The name of Azerbaijani dishes. Azerbaijani cuisine

Azerbaijani dishes most often have Turkic names, but in terms of cooking and taste, they are more similar to Iranian cuisine. After all, back in the 3-4 century BC. Azerbaijan was conquered by the Sassanids, who founded the strongest state of Iran. The formation of culture and feudal relations in these countries occurred simultaneously. Although later Azerbaijan survived the Arab conquest in the 8th century, the establishment of Islam, the attack of the Turks in the 11th-12th centuries and the Mongol invasion, but this did not affect Azerbaijani culture, which preserved Iranian traditions. In addition, in the 16-18 centuries, Azerbaijan was part of Iran - this again increased Persian influence.
The fact that Azerbaijan disintegrated from the 18th century to the middle of the 19th century into many small principalities - khanates - this contributed to the consolidation of some regional traditions in the cuisine, which have survived to this day.
In the Lankaran-Talysh region, in South Azerbaijan, a distinctive feature of Azerbaijani cuisine is game stuffed with fruits on an open fire, as well as fish baked in tyndyr with a nut-fruit filling. In northern Azerbaijan, where the Turkic influence is stronger, the main dish is khinkal. In large cities, such as Baku, Shemakha, Ganja, they prepare dushbara, kutaby, shakerbura, baklava, Turkish delight.
Lamb is the main meat in Azerbaijani cuisine, especially the meat of young lambs. But lamb in Azerbaijan does not occupy such a dominant place as in Uzbekistan. In addition to lamb, veal, beef and poultry are often used, which is a feature of Azerbaijani cuisine and distinguishes it from other Caucasian cuisines. Young meat is cooked on an open fire, usually with sour fruits - pomegranates, cherry plum and dogwood. Chopped meat dishes were widely used.
A large place in Azerbaijani cuisine is occupied by the preparation of fish, which is also its distinctive feature. Fresh fish is cooked like lamb skewers over an open fire, seasoned with fruits and nuts.
Fruits, vegetables and, most importantly, spicy greens and herbs are used in the diet even more often than in Georgian and Armenian cuisines but fresh. If they are cooked with eggs or meat, then even more greens are obtained (kyukyu, ajabsandal).
From vegetables in Azerbaijani cuisine today you can often see potatoes (piti). However, potatoes were not used in Azerbaijani cuisine before. It was replaced with chestnuts. Indeed, natural seasonings for meat are best combined with chestnuts - mountain, sumac, nar.
In general, above-ground vegetables are used in Azerbaijani cuisine - eggplants, tomatoes, Bell pepper. Very rarely use radish, carrots, beets. But herbs and green vegetables (asparagus, artichoke, chickpeas, peas) are widely used. Nuts and fruits are used as often as vegetables.
Green onions are used in Azerbaijani cuisine more than onions, as an appetizer for dishes. Also not used spicy garlic and served with onions. Many different spices are used in Azerbaijani cuisine, but saffron is considered the most important and favorite. After all, it was saffron that was revered in ancient Media and Persia.
From aromatic plants, rose petals are used. This, like the use of chestnuts, distinguishes Azerbaijani cuisine from others. Jam is made from roses, syrup is infused, sherbets are made.
Main Feature Azerbaijani cuisine is a combination of fresh products (rice, chestnut, knotweed) with sour and dairy products - a contrast of fresh and sour (dovga) is obtained.
Many Azerbaijani dishes are similar to those of other countries (barbecue, pilaf, dolma), but their cooking technology is different.
Azerbaijani national pilaf has its own characteristics. It belongs to the Iranian type. Rice for pilaf is prepared and served on the table separately from other components of pilaf and is not even mixed during meals. The taste of pilaf depends on the quality of rice preparation, because rice makes up more than half of the volume of the entire dish. When cooking, rice should not boil, stick together, but should turn out so that each rice is whole.
Rice should be served slightly warm. Separately, but simultaneously with rice, meat and herbs are served separately. Thus, it turns out that rice consists of three parts that make up one dish.
They like to drink tea in Azerbaijan very much. They drink exclusively black tea and use, as in Iran, a special narrow pear-shaped cup.
Eating a lot of greens, fruits and juices, young meat And fermented milk products, makes Azerbaijani cuisine very useful and healthy.

