Translating Uzbek food terminology presents a complex intersection of language, culture, and cognition, where the absence of direct equivalents in the target language compels translators to employ diverse strategies. This article examines the principal methods used to render Uzbek culinary terms into English, highlighting the challenges of maintaining cultural authenticity while ensuring intelligibility for non-Uzbek readers. The analysis focuses on transliteration, explanation, functional replacement (cultural substitution), and supplementary techniques such as calque, synonymic replacement, and descriptive transfer. Transliteration preserves the phonetic and cultural integrity of source terms like osh or palov, yet risks alienating readers unfamiliar with the culture. Explanatory and descriptive translation enhance cultural clarity by elaborating on ingredients and preparation methods, though they may burden the text stylistically. Functional replacement allows translators to convey equivalent impact through culturally resonant substitutions, as seen in the adaptation of idioms and dish names. The article further explores how figurative equivalence, such as rendering oysimon makaron for “elbow macaroni,” demonstrates the translator’s negotiation between semantic fidelity and cultural resonance. Overall, the study underscores that translating Uzbek food terminology requires not only linguistic competence but also cultural sensitivity and interpretive flexibility to bridge conceptual gaps and preserve the symbolic weight of national cuisine.

Ubek cuisine, food terminology, translation strategies

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