It is known that the origin of the "Pilaf" term came from a Turk word "Pilav" (not Russian) which was in turn borrowed from an Indian term that was previously borrowed from another Arab term ... (going full circle. i.e. no clear word origins).
The oldest know pilaf rice recipe is from the 13th century and is described in old Arab books. Traditional Pilaf recipes were developed in Iran, Central Asia, India, Turkey, Caribbean where each developed their own "traditional" Pilaf rice their regional spices and cooking methods. For this reason there are no "real classic pilaf rice". The "Pilaf" term is usually used now to describe rice which was added broth (often chicken broth) to a tasteful degree.