Azerbaijani cuisine is considered one of the most ancient in the world. The cuisine of Azerbaijan, which has quite a lot of traditions common to all Caucasian peoples, at the same time combines some features that give it a unique flavor.

Features of Azerbaijani cuisine

• With all the abundance of different types of meat available, Azerbaijanis prefer to use lamb for cooking main dishes (for example, pilaf).
• The favorable sunny climate of Azerbaijan has also affected the cuisine of local peoples: vegetables, fruits and berries (pears, plums, cherry plums, eggplants, tomatoes, cucumbers, quince, citrus fruits) are widely used in cooking.
• The originality of Azerbaijani cuisine is in the types of dishes used by local peoples: pits, cauldrons, saja frying pans, cash cups and others.
• Azerbaijani dishes are characterized by spicy, spicy taste and their treats are really sweet.
• Among the traditional recipes of Azerbaijani cuisine, you will not find dishes with pork or recipes for alcoholic beverages, since Islam has largely influenced the cuisine of this country.

Popular Azerbaijani dishes

It is impossible to talk about the cuisine of Azerbaijan without mentioning its famous plov. It is believed that it is the Azerbaijanis who cook pilaf in the Caucasus best of all. They usually use lamb, but variations with beef and even fish are possible. Azerbaijani pilaf is flavored with a mixture of spices from saffron, cloves, cinnamon, cilantro and ground peppers. According to ancient Azerbaijani traditions, the rice part of pilaf is served separately from meat filling and herbs.

The second most popular Azerbaijani dish is considered to be kebab- meatballs from minced meat strung on thin wooden skewers and cooked over an open fire. Also, Azerbaijanis cannot imagine a summer feast without barbecue - they are real masters in the preparation of various marinades.

While in Azerbaijan, it is worth trying another traditional dish - dolma. This is a kind of analogue of Russian cabbage rolls, only smaller. The filling can be either meat or fish or vegetable, and instead cabbage leaves grape or quince leaves are used.

A significant part of Azerbaijani national dishes are sweets and desserts, which can be divided into three groups depending on the method of preparation: dough products, caramel treats and sweets. To enrich the taste of desserts, Azerbaijani chefs use sesame seeds, cardamom, ginger, various varieties of nuts, and poppy seeds. The most popular Azerbaijani sweet is baklava, which is made from dough, honey, sugar, caramel and nuts.

Many Asian and Caucasian cuisines have in their arsenal such a delicacy as sherbet. In Azerbaijan, this is not the name of sweetness, but a soft drink based on berries and fruits with the addition of sugar, which is usually served with pilaf and other main dishes. Another popular national drink Azerbaijan is doshab, which is similar to sweet fruit puree.

The main drink in Azerbaijan is black tea. It is strongly brewed and then drunk from special small pear-shaped jugs called “ormud”.

People in Azerbaijan are very fond of and know how to cook, and therefore, to receive guests. Azerbaijanis love long feasts, during which you can taste many traditional dishes. If you are lucky enough to visit Azerbaijan, do not look for a cafe where you can have a bite - it is better to visit the locals: only after tasting homemade dishes, you will be able to appreciate the culinary traditions of this country.

Azerbaijani cuisine is famous for its diversity. For Azerbaijanis, cuisine is an important part of culture, deeply rooted in history and has many traditions and values.
Of the 11 climatic zones existing in the world, the Azerbaijani climate has nine. This contributes to the fertility of the land, which in turn leads to the richness of the cuisine.
Azerbaijani cuisine has much in common with Turkish and Iranian cuisines.
Another important factor influencing big influence on the formation of Azerbaijani cuisine, is Islam. Almost all local dishes are made according to Muslim traditions.

