Like having tea together, sharing bread has been elemental to the tradition of friendship and hospitality in Central Asia. These handmade flatbreads or "non" are kneaded by hand, stamped using wooden tools with pins, and then stuck to the concave walls of a wood burning clay oven. Prior to independence from the Soviet Union, dark Russian type bread was made in large quantities in factories. When the "stans" gained independence, the locals swiftly returned to their traditional way of making flatbreads by hand. Non are sold in every market and play a central role in the culture and are served at every meal and occasion.