Navat – sweet crystals
What are the benefits of navat for the body?
Navat is a traditional Uzbek sweet often served with tea. The opinion of long-lived Uzbeks about navat is definite—they believe it plays a significant role in their longevity.
One of the main traditional Uzbek sweets, essential for a genuine Eastern tea ceremony, is navat—rock sugar. Resembling mountain crystals or precious stones, it adorns the table, adding a special flair. Navat can be considered a sweet gastronomic signature of Uzbekistan, much like baklava and lokum in Turkey, truffles in France, or tiramisu in Italy. During tea time, navat is dipped into a bowl of hot tea and left to dissolve. Of course, navat can also be enjoyed as candy, a particular favorite among children.
Navat is often referred to as crystalline sugar, although it doesn’t contain sucrose but rather fructose and glucose. Authentic navat is made from grape juice with spices. Threads are stretched in a large kazan, filled with syrup, and left for several days. This process forms beautiful crystals. The color can range from yellowish-white to dark yellow and brown, depending on the boiling time of the syrup.
Photo: IStock
To reduce costs, some may use concentrated sugar syrup, but this is a substitute for real navat.
Uzbek centenarians firmly believe in navat’s significant role in their long lives. Indeed, when consumed with green tea, navat can make a person feel more energetic and capable of being active for longer periods.
In Uzbekistan, if someone feels unwell, people often rush to give them hot tea with navat.
This “magical” sugar is believed to combat various illnesses effectively. It is used in folk medicine as a throat lozenge for sore throats and coughs, as well as for many other conditions: digestive disorders, dehydration, low blood pressure, heart problems, depression, and general weakness.
However, like any other sweet treat, navat is best consumed in moderate amounts.
Taste, beauty, color, and benefits—all describe the sweet crystals of navat!