The national Azerbaijani cuisine has been spread in the current Republic of Azerbaijan, Iranian Azerbaijan, in the territories of old Azerbaijan (the territory of modern Armenia) - the Erivan Khanate, Zangezur and the province of Goycha, in the territories of Georgia, where the Azerbaijani people historically settled - Borchali, Dagestan and Derbent, which was the center of one of the old Azerbaijani khanates. The history of national cuisine is as old as the history of the Azerbaijani people. The cuisine, with its historical roots and originality, is different from others. Azerbaijani dishes are popular all over the world due to their high taste qualities. They cannot be confused with others. Currently, Azerbaijani cuisine uses the features of ancient cooking methods along with modern ones.

In the past, Azerbaijani national dishes were cooked in copper utensils. There are several rural areas where it is still used today.

For baking bread and cooking meat, a special clay oven, the tandoor, is often used. The secret of the tandoor oven is the heating process. The wood is placed on the ground and lit. You have to wait until it turns into a glowing one. charcoal. By this point, the oven will have reached a temperature of around 400°C. The food is mostly cooked from the heat of the walls. Heat provides very fast cooking. In the Middle Ages, the tandoor oven was widely used among the population living in the Old City (Icheri Sheher), as evidenced by archaeological excavations in different parts of the Old City.

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plant food

Azerbaijani cuisine has a very large number of vegetables and herbs used in seasonal dishes.

Of the vegetables, the most popular are: eggplant, tomato, sweet pepper, spinach, cabbage, onion, sorrel, beetroot, radish, cucumber, green beans. Rice and flour products are also widely used in national cuisine. Fresh herbs including mint, coriander, dill, basil, parsley, tarragon, leek, onion, thyme, marjoram, green onion and watercress are very popular and often accompany main courses.

And there is such an interesting feature: in Azerbaijan they like to eat green cherry plum with salt. Salt neutralizes acid. They say it's delicious!

Meat and fish

The most popular meat in Azerbaijan is lamb, followed by beef and poultry meat.
The Caspian Sea is a habitat for many species of fish, including sturgeon, salmon, kutum, sardines, mullet and others. Black caviar from the Caspian Sea is one of the most famous delicacies of Azerbaijan and is highly valued all over the world.

Dairy

Dairy products have long been considered a source of health and longevity in Azerbaijan. With various ailments, the patient was advised to include more milk and its products in the daily diet.
Azerbaijani cuisine uses not only cow's milk, but also buffalo, sheep's and goat's milk.
Ayran, gatyg, cottage cheese and various types of cheeses are made from milk.

Spices

Spices are loved and widely used in Azerbaijani cuisine. Mint, cloves, cinnamon, coriander, dill, basil, parsley, cumin, leeks, thyme, marjoram, chives, and watercress are very popular and often accompany main courses.

Dried fruits and walnuts are also used in many dishes. Traditional spices are salt, black pepper, sumac and especially saffron, which is grown inland on the Absheron peninsula.

Narsharab - tart pomegranate sauce with spices. Spices in narsharab sauce may vary, the most popular recipe contains sugar, salt, cinnamon, basil, coriander and ground pepper. Narsharab is considered to be one of the business cards Azerbaijani cuisine. It is usually served with meat dishes or added to salads.

Traditional dishes

Bread

Bread is of great importance in Azerbaijani cuisine. Azerbaijanis use different methods of making bread.

Tandoor bread / tandyr churek (Salyan çörəyi) is a flatbread baked in a tandoor.

Sangak (səngək) is a thin triangular or quadrangular flatbread made from whole wheat on hot rocks. It was widely used earlier, starting from the Middle Ages, but with the advent of Soviet power, its use almost disappeared.

Hamrali (xamralı) is a thick flatbread cooked in a tandoor.

Azerbaijani lavash is a thin flatbread that is usually served with kebabs.

