All about Uzbek pilaf. Pilaf, a mixture of rice, vegetables, meat and spices, is very famous in almost all Silk Road countries. However, this pilaf is more associated with Uzbekistan. That’s why Uzbek pilaf has a special place in this geography. This dish, which is consumed at least once a week in the country, is the national dish of the country.
An essential part of family celebrations, Uzbek pilaf is served at births, weddings and funerals, and to honor people returning from Hajj. According to belief, pilaf was first created for Alexander the Great, who ordered it to be a hearty meal to feed his army during his campaigns in Central Asia.
“We don’t have historical records to prove this, but what we do know is that pilaf became very popular here in the 9th and 10th centuries,” says Uzbek tour guide Nilüfer Nuriddinova, who is well-versed in food history. “Rice has been a staple food in this region for more than a thousand years. Harvesting crops and raising animals requires heavy physical labor. So Uzbek pilaf is the ideal high-calorie, nutrient-rich meal for a largely agricultural society.”
Uzbek pilaf was recently included in UNESCO’s List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. This is proof of how important pilaf has become in the tradition of Uzbek cuisine. “This is much more than a meal. It creates social bonds, fosters friendship; it brings our nation together,” Nuriddinova continues.
Aphrodisiac effect
Sagdiyev, on the other hand, shares something else for the fame of pilaf on Thursday. Stating that there is a widespread belief that rice has strong aphrodisiac qualities, Sagdiyev says that it is perfect to eat it on Thursday, which is a popular day for having children.
Sagdiyev said some men joke that the word pilaf actually means foreplay, that the fat at the bottom of the cauldrons is sometimes smoked as natural Viagra, and that many oshpaz reserve the best meat for Thursdays to give their male clients extra sexual power.
The tradition of getting pregnant on Thursdays is linked to the country’s strong Islamic beliefs. Sagdiyev says, “It is thought that it was Thursday when the Prophet Muhammad was conceived,” and continues his words as follows:
“So if you want your baby to be smart, well-behaved, blessed by angels, and have a heart that is open to accepting God, today is a good day to do it. But after eating a plate of rice, of course.”
Stating that even the word is an important part of the Uzbek language, the guide says: “In our daily language, we have sayings like ‘If you know you only have one day left on earth, spend it eating rice.’ This means you can die happy afterwards. “A life without rice is unthinkable in Uzbekistan.”
There are more than 100 different types of pilaf in Uzbekistan. Recipes vary depending on region and season. But the basic ingredients for each variety are the same: water, rice, onion, carrots, meat, oil and salt.
The most famous pilaf restaurant in the country is Besh Qozon, located in the Yunusabad neighborhood of the capital Tashkent. It is also known as the Central Asian Pilaf Center.
Besh Qozon, thought to be one of the largest rice restaurants in Central Asia, serves between 5,000 and 8,000 customers a day with rice cooked in nine large wood-fired cauldrons.
According to Uzbek tradition, every plate of pilaf must be accompanied by non (bread). Besh Qozon’s nonvoyant, or baker, Shokirjon Nurmatov. Like all kitchen staff, he starts work by “praying to God”. More than 3 thousand loaves of bread are baked here every day.
In family homes, pilaf is traditionally made by women. In restaurants (and on special occasions), it is brought out by a male chef known as an oshpaz. “This is because producing large quantities is a difficult physical job. The biggest gain can be up to three tons of rice,” says Fayzullah Sagdiyev, oshpaz of Besh Qozon.
However, he also notes that oshpaz are under other pressures: “If a guest does not finish his rice because he does not like the taste, this is considered so shameful that the oshpaz may consider taking his own life. “Fortunately, it never happened to me.”
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