WHERE TO EAT The best Plov in the world (according to food experts)

"To sample plov styles from various regions of the country - and drink the oil if you dare - head to the celebration of plov that is the Central Asian Plov Centre."

"When you order a plate, the plov master dishes you out huge proportions of rice drizzled in the fragrant oil, followed by a layer of fall apart tender carrots. The rice was so fragrant and nutty from the oil, the carrots are so sweet and caramelized, and the meat is fall-apart tender. Samarkand plov is truly a masterpiece of Uzbek cuisine."

"We had dinner at Chinar restaurant, which was excellent (especially the plov)."

"Head to Caravan Restaurant for plate loads of Plov and other Uzbek delicacies. This restaurant is a favorite among the locals."

"The national dish is plov, an oily rice dish topped with mutton, grated carrot and onion. In Khiva, plump for the Khorezm Art Restaurant."

"This large chaikhana in the park opposite the Ark is an ideal place for a cheap and simple meal of plov (pilaf). There's pleasant outdoor seating, English is spoken and they'll bring beer if you ask for it."

"This low-key traditional place is a great spot for plov (pilaf)."

"Order a pilaf: they take the rice dish very seriously in Baku - there are more than 200 types of pilaf in Azerbaijan."

"They do their own delicious version of local favorite - plov (Azeri-style pilaf)."

"Wow, that was a really good one. Pilaf is served with apricots, chestnuts, raisins, and meat. Spices from the East are used to flavor the taste. Yumm."