Yuha (Yuxa) - national view bread in Azerbaijan, a kind of lavash.

Soups

Piti - national soup Azerbaijani cuisine, which is cooked in special clay pots (pitishnitsa) from pieces of lamb on the bone with vegetables in broth.

Kufta bozbash - pea soup with lamb meatballs and boiled potatoes. Meatballs in bozbash for kufta are made large, from a mixture of minced lamb and rice, sometimes with the addition of dried plums.

Hamrashi is an Azerbaijani soup with lamb meatballs, noodles and beans.

Sulu khingal is a lamb and chickpea soup with large homemade noodles cut into squares. It is served both as a soup and as a main dish.

Toyug shorbasy (Toyuq shorbasi) - chicken soup.

Dovga (Dovga) - yogurt-based sour-milk soup with sorrel, spinach, rice, dried peas and small minced lamb meatballs. Served both hot and cold depending on the season.

Ovdukh - cold soup made from sliced ​​cucumbers, boiled meat, quarters of hard-boiled eggs, and greens (dill, coriander, basil, tarragon, mint), filled with matsoni with water. An analogue of our okroshka.

Dogramach (Dogramach) - ovdukh without meat.

Kelle-pacha (kəllə-paça) - prepared by long (for 6-7 hours) boiling different parts lamb, usually take the head, legs and tripe. The name is translated from Turkish as "head-foot".

Main dishes

Azerbaijani plov is one of the most famous dishes of Azerbaijani cuisine. It is served with various herbs and greens, the combination of which is completely different from those found in the Uzbek version of pilaf. Azerbaijani cuisine has more than 40 different pilaf recipes. Depending on the ingredients that accompany rice, pilaf has the following names:

• Kourma plov - lamb pilaf with onions,
• Chilov plov - from beans with fish,
• Sabzi Qovurma plov - pilaf with lamb and herbs,
• Toyug plov - with chicken
• Shirin plov - with dried fruits,
• Syudli plov - rice cooked in milk
• Sheshryanch plov is a six-color plov in which eggs cooked on the “sunny side” are placed on a pillow of rice with fried green and white onions. yolks up.

Azerbaijani pilaf consists of three separate components that are served simultaneously, but on separate dishes: rice (warm, but not hot), rice accompaniment (fried meat, dried fruits, eggs or fish) and aromatic herbs. Rice does not mix with other ingredients even when eating pilaf.

Also widespread are various recipes barbecue and kebab, which are usually prepared from lamb, beef, chicken, duck and fish.

Tika kebab (Tika kabab) - pieces of lamb meat marinated in a mixture of onions, vinegar and pomegranate juice, impaled on a large skewer and cooked on the grill. In Russian, it is called shish kebab, which in translation from Turkic (shishlyk) means "for a skewer."

Lyulya kabab is minced lamb mixed with herbs and spices, squeezed around a skewer and grilled. Usually served with pita bread.

Balyk (Balıq) - fish, usually sturgeon, impaled on skewers and grilled like a kebab. Served with tart sour-plum sauce.

Dolma (Dolma) - the name covers a variety of stuffed vegetable dishes, widespread in the Middle East and the Mediterranean. The following varieties are popular in Azerbaijani cuisine:

• yarpaq dolması - mint, fennel, cinnamon and wrapped in grape leaves,
• kələm dolması - shredded lamb meat mixed with rice and herbs and wrapped in cabbage leaves,
• turş şirin kələm dolması - sweet and sour cabbage dolma,
• badımcan dolması - tomato, bell pepper and eggplant stuffed with minced lamb meat mixed with chickpeas,
• qarabadımcan dolması - eggplant dolma,
• sogan dolmasi - onion dolma, a delicious winter alternative to stuffed eggplants, tomatoes and peppers.

Dushbara - small dumplings stuffed with chopped lamb and herbs, served in broth.

