Plov

Plov, also called osh, is the national dish of Uzbekistan: a fragrant rice pilaf cooked in a wide cast-iron cauldron known as a kazan. Rice is layered over browned lamb or beef, sweet yellow and orange carrots, onions and cumin, with whole heads of garlic buried inside to steam.

The result is rich, glossy and deeply savoury, often crowned with chickpeas, raisins, quail eggs or pomegranate. It is served on a communal platter and eaten together, embodying Central Asian hospitality.

Plov has been central to life across Central Asia for centuries, celebrated in poetry and folk medicine alike. Preparing it is often a man's honour, with a master cook — an oshpaz — feeding hundreds at a single wedding from one enormous kazan.

UNESCO added Uzbek plov to its list of Intangible Cultural Heritage, recognising it as far more than a meal: a ritual of community, generosity and celebration.