Navot , kinwa-shakari
Navat is a recrystallized sucrose formed from a rich fruit syrup, common in the countries of Central Asia: Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, and Iran. It has many names characteristic of different regions: Navat, Kinwa-shakari, Nabat, and Linavot. It is produced at home and in small production workshops throughout Uzbekistan. Since the natural product requires the mandatory addition of fresh grape juice, it is not produced very much. Accordingly, the price of navat is several times higher than that of granulated sugar or refined sugar. Navat has white, light cream, or brown crystals collected on a stick or thread in the form of a cylinder or cone.
The variety of shades is achieved by different cooking times or by adding saffron or food to the Navat. Crystals are much larger than ordinary white or cane sugar. The diameter of each piece is about 5–8 centimeters. Richly sweet, but not cloying, with a fruity or honey notes. The main part of the product is produced during the grape harvest period (summer-autumn). However, with the development of modern technologies, canned grape juice can also be added to navat, and various substitutes can be used to deceive consumers.
The history of this sweet product goes back thousands of years, as it has long been popular in the countries of Central Asia. The appearance of navat in Central Asia is supposedly associated with the penetration of the Tajiks, the ancestors of the Tajiks (9th – 10th centuries), into the Iranian region. In Iran, there is even a name for Navat, which has been passed on to the Uzbek tradition, has spread to the territory of Uzbekistan for a long time, and has long been one of the favorite sweet delicacies. In Farsi, it means old. Once, the product was considered very valuable and expensive and was stored in special caskets as a jewel, and not everyone could afford to consume Navat.
To make Navat, special tools and utensils are required. Previously, there was no industrial production of sweets. It was made by specialized craftsmen available in almost every village in Iran and Uzbekistan. The art was passed down from generation to generation and was respected by the locals. The radial recipe for sweetness was boiled in cauldrons with the addition of sugar and freshly squeezed grape juice until a syrup with a moisture content of 16–18% was obtained, then filtered through a fine-mesh sieve and poured into a special container with stretched threads. Here, while maintaining a constant temperature, it went through the crystallization process, which takes at least three days. After that, the crystals were extracted and dried in the open air. According to traditional technology, it is permissible (but not necessary) to add only two auxiliary ingredients to the syrup for the preparation of Navat: saffron, which gives the crystals a rich golden color and a spicy, bitter taste, less often natural honey, that gives additional softness on the palate, and honey aftertaste. One of the main ways to consume Navat is with green tea. A stick of Navat is dipped in a cup with a drink and stirred until the crystals are completely dissolved.
Not so long ago, a cheap method of making Navat crystals from granulated sugar appeared. Ordinary white sugar, which is sold in stores, contains sucrose. This substance is different from the natural glucose in grape sugar. Sucrose prevents the formation of large hexagonal crystals. To break down sucrose in ordinary sugar, a special enzyme called amylase is used, obtained chemically. Thus, even at home, you can get sparkling navat crystals. Nevertheless, both the taste and healing properties of such sweetness are in many ways inferior to real Uzbek sugar. Therefore, when purchasing Navat in a store or via the Internet, you should make sure that it is really made from natural ingredients. Today, a popular product is made on a small industrial scale in workshops, and it is not a fact that everywhere it adheres to the traditional technology of its production.
A small number of producers have this unique indigenous knowledge of producing natural Uzbek Navat especially from grapes and other fruits. Unfortunately, this knowledge is being lost due to the easy use of industrial sugar, and if attention is not paid to the continuity of this traditional knowledge, the natural Navat in Uzbekistan is at risk of disappearing.
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