Central Asian Plov Centre

Few things excite the Uzbek palate like plov, that wonderful conglomeration of rice, vegetables and meat bits swimming in lamb fat and oil. This Central Asian staple has been elevated to the status of religion in Uzbekistan, the country with which it is most closely associated. Each province has its own style, which locals loudly and proudly proclaim is the best in Uzbekistan - and by default the world. That plov is an aphrodisiac goes without saying.

Uzbeks joke that the word for 'foreplay' in Uzbek is 'plov'. Men put the best cuts of meat in the plov on Thursday; not coincidentally, Thursday's when most Uzbek babies are conceived. Drinking the oil at the bottom of the kazan (large plov cauldron) is said to add particular spark to a man's libido.

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. Get there before noon for the best selection. Walk past the mob of people crowding around steaming kazans and take a seat inside, where a waitress will eventually come serve you. Your group's order will arrive Uzbek-style on a single plate from which everybody will eat. The best day to come? Why Thursday, of course!