Khujand's food is typical of the Fergana Valley — close to Uzbek cuisine in its essentials, with plov (rice pilaf cooked with lamb, carrots, and chickpeas) as the cornerstone dish. Shashlik grilled over charcoal, samsa (baked pastries filled with lamb and onion), and lagman (hand-pulled noodles in broth) are available everywhere. The bazaar food hall serves the cheapest and most authentic versions. In the evening, riverside chaikhanas (teahouses) serve hot food alongside green tea and large flatbreads.
A number of small restaurants along Lenin Street and around the central park cater to a mixed local and official clientele; the menus are in Tajik and Russian, and staff rarely speak English.