Lavangi (Lavangi) - chicken or fish stuffed with a special filling of onions, walnuts, raisins and spices from albuhara and cherry plum. They are usually baked in a tandoor. The name comes from the Persian word "lavan", which means "belly". traditional dishes Talysh region in the south of Azerbaijan, which is nevertheless difficult to find in ordinary restaurants.

Qutab (Qutab) - cakes stuffed with minced lamb, cheese or spinach. The round cake is folded in half so that the shape of a crescent is obtained.

Kovurma (Qovurma) - pieces of lamb or lamb on the bone (shoulder), stewed with onions, tomatoes and saffron. There is also a variation of lamb stew with herbs - sabzi qovurma.

Basturma (Bastirma) - pressed beef jerky, which is pre-marinated in special sauce and herbs.

Salads and appetizers

Azerbaijani cuisine includes a number of light snacks and side dishes, which are almost always present on the table. Mainly various lungs vegetable salads like the tomato and cucumber salad.

Goy (goy) - a plate with fragrant green leaves.

Choban (choban) - a salad of tomatoes and cucumbers.

Dessert

Azerbaijan is famous for its desserts. Baklava, sherbet, as well as a large number of flour and candy-like desserts can be served here not only as a dessert for tea, but also as a side dish for the main course.

Typical Azerbaijani desserts are sticky, syrupy ones such as baklava and Sheki halva.

Sheki halva, a sweet that is a layer of crushed nuts sandwiched between layers of thin fried dough, is a specialty of the city of Sheki in northwestern Azerbaijan.

Baklava is one of the festive sweets that is baked on the eve of the arrival of spring - Novruz holiday, to honor the sun. The name comes from the shape of the diamond, symbolizing fire.

Shekerbura (şəkərbura) is a popular Azerbaijani dessert made from sweet dough filled with ground almonds, hazelnuts or walnuts. The effect of their appearance is added by tucks along the edges created by the special tool maggash. The ancient name of these crescent-shaped pies is Sheker Burek, which means “sweet cake” in Turkic. In Azerbaijan, they usually gather with the whole family, with relatives, friends and neighbors at someone's house to cook shekerbura for the Novruz holiday.

Shor Gogal is another dessert that is prepared for the Nowruz holiday. This is a round shaped puff pastry filled with turmeric, anise, cumin, cinnamon and black pepper. These rolls take a long time to prepare, but the process itself is not very complicated. In ancient times, the yellow round dessert Shor gogal symbolized the sun, and the crescent of Shekerbur represented the moon.

Samani halva is made from malted wheat and is best described as a spicy, sticky, chewy treat. One curious tradition associated with samani halva in Azerbaijan is to prepare halva with a large group using flour from seven different families - houses.

Guymag is a simple and nutritious dessert reminiscent of sweet porridge or pudding. Traditionally, it is prepared for women who have just given birth or for patients after surgery, to give strength and energy. It is high in calories and easy to prepare. It is also served as hot breakfast in cold weather.

Firni is a dessert made from rice flour with milk, which has a light texture and soft fragrance, making it much lighter than British and North American baked rice puddings.

Badambura is a pastry dessert filled with powdered sugar, almonds, cardamom and vanilla. Tastes slightly less sweet than baklava and not as sticky as contains no honey. Translated from Azerbaijani, badam means almond.

Pashmak (peshmak) - sugar thread-like halva.

Beverages

Black tea is a national drink and an integral part of the culture of Azerbaijan. Usually, the Azerbaijani people prefer tea from a samovar. Tea is offered to guests as a welcome gesture, often accompanied by fruit jam.

Ayran is a cold fermented milk drink with salt.

Azerbaijani sherbet (şərbət) is a sweet cold drink made from fruit juice mixed or boiled with sugar, often flavored with rose water. Sherbets are usually prepared with the following natural flavors: lemon, pomegranate, strawberry, cherry, apricot, mint.

Alcohol

Vodka remains the most popular alcoholic drink in Azerbaijan, but wines, especially local ones, are also very popular among the residents.

In the summer season, cold beer is preferred.

