According to wikipedia, one of the earliest literary references to pilau can be found in the histories of Alexander the Great when describing Bactrian hospitality. (Bactria was an eastern Iranian province, probably the birthplace of Alexander's wife Roxana and geographically located in modern Uzbekistan.) Plov is often considered to be one of the oldest preparations of rice which has Persian roots. It was known to have been served to Alexander the Great upon his capture of the Sogdian capital of Marakanda (modern Samarkand). Alexander's army brought it back to Macedonia and spread it throughout Eastern Europe.
It is believed that proper preparation of pilaf was first documented by the tenth century scholar Abu Ali Ibn Sina (Avicenna), who in his books on medical sciences dedicated a whole section to preparing various meals, including several types of pilaf, and described advantages and disadvantages of every item used for preparing it.
Pilau became standard fare in the Middle East over the years with variations and innovation by the Arabs, Turks and Armenians. It was introduced to Israel by Bukharian and Persian Jews.
It is usually served on special occasions and weddings and is very high in food energy and fat.
