Plate of Uzbek Plov in Tashkent, Plov Center, Uzbekistan.
National pride and Uzbek heritage
Plov, from Persian polow (پلو), itself from Sanskrit pulāka (पुलाक), meaning boiled rice is the National dish of Uzbekistan. It was recognized by the UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage in 2016. This dish made of rice, vegetables, meat and dried fruits very popular in Central Asia and Russia may be unknown to you. However, its history is ancient and has influenced the gastronomy of several regions of the world through the conquests of the Persian, Arab, Turkish, Russian and even Greek empires.
Preparation of Plov, Plov Center in Tashkent, Uzbekistan
The Plov and the Emperor
Alexander the Great would have tasted it during a buffet in Bactria in the 4th century BC, which corresponds roughly to the current Afghanistan. His troops, having appreciated this tasty and nutritious specialty, brought it back to Macedonia under the name of "Pilafi". Biryani, a popular dish in India, has known its modern form under the Mughal empire, founded by Babur in the 16th century. He is the descendant of Tamerlane, the Uzbek conqueror and most famous ruler of the Timurid empire. Finally, even the Spanish Paella with rice and saffron would seem to be derived indirectly from this dish through the intermediary of the Arabs with the conquest of the Iberian Peninsula in the 8th century who brought these ingredients and cooking methods from Iraq.
Women musicians in Samarkand, Uzbekistan
A food globalization before its time?
The historical recipe of Plov was written down in the 10th century by Ibn Sina, also known as Avicenna. This Persian scholar devotes an entire section to the preparation of pilaf and its variants, with their advantages and disadvantages in one of his books on medicine. Nowadays, Uzbeks and Tajiks consider Avicenna as the founder of modern Plov.
Today, this dish seems to have gone around the world: its variants can be found in many typical recipes in the Balkans, the Middle East (al kabsa from Saudi Arabia or maqlubeh in the Levant), the Caribbean (arroz con bacalao from Panama, pelau from Trinidad and Tobago) and even in France with the rice pilaf from Lyon. Thus, one could almost speak of early food globalization when one sees the enormous influence that this dish has had throughout history.
Curious passers-by at the Plov Center in Tashkent, Uzbekistan
A social institution
In Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, it is more than a culinary specialty, it is a real institution: no wedding or other celebration worthy of the name could be successful without providing a Plov for its guests. The Oshpaz, the chef specializing in Plov, prepares it in a large cauldron called Kazan for sometimes more than 1000 people. There are several variations, but the most common one uses mutton or lamb, chickpeas, carrots, raisins, garlic, onions, linseed or cottonseed oil, chicken and quail eggs and various spices. The rice is then cooked with the other ingredients to soak up the broth.
Cooks must keep up with the pace of serving several hundred customers a day
Craving Uzbek Plov ?
Not very healthy, but extremely tasty, it impresses the tourists in the same way as it impressed the Greek troops in ancient times. Uzbek cuisine is rich and lacks recognition in the rest of the world, but there are more and more Uzbek restaurants in the world, so don't hesitate to look for one near you!
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