Serving and etiquette

At the end of the meal, the restaurant usually serves a plate of fresh seasonal fruits: plums, cherries, apricots or grapes.

Cold appetizers are usually served separately from drinks.

Recipes

Kuku is a very popular Azerbaijani dish, the star of breakfasts and snacks. Kukyu originates in Persian cuisine. This is the name of dishes where the main ingredients (vegetables, herbs, meat or fish) are mixed with eggs and fried on both sides in a pan or baked in the oven. Don't confuse kyukyu with scrambled eggs because proportionally...

Dolma is a family of recipes stuffed vegetables or leaves born in the kitchens of the former Ottoman Empire and its environs. Now the dish symbolizes Greek and Turkish cuisine, it can be found in the Balkans, in the countries of the Caucasus, on the shores of the Eastern Mediterranean, the Middle East, the Middle East, Central Asia, North Africa and Western Mediterranean. The name "dolma" comes from...

Shekerbura is a national Azerbaijani delicacy, beautiful crescent-shaped carved pies with nut filling. Shekerbura is prepared by the whole family for Novruz holiday. With the help of special tongs, an ornament is created on the entire surface of the pies, giving them a beautiful sophisticated look. The name of shekerbur is translated from Turkic as " mince pie". Ingredients - Shekerbura: ...

Azerbaijanis, like all Caucasians, are very hospitable. Even late and uninvited guests they always meet cordially, treating with all their hearts. Their cuisine is original and extremely interesting, with a truly oriental flavor.

FEATURES OF AZERBAIJANIAN CUISINE

The range of dishes here is so great that it will delight even the most fastidious gourmets. More than two thousand hot dishes, many snacks, meat dishes, about two hundred varieties of pilaf - this is only a small part of what the people of Azerbaijan can offer guests. But this region is famous not only for the abundance of food. According to Muslim traditions, it should also please the eye and bring aesthetic pleasure, so the table is always bursting with a large number of different goodies.
To briefly characterize the culinary traditions of this people, it is important individual features. Let's start with the fact that in Azerbaijani cuisine preference is given to meat dishes made from lamb, beef or various types of poultry. Particular attention is paid to fish dishes - they are grilled, baked in a tandoor or smoked. Every dish here has its own unique taste, which is achieved through the use of many spices and spices.
For cooking, the inhabitants of this Transcaucasian state necessarily use a lot of fruits, vegetables and herbs. They prefer mainly chestnuts, grapes, dogwood, quince and cherry plum. Carrots, beets, potatoes are used less often. Greens are an integral part of any dish. Cilantro, onion, parsley, basil are the main companions of every cook. As a rule, there are a lot of greens in a serving - it takes up 2/3 of the plate, it is served fresh, sometimes even separately from the main dish.
Azerbaijanis revere and madly love spicy herbs. They give food a special piquancy and sophistication. Tarragon, saffron, coriander and mint are frequent guests on the local table. They also found application for knotweed - it is necessarily added to pilaf and meat dishes. Rose oil is also popular here, which is often used in the preparation of sweets, in particular jams.

POPULAR DISHES OF AZERBAIJANIAN CUISINE

Although the cuisine of Azerbaijan is very diverse, one can try to highlight the most famous culinary masterpieces prepared here. Although it will be difficult to do this, because literally everything here deserves attention!

