Hospitality was vital to the transport of goods throughout the history of the Silk Road. Weary merchants, having travelled hundreds of miles, relied on caravanserais and outposts to supply food, water, and shelter for themselves and their animals. This tradition still runs deep in many Central Asian cities like Samarkand. Even today, guests are seated in places of honor and treated to hot tea and a hearty meal of plov—a meat and rice dish whose pleasing aroma fills homes, courtyards, and bustling open-air markets.
Considered a celebratory dish, plov is served at weddings, feasts, and holiday gatherings, where hundreds of people can be fed from one large cooking cauldron called a kazan. But you don’t need to be in a large group to enjoy the meal. Plov tastes just as good when shared at a small table with family and friends.
If you’d like to sample the flavors of the Silk Road, try this recipe for Samarkand Plov, created by travel writer and recipe developer, Eleanor Ford.
For more of Eleanor Ford’s recipes, check out Samarkand: Recipes & Stories From Central Asia & The Caucasus, by Caroline Eden and Eleanor Ford. Visually appealing with beautiful photography, delicious recipes, and fascinating historical details, this book brings the diversity of cultures and rich flavors of the Silk Road to life.