Elements
Oshi Palav, a traditional meal and its social and cultural contexts in Tajikistan
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Manage No, Sortation, Country, Writer ,Date, Copyright Manage No EE00000045 Country Tajikistan ICH Domain Oral traditions and representations Performing Arts Social practices, rituals, festive events Traditional craft skills Address The element is distributed in all terrirtory of the Tajikistan, but most the wide-spread regions of the Oshi Palav are Sughd and Khatlon vilayats (regions), Zarafshan and Hisar valleys. In Dushanbe, the capital city of Tajikistan, there are some traditional teahouses and restaurants which are well known with the practices of preparing the Oshi Palav, such as "103th Mahalla", "Oshi Pulod", "Oshi Hoji Halim", "Kolkhozi Rosia", "Oshi Bunafsha", "Oshi Taiga" and etc. The element is available in other Central Asian countries, Afghanistan, Iran, India and it is spreaded over the World where the Tajik ethnic groups lived.
| Description | Oshi Palav (pilaf) is a kind of traditional meal of the Tajik people, which is prepared regularly at homes and in celebrations, rituals, gatherings. In dining rooms, national restaurants and tea-houses the Oshi Palav is everyday favourite meal of Tajik people. The Oshi Palav is prepared from carrot, rice, meat (beef, lamb, chicken), oil, onion and water in a big pot. For better flavor, cooks add some peas, saffron, garlic, caraway seeds, pepper and barberry. During the centuries Tajik people created different kinds of this meal, like "Oshi yak ba yak", "Palavi toki", "Oshi devzira", "Bedonapalav" and etc. up to 200 kinds of the element. In traditional Tajik culture there are many customs, rituals, celebrations and social gatherings dedicated specially to the element in which participate a big number of people, for example, the rituals "maslihat-oshi" (osh for advices), "sabzirezakunon" (cutting carrot rite), "oshi nahor" (morning osh), "oshi zanho" (osh for women), "oshi harifona" (osh of friends), "oshi gapkhuri" (osh with talking) and etc. The Oshi Palav in such gatherings and rituals brings people together and has the character of social integration and unity. People of Tajikistan recognize the Oshi Palav as a part of their traditional cultural heritage and call that as "King of meals". There are many stories, legends, folksongs, proverbs and other folklore texts regarding the element, which show the importance of the element among people. Also the element created many kinds of folk dance with plate, imitating the Oshi Palav cooking, which are played by folklore dance groups. |
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| Social and cultural significance | The Oshi Palav, first of all, is the favorite and in some extent the sacred meal for people of the Tajikistan. People respect this meal and try to not drop even a grain of rice. Preparing the Oshi Palav in each wedding celebration, funeral rituals, gatherings, welcoming guests, birthdays and circumcision celebrations is traditionally social obligation of each celebration holder. The element has a vivid function of social integration. Oshi Palav brings people together around the table or "dastarkhon" (traditional table cloth) regardless of their ages, genders, jobs, social backgrounds, ethnical and religious identity. The social functions of the element is also well expressed in the Tajik proverbs and sayings, which says: "Osh nest, oshnoi nest" ("No Osh, no acquaintance"), or "If you ate once the Osh of somebody, you must respect him for forty years". The element has the function of social reciprocity as well. People try to invite each other to their celebrations considering "the Oshi Palav is as a loan". The element also promotes the friendship, through holding a kind of social gatherings called as "gapkhuri" and "gashtak". In Sugd region, Zarafshan and Hisar valleys, men regularly come together in tea houses or in their homes once per week, or once per month. They collectively prepare the Oshi Palav, eat together, then talk in different themes, tell stories, play in musical instruments and sing songs. Women also have the same gathering, but they organize separately. |
| Transmission method | The knowledge and skills related to cooking the Oshi Palav today are transmitted in three ways. First of all, it passes through traditional method of "Ustod-shogird" (Master-disciple). In celebrations, rituals and other traditional social events, as well as in restaurants and tea houses, a master teaches his or her disciples the details and niceties of the element during the process of cooking the Oshi Palav. Disciples learn the skills and knowledge of preparing the element for up to one year. After thatthis period, disciples will organize a special dinner at his house and will invite his master and other guests. Masters during the dinner will give prayer for his disciple and present him a skimmer, one of the key tools for cooking the Oshi Palav, as a symbol of independent cook. The young cook in his turn presents to the master a traditional dress and a skull-cap. The second way of its transmission today takes place through official teaching programs in the special liceums, schools, colleges and courses. According to curriculums, students are taught the knowledge and skills of preparing traditional meals, including the Oshi Palav in the specified laboratoriums. There are many written and published articles, textbooks, manuals and research works related to the element, which contribute to the transmission to young generations. The element is also transmitted among family members, especially women. Mothers, grandmothers or old sisters learn the skills of cooking the Oshi Palav to daughters and daughters in-law in the house. |
| Community | The Oshi Palav is a traditional dish widely enjoyed throughout Tajikistan. Mainly concerned communities and groups of the element are as following: 1. Oshi Palav preparing community of cooks, which prepare this meal regularly in many gatherings, rituals and celebrations; 2. "Mahalla" – a kind of community form in social structure of the each villages, districts, towns, cities and some times mahalla is considered as a village; 3. Group members of the social gatherings, which are called as "gapkhuri" and "gashtak". 4. Specified schools and colleges, where students study cooking of traditional meals. In regions, districts, villages and mahallas of Tajikistan live experienced cooks, who traditionally learned how to cook Oshi Palav from their masters. Some of cooks have studied in special schools and colleges as well. Cooks are invited individually by people and prepare Oshi Palav in comminity celebrations and rituals. Cooks are responsible not only for cooking the Oshi Palav, but also they give advices to celebration holders in purchasing rice, meat, carrot and other supplies. When the Oshi Palav is prepared, cook controls dishes served to celebration participants. Masters of cooking Oshi Palav bring their one or two disciples to the people's celebrations, where disciples learn and practice cooking process. Each master is socially obligated to grow up several young cooks in his life. In the tea houses and traditional restaurants called as "Oshkhonai milli" chefs are responsible for managing activities related to the element. There are many such restaurants in the Dushanbe, Khujand, Istaravshan, Panjakent, Hisar, Tursunzade and other cities and towns, where work family cooks. |
| Type of UNESCO List | Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity |
| Incribed year in UNESCO List | 2016 |