Where does the plov come from?
Plov (pronounced "plof") is the Russian term for Uzbekistan's national dish, common throughout Central Asia, including Afghanistan, northern India and much of Iran. It's rice pilaf, or "osh" in Uzbek. This method of cooking rice was practiced in Achaemenid Persia, and was therefore widespread throughout the satrapies from Susa to Persepolis. In the West, it has been known since the conquest of Persia by Alexander the Great; it then spread to many parts of the world, notably Africa and the West Indies. It is a common misconception that rice pilaf originated in the West Indies, but this is historically false. The Persians were the inventors of the "pilaf" cooking method. Rice was particularly suited to nomads, who did not cultivate the land but could easily carry it in sacks and cook it with meat.
What is plov?
While plov remains the national dish, it is also, and above all, the festive meal prepared for Thursdays and all major holidays such as birthdays, weddings, the Navruz festival celebrating the return of spring or the end of Ramadan. While the basic recipe is the same everywhere, there are many local variations and dozens of different recipes. The simplest recipe: rice sautéed in oil with onions, then cooked in one and a half times its volume of water. During cooking, minced carrots and mutton are added. Depending on the region, you'll find variations with chickpeas(plov noute), raisins(plov baïram), stuffed grape leaves(plov kovatok), quinces(plov chodibek), or garlic(plov sarimsok piezli)... It can also be cooked with more or less meat, or meat that's more or less fatty. Uzbeks eat fat as a delicacy, a bit like the French with duck or pork fat called "grattons". Try several, and compare!
Where to eat it?
Plov is available every day in bazaar canteens (only at lunchtime) and in all restaurants that offer it à la carte. Advantage: it's generally cooked to Western tastes, i.e. without too much cottonseed oil and with less mutton fat (a little strong in taste). Alternatively, for the opportunity to taste a more authentic plov, be a guest in the home of an Uzbek who will offer you hospitality with his whole family for a special occasion. You can be sure that the hostess will put all her talent into her cooking. Warning: the portions will be gargantuan, and you'll be encouraged to help yourself again and again! Disadvantage: there will be more fat and cottonseed oil in the recipe, which is much more authentic but much less digestible!
Plov customs
What to eat with plov? A Central Asian staple is bread(non in Uzbek, lipioshka in Russian). It's a large, round loaf. Every city has its own type of bread, which is served with every meal, preferably hot. Delicious breads can be found on the market. Bread is a sacred food in Central Asia. Never put it on the floor or upside down on the table, and above all, never throw it away in public. During the meal, bread is cut by hand into several pieces and distributed around the table among the various guests. Another sacred food is butter, often presented in small pieces heaped on a dish. As a courtesy, always taste it, otherwise you'll offend the butter spirit... and your hosts!
And to get all this across..
Two beverages coexist in Uzbekistan: traditional tea, drunk throughout the day, and vodka, bequeathed by the Soviets and reserved for special occasions.
Tea, black or green, is served with every meal. Serving tea is a ceremonial act that must be respected to ensure the best possible relations with the Uzbeks. The teapot, or cups, should always be taken or handed with the right hand, and the other hand may be placed over the heart. Before drinking, the tea is poured three times into a cup and poured back into the teapot. These gestures are called the khaït armar. The first, loy, symbolizes the clay that quenches thirst; the second, moy, the fat that insulates from cold and danger; the third, tchaï, the tea or water that extinguishes fire. Your cup will never be full, so don't take offence: filling it would mean it's time for you to leave. To drink tea, if it's too hot, don't blow on it, but suck in air noisily with the liquid (this advice also applies to soup).
Vodka, which made its appearance in Central Asia at the same time as the Russians, is still present on banquet tables, as are Uzbek brandies and Samarkand wine, the country's most famous.
Since independence, alcohol has coexisted with Islam. Vodka is drunk in the same cups as tea, which makes a fairly good quantity to swallow in one gulp after the traditional toast. Beware of local vodkas, many of which are adulterated and could be hazardous to your health.
In autumn, the pomegranate season, you can taste freshly squeezed juice from these precious fruits in markets and at the entrances to certain sites and restaurants. It's a bit bitter, but so good, and aids digestion.
