Plov Lunch at Besh Qozon

The Plov Lunch at Besh Qozon is a self-organised meal at the large plov centre on Iftihor Street in the Yunusobod District of Tashkent, Uzbekistan, close to the TV Tower. No tour operator runs it; visitors simply arrive at the centre and order, paying roughly 50,000 to 90,000 UZS (about $4 to $7.50) per person. Plov, the rice, carrot and meat dish regarded as the national dish of Uzbekistan, is cooked in enormous cast-iron cauldrons known as kazan, and Besh Qozon takes its name from the five cauldrons used to prepare it. Kitchens of this kind cook plov in large batches over open flame, usually starting in the morning so that the first portions are ready by late morning and service peaks around midday. Many plov centres stop serving once the day's cooking is finished, so lunchtime is the dependable window. The meal consists of a single main dish rather than a multi-stop route: a plate of plov topped with lamb or beef, often with chickpeas, a quail egg or slices of horse meat sausage depending on the order, alongside a fresh tomato and onion salad and a pot of tea. The balance is firmly savoury, and sweet items are limited to what is offered with the tea, such as sugar candies or dried fruit. Included in the price are the plov, salad and tea; soft drinks, extra bread and any additional dishes cost more. A visit usually takes between one hour and an hour and a half, including the wait for a table in the busy dining hall. Seating is shared, group sizes from one person to large parties are accommodated, and service is quick and informal. Menus are generally in Uzbek and Russian, and staff will point out the available portion sizes, so visitors who do not speak either language can order by gesture. Because plov is built around meat and cooked in animal fat, dietary substitutions are limited; vegetarians are usually restricted to salad, bread and tea, and visitors avoiding pork or other meats should confirm the meat used when ordering. The centre is also reachable by taxi from central Tashkent in about twenty to thirty minutes depending on traffic.