Plov
Client
Freelance work as part of my Magnum photography course in Bukhara, Uzbekistan
I also go back to school every now and then. Because – old saying: you never finish learning. And so I'm taking a photography course in Uzbekistan from the renowned Magnum photo agency to see what I can still learn from the best. I'm sitting in the "schoolroom" (a room in the art museum in Bukhara) and suddenly Abdou, one of the four course instructors, tugs on my sleeve. «Peter, come immediately. Take your camera with you. Do you have a wide angle lens on it?" Yes, I have. A 21mm fixed focal length. There is no time to bring a second lens or change. I rush after Abdou, and after a short walk we find ourselves in a backyard where a group of men are preparing two pots of the Uzbek national dish:
Plov
A few background information
Some wisdom from Wikipedia: «Plov, also pilaf, pilaf, pilau or palau, is originally an oriental rice dish. It is traditionally made with long-grain rice, onions, broth and possibly meat, fish or vegetables. In Central Asia, a stew is first cooked for plov. At the end of the cooking time, rice is sprinkled on top and the whole thing is covered with a little water, cooked and then steamed. The stew contains meat, onions and carrots as well as other vegetables and some dried fruits. Plov is traditionally cooked by men and is both an everyday dish and a holiday meal. In Uzbekistan, plov for weddings is prepared by a plov master in a huge pot.”
That's exactly how I saw and photographed it, including tasting the wonderful Plov, along with some high-proof liquids, offered by the Plov Master himself. After preparation, the two giant pots were wrapped in plastic wrap, loaded onto a small truck, and the noble cargo went off to a wedding party.
A huge thank you to Abdou, who took me to the Plov chefs and also took a few making-of pictures:
