All about lyaganah

Connoisseurs of Eastern cuisine, of course, know what Lyagan is and what it is intended for. If it is important to feel not only the taste of the dishes of Central Asia, but also to plunge into the national flavor, then it is necessary to have an oriental-style table setting, which cannot be imagined without a large dish standing in the center of the dastarkhan with pilaf or manti. By what criteria to choose Lyagan, what types they have, how to care for such dishes - we will tell in our article.

Lyagan is a large dish or a large plate intended for serving national dishes in the countries of Central Asia (Uzbekistan, Tajikistan). With such dishes they collect the main dish in their plates, and if it is pilaf, then they eat it right from the frog using tableware or a pinch of fingers. The lagans are used, as a rule, when setting the holiday table, but they can also be seen in everyday feasts when a large family gathers.

Not only the most delicious Uzbek pilaf can be laid out on such a dish, but also portions of broken cakes (it is customary to break cakes in Central Asia and not to cut them).

Some species can be completely flat, completely without sides or with low sides of 1-1.5 cm, located at different angles. The material from which real frogs are made is burnt clay, ceramics. Local craftsmen cover the surface of this dish with special glaze several times and decorate with oriental patterns, which may have a special meaning if they are intended as a gift for any event, for example, a wedding.

Lyagan in the East serves as a symbol of hospitality and friendly feasts, because for one person he, most likely, is not required. This dish is designed to communicate dear guests for eating delicious food. The Eastern people have a special attitude to dishes the richer than the trademark pattern, the more expensive the guest for the owners. And of course, hand-made lyagan is valued much higher than the dishes made at the factory.

Varieties of frogs differ in size and painting. The most popular average sizes - from 30 cm. The most miniature lyagan is designed for sweets, dried fruits and sweets. A dish up to 42 cm in diameter is the optimal size for an eastern dastarkhan.

On sale, there are often frogs with a size of 55–56 cm in diameter, well, and if an even larger diameter is required, then such a lyagan is asked to be made by the master to order. Large lagans are sometimes used as a lid for a large cauldron. Lyagan can perfectly decorate the walls of housing and be used for its intended purpose at the same time. To do this, on the back of the wizard create two interconnecting holes.

As for the painting, it is very diverse - it is for her that the place where Lyagan was made is learned. Often patterns decorate not only the front, but also the back surface of the dish. Choose the patterns on the dishes wisely, considering every detail that carries a special meaning. Traditionally, you can find sets of dishes decorated with white cotton flowers on a dark blue or black glaze - such a pattern is called “buttermilk” (buttermilk - translated as “cotton”).

It is no secret that cotton in Central Asia is a significant crop, symbolizing diligence and prosperity. In addition to buttermilk, the following murals can be seen on eastern Lyagan:

• closed circles with various additional ornamentation - a symbol of cyclicity and continuity of all living things;
• geometric shapes - triangles, circles, arches, semi-archs;
• vegetable ornaments of various colors, pomegranate flowers, almond fruits;
• images of fish and birds - symbols of freedom, peace, purity and wealth;
• knives - protect from evil eye and evil;
• simple but sacred things - the sun and sky, seeds and water, a plow and a harrow.

Masters who have received the knowledge of many centuries can encrypt the whole life of a person - his birth, marriage, the birth of his children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and, of course, death - with his painting on the frog.

On the territory of modern Tajikistan and Uzbekistan there are quite a few provinces known for their porcelain products. Among them are the ancients Samarkand and Bukhara, the Uzbek capital Tashkent, the cities of the Fergana Valley Khujand and Kanibadam, Shakhrisabz and Andijan, Gijduvan and Khorezm. World fame reached master of ceramics from Rishtan. This area is deservedly called the "main pottery workshop of all of Central Asia."

The very nature of Rishtan earth has been granted to become such a center of ceramics: rich deposits of local red clay do not require preliminary treatment and the addition of impurities. There is no shortage here and in natural dyes - quartz, manganese, special plants. There were times when the entire male population of Rishtan was engaged in pottery, and the experience gained by the local craftsmen is unique.

Few people know that the famous Russian blue and white painting Gzhel actually takes its roots from Rishtan ceramics. Yes, our Russian masters adopted these fascinating blue and white patterns in their own way, replacing Oriental motifs with Russian flowers. But not only such a sky-blue gamut can be Rishtan painting - here yellow, red, and green multicolor colors are added to the patterns, and sometimes monochrome products are also found.

Porcelain from Khorezm is famous for its horizontal pattern on the edge of the frog and the same white and blue color scheme that comes to us from the Eastern Middle Ages. Khorezm tableware is thin to the touch, has bumpers located almost at a right angle. Lyagan from Bukhara and Gijduvan can even hypnotize with their paintings.

Gizhduvan products, despite its thickness, are light in weight and porous. This feature leaves long products in their original temperature - cold or hot.

Handmade lagans are valued much higher than industrial manufactured dishes. To purchase high-quality handmade lyagan, you should pay attention to the following nuances:

• the quality surface of the kitchen utensils should be smooth, without bubbles; later on the place of the bubble may be chipped;
• turning over the Lyagan on the bottom surface one can detect circular irregularities formed from the potter's wheel; on the factory product, the rear surface at the bottom will be smooth;
• at the bottom of the frog and other dishes the master who created them usually puts the author's signature, especially if such a craftsman has already achieved fame and recognition;
• factory-made products will have perfectly smooth edges, if you make them into each other, they fit together perfectly; while two hand-made products cannot be the same - their edges are unlikely to fit into each other, and the drawing cannot be exactly repeated twice;
• dishes should emit a light, pleasant jingle with a slight click on it; This ringing resembles the ringing of metal, and not clay, the higher and thinner its sound - the more qualitative the object.

Important! If you break a lyagan or another type of hand-made cookware, you can find small voids in the ceramics. They were formed during the burning of clay, in which there were various straws or feathers of birds. These voids are evidence manual production and are created especially for the ease of dishes, as well as reducing the conductivity of the type of thermos.

For Lyagan to serve for a long time, it is not necessary to keep it only as a wall decoration, because its true purpose is to gather good guests around him. Then Lyagan will give the warmth of the hands of the master who made it. The frequency of accurate use of the frog does not affect its durability. Glazed ceramics are not whimsical in the care, but the dishes made by hand, requires manual handling.

Then dry with a paper towel and remove until the next arrival of guests on the wall or in the closet.

A lagan made by a craftsman, like the rest of the ceramic tableware, may in time manifest one feature. Products covered with glaze, which is also produced from natural materials and dyes. Over time, the glaze can become covered with cracks, which is considered the norm for the Uzbek hand-made. This lyagan with wrinkles is very much appreciated in traditional families and passed down from generation to generation.

About what are frogs, see below.