to regular sugar. It has been described as healthier then regular processed white or cane sugar, as it contains about 60% natural monosaccharide fructose that does not require insulin for absorption, making it more useful for diabetics.[1]

In traditional medicine

According to folk beliefs and practices of traditional medicine in regions where novvot is popular, it is seen as a healthy type of snack, helpful for digestive problems, lactation and the restless legs syndrome.[1][6][7]

Economy

In Iran, most nabat is produced in the Razavi Khorasan province; where in 2020s over 210,000 tons of nabat was produced yearly.[7]

Cultural significance

Novvot is popular in Middle East, Near East and Central Asia, particularly Uzbekistan and Iran (in the latter, the term nabat is more often used).[4][1][5][6] It has roots in Persian cuisine.[8] It is often served together with tea during teatime or used as a sweetner for tea and other hot beverages.[9][6][7] Traditionally, navvot was made by dedicated merchants in local settlements, rather than individual families.[1]

Novvot has been described as one of instances of Uzbekistan's intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO.[4]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Normamatovich, Faiziboev Pirmamat; Abduganievich, Ochilov Sardor (2023). "METHOD OF PREPARING NOVVOT FROM NATIONAL CONFECTIONERY PRODUCTS IN UZBEKISTAN". International Journal of Recently Scientific Researcher's Theory. 1 (6): 160–164.
  2. ^ Butcher, Sally (2023-07-18). The New Middle Eastern Vegetarian: Modern Recipes from Veggiestan - 10-Year Anniversary Edition. Interlink Publishing Group Incorporated. p. 263. ISBN 978-1-62371-766-7.
  3. ^ Kayimova, N. (2022). "THE TRANSLATION PROBLEMS OF UZBEK FOOD REALIA". Вестник магистратуры (5-1 (128)): 83–85. ISSN 2223-4047.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g "Intangible Cultural Heritage of Uzbekistan. Volume 5: KNOWLEDGE AND PRACTICES CONCERNING NATURE AND THE UNIVERSE. Chapter "PREPARING CANDIES NOVVOT"". UNESCO ICHCAP | e-Knowledge Center. p. 168. Retrieved 2025-03-11.
  5. ^ a b c d Sadeghi, Zahra; Shariatifar, Nabi; Khaniki, Gholamreza J.; Nabizadeh, Ramin; Khaneghah, Amin M. (2020-06-01). "Determination and Evaluation of Natural and Synthetic Dyes in Traditional Rock Candies (Nabat) Distributed in Tehran". Current Nutrition & Food Science. 16 (5): 788–793. doi:10.2174/1573401315666190717122120. ISSN 1573-4013.
  6. ^ a b c Adibpour, Nasim; Hosseininezhad, Marzieh; Pahlevanlo, Abolfazl (2019-10-01). "Application of spore-forming probiotic Bacillus in the production of Nabat - A new functional sweetener". LWT. 113: 108277. doi:10.1016/j.lwt.2019.108277. ISSN 0023-6438.
  7. ^ a b c Khiabani, Azadeh; Sarabi-Jamab, Mahboobe; Shakeri, Monir-sadat; Pahlevanlo, Abolfazl; Emadzadeh, Bahareh (2024-08-30). "Bacterial cellulose biosynthesis: Optimization strategy using iranian nabat industry waste". Heliyon. 10 (16): e35986. Bibcode:2024Heliy..1035986K. doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e35986. ISSN 2405-8440. PMC 11379586. PMID 39247360.
  8. ^ Gulyamova, Lola (2022-12-02). The Geography of Uzbekistan: At the Crossroads of the Silk Road. Springer Nature. pp. 79–80. ISBN 978-3-031-07873-6.
  9. ^ McNamara, Glenn R.; Surina, Asele (2005-06-30). Food Culture in Russia and Central Asia. Bloomsbury Publishing USA. p. 102. ISBN 978-0-313-06228-5.
Allikas: Https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Novvot
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