Where does the plov come from?
Plov (pronounced "plof") is the Russian term for the national dish of Uzbekistan, which is common throughout Central Asia, Afghanistan, northern India and much of Iran. It is a pilaf rice, or "osh" in Uzbek. Pilaf rice is a method of rice cooking practiced in Achaemenid Persia, and therefore widespread in all the satrapies of Susa and Persepolis. In the West, it has been known since the conquest of Persia by Alexander the Great, and then spread to many parts of the world, particularly in Africa and the West Indies. It is often mistakenly thought that pilaf rice originated in the West Indies, which is historically false. The Persians are indeed the inventors of the so-called "pilaf" cooking. Rice was particularly well suited to nomads, who did not cultivate the land but could easily transport this cereal in sacks and cook it with the meat from the herds that accompanied them.What is plov?
Even today, the plov remains the national dish and festive meal throughout Central Asia, prepared for Thursdays and for all major occasions such as birthdays, weddings, or the Navruz Festival, celebrating the return of spring. Although the basic recipe is the same everywhere, it is always embellished with local variations, so that in reality there are dozens of different recipes. The plov is basically a dish of rice sautéed in oil with onions and then cooked in one and a half times its volume in water. During cooking, it is always garnished with chopped carrots and mutton. Depending on the region, in addition to this base, chickpeas(plov noute), raisins(plov baïram), stuffed vine leaves (plovkovatok), quinces (plovchodibek) can be found in the recipe, or garlic(plov sarimsok piezli)... It can also vary in quality with more or less meat, more or less fat (Western and Eastern tastes in this matter differ somewhat, as Uzbeks eat fat as a delicacy). It is therefore primarily a local dish, and each region boasts the best plov. Try several, and compare!
Where to eat it?
If the plov is cooked for all the big occasions, it does not mean that it is not cooked on a daily basis, especially when there are tourists around. So, in practice, you will always, in one way or another, have to eat it even if you do not visit Uzbekistan and even if you do not attend a wedding. You can find plov every day in the canteens of the bazaars (only at noon), while in the families it is cooked for Thursday and for every big occasion (wedding, end of Ramadan...). All tourist restaurants offer plov à la carte. Advantage: it is generally cooked to the taste of Westerners, so without too much cottonseed oil and with less fat; disadvantage: it is more expensive and the portion is smaller. The other opportunity to taste a more authentic plov will come from yourself: landing in the house of an Uzbek who will have offered you hospitality is a great opportunity for the whole family, and it is certain that the mistress of the house will put all her talent in her kitchen to offer you her best possible recipe. Advantage: the portions will be gargantuan and you will be encouraged to serve yourself again and again; disadvantage: you may have a little more fat and cottonseed oil in the recipe, which is much more authentic but much less digestible.
Around the plov
On a table, around the plov, you will also find other Central Asian specialties, first and foremost bread (not in Uzbek, lipioshka in Russian). Large round bread, flat in the middle, which accompanies all meals and is best eaten warm. You can find succulent breads on the markets. Bread is a sacred food in Central Asia. Never put it on the ground, or upside down on the table, and above all, do not throw it away in public. During meals, bread is cut by hand into several pieces and distributed around the table between the different guests. Another sacred food is butter, often presented in small pieces piled up on a dish. Always taste it if you see some, or you will offend the spirit of butter, and your guests at the same time.
And to get all this across..
Two drinks coexist in Uzbekistan: the traditional one, tea, drunk every day, almost all the time, and the one bequeathed by the Soviets, vodka, reserved for special occasions.
Tea, first of all, black or green, accompanies all meals. Serving tea follows a whole ceremony that should be respected to ensure the best contacts with the Uzbeks. Always take or give the teapot or cups with your right hand, possibly placing the other hand on your heart. Before being drunk, the tea is poured three times into a cup and poured back into the teapot. These gestures are called the khaït armar. Each pouring is a symbol. The first, loy, symbolizes the clay that quenches thirst; the second, moy, the fat that insulates from cold and danger; the third, tchai
, the tea or water that extinguishes fire. Your cup will never be full, don't be offended: filling it would mean that it is time for you to leave. To drink the tea, if it is too hot, do not blow on it but suck air noisily with the liquid (advice also applies to soup).Vodka, which appeared in Central Asia at the same time as the Russians, is always present on banquet tables, as well as Uzbek brandys or the wine of Samarkand, the most famous of the country.
Since independence, alcohol has coexisted with Islam. Vodka is drunk from the same cups as tea, which makes quite a good amount to be swallowed in one gulp after the traditional toast. Beware of local vodkas, many of them are tampered with and very dangerous to your health. Some have gone blind, but production has not been stopped for all that..
