Toshkent davlat sharqshunoslik universiteti

Morning Pilaf (Plov)

• One of the old and binding ceremonies is morning plov. The big plov is cooked for hundred of guests when a child is born, during a circumcision event, in honor of a man returning from the military service, in the early morning of a wedding day, when one turns the age of the Prophet (63 years old), funeral repast and many other major evetns. The day of the morning plov is fixed in advance and organizers disseminate invites to their relatives, friends, colleagues and neighbours.
• On the eve of plov ceremony there is a rite ‘sabzi tugrar’ which means carrot chopping. Carrot is one of the main ingredients of this dish along with rice and meat, it is the one that gives this rich taste to the plov. After carrots are chopped, refreshments are served, and the elderly distribute duties among men as only men may cook, serve and take part in the morning plov ceremony.

Kupkari – competition of real dzhigits

• Kupkari (ulak, buzkashi) is a traditional Central Asian team competition played on horseback. In Turkic “kup” means “many” and in Persian “kari” means “work, case”, hence “kupkari” is “the case of many people”.
• In Uzbekistan the kupkari competition is also called an ulak. In this game skilled equestrians compete to carry a goat or sheep carcass into a goal.
• Usually Kupkari is held in spring or autumn, when the Central Asian peoples traditionally celebrate weddings, as well as during the main spring holiday, Navruz. Often Kupkari game involves brave riders from neighboring regions.