Plov is the symbol of Uzbek food. It is prepared in every Uzbekistan family, whether Uzbek, Russian, Tatar of Korean. Uzbek plov is the part of mentality of Uzbekistan people. Traditionally plov is cooked by men. There are over a thousand of recipes of cooking Uzbek plov with various ingredients and even there are some cook books dedicated only to this dish. In various regions of Uzbekistan, people have their own recipes of Uzbek plov preparation. For instance, Bukharan people prepare plov with green gram. Samarkand plov is light, Fergana plov is brown on the contrary. In Samarkand people put meat, carrot, rice in layers and steam it. In Tashkent plov all ingredients are roasted at the beginning. Commonly Uzbek plov is cooked with rice, fresh mutton or beef, yellow or red carrots, onions and vegetable oil. Traditionally, Uzbek plov is prepared in a deep cast-iron pot (kazan), which is uniformly warmed and the dish is not burnt.

The recipe of Uzbek plov was handed down, not only from generation to generation, but from merchant to merchant and traveller to traveller, along the Great Silk Road. While undergoing some modification due to local tastes and available ingredients it has become a popular dish among all eastern peoples, from Xinjiang (China) to Azerbaijan. From time immemorial plov was considered to be a healthy food. Indeed, plov is highly nourishing, and an easily digested food with a balanced ratio of carbohydrates, fats and protein. If pancakes are to be considered the most characteristic dish of Russian cuisine, Galushkas are typical for Ukrainian cuisine, and onion soup is considered to be the traditional soup of the French. The national character of the Uzbek people can be best perceived through tasting Uzbek plov.