# Uzbek plov: 7 regional styles

> At least 60 named variants, but seven main regional schools: Tashkent (yellow, chickpea), Samarkand (layered), Bukhara (no-sear), Fergana (sweet, raisin), Khorezm (green herb), Kashkadarya (pumpkin), and wedding plov (on a massive scale).

**Plov** (pilaf) is Uzbekistan's national dish and a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage element (2016). The base is always rice + fat + meat + carrots cooked in a **kazan** (cast-iron cauldron), but regional styles differ enormously.

**1. Tashkent plov** — turmeric-golden rice, chickpeas on top, lamb or beef, garnished with quail eggs and horse-sausage (kazy). The commercial lunch default.

**2. Samarkand plov** — the rice and meat are served still layered (not mixed) — called "one-hump" plov. Yellow carrots preferred. Less oil than Tashkent.

**3. Bukhara plov** — the meat is NOT seared first. Instead, all ingredients are layered raw, then water is added and the pot is sealed and baked. Subtler, less caramelised flavour.

**4. Fergana plov** — sweeter: includes raisins, dried apricots, sometimes quince. Rice is whiter (no turmeric).

**5. Khorezm (Khiva) plov** — "green plov" — includes fresh herbs (dill, parsley) mixed into the rice after cooking.

**6. Kashkadarya plov** — pumpkin chunks replace part of the carrot. Earthy and sweet.

**7. Wedding plov (to'y plov)** — cooked for 200–500+ guests in 1-metre kazans over wood fires. Multiple cooks work simultaneously. The fat-to-rice ratio is higher; the result is richer and heavier than home cooking.

Other named variants: **devzira plov** (using a special hard rice), **buxoro osh** (Bukhara festive plov), **tuxum plov** (egg plov), **sabzi plov** (carrot plov for funerals).

**Etiquette**: plov is a lunch dish. Eaten by 14:00 at the latest. Traditionally the cook is always male.

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Keywords: plov, pilaf, rice, regional, Uzbek cuisine
Updated: 2026-08-15
Category: food
URL: https://uzbguidedtours.com/kb/kb-food-plov-varieties