Snacks

Considerable attention is paid light meals, the basis of which are vegetables and herbs. One of the most simple snacks of these ingredients is kyukyu. In fact, this is an ordinary scrambled egg cooked with the addition of greens, walnuts, barberry, saffron, herbs and many aromatic spices. Fresh milk or cream is also used to prepare kyukyu, which makes it even more fluffy and tender. The dish is usually served with fermented baked milk or other fermented milk products.
Ajapsandal, a vegetarian dish, which is common not only in the East, but also in European countries, also belongs to the category of cold appetizers. The self-name is quite exotic, translated from the Turkic language means "how delightful you are." It is prepared from fresh vegetables, using eggplant, sweet bell pepper and tomatoes. In some versions add hot peppers and some potatoes. An obligatory ingredient is greens - cilantro, basil, onions or garlic. In terms of taste and a set of main components, ajapsandal resembles the European version of vegetable sauté.
From vegetable snacks, well combined with meat, one can distinguish hyafta-bejar - assorted pickled eggplants, white cabbage, carrots and tomatoes. As in any Azerbaijani dish, there are many spices and herbs here.
A place of honor in Azerbaijan's cuisine is occupied by vegetable salads - as a rule, they are served with meat. Vegetables for them are cut into large cubes, after which they are seasoned with sour-milk sauces or olive oil. Of the most famous salads you can select fisinjan from beets, it is perfect for any holiday. Harmonious combination beets, cilantro, walnuts and pomegranate seeds makes it very tasty and tender. In some regions of the country, you can find fisinjan from lobio and beans.

First meal

There are about 30 types of first courses in traditional Azerbaijani cuisine. Hot dishes are represented mainly by meat soups, they are very satisfying and high-calorie. Unlike ordinary soups, they have more thick consistency, which is achieved by a small amount of broth.
One of the most common first meals is bozbash - a fatty, rich soup with vegetables and fruits, prepared on the basis of lamb broth. Translated from Azerbaijani, it means "gray head". This name, most likely, was borrowed from the Iranian tribes. Bozbash is multi-component, Turkish (mutton) peas, chestnuts (sometimes replaced with ordinary potatoes) and lamb are necessarily used for its preparation. To make the soup thicker and richer, a lot of vegetables are added to it, often onions, sweet peppers, zucchini, eggplant, carrots and tomatoes are used. Many spices and seasonings, in particular basil, mint and saffron, make it even more fragrant, and the addition of apples and cherry plums gives it freshness and a barely perceptible sour taste.
In local cuisine, there are several varieties of bozbash, which differ from each other in a set of basic ingredients. Kufta-bozbash is interesting - pea soup with lamb meatballs, as well as brocade-bozbash - with chestnuts and young lamb meat. Balyk-bozbash is also popular; instead of lamb, fish fillet is used for its preparation, mainly stellate sturgeon. Adds spice to the dish pomegranate juice, used for marinating fish, and cherry plum fruits.
Depending on the regions of the country, several more varieties of bozbash are distinguished: Yerevan, Echmiadzin and Sisian. It is served in deep bowls. It is accompanied by traditional lavash and sour-milk caucasian sauce. The dish is decorated with parsley, mint or any other greens.
Kelle-pacha is another famous dish found on the tables of hospitable Azerbaijanis. It is also distributed in Iran and Turkey. It is a hearty rich broth from lamb legs and tripe, seasoned with spices and lots of herbs.
Locals call piti a national dish of Azerbaijani cuisine - a traditional lamb brisket soup with chestnuts, peas, onions, peppers and garlic. Unlike other hot dishes, it is cooked in the oven. All ingredients are pre-served heat treatment, and then baked in a clay pot in the oven. The soup has a thick texture, delicate taste and pleasant aroma.
The peoples of the Caucasus and Transcaucasia have several well-known dishes for the preparation of which they use beef. The first place in this list belongs to a soup called hash. According to researchers, this is one of the oldest Azerbaijani dishes, which previously had a ritual character. Beef tripe is used for its preparation, in some regions there is a tradition to add legs, head and tail of great cattle. Khash is a light soup that is usually eaten only for breakfast. It must be served hot. The peculiarity lies in the fact that it is prepared without salt and spices, and these ingredients are presented to guests in a separate plate. In some cases, it can be decorated with finely chopped parsley and cilantro.
Specific dishes of Azerbaijan include umach - onion soup with small flour balls in the form of small crumbs. Before serving, it must be seasoned with saffron and garnished with dried mint. You should also try ovdukh - a cold soup reminiscent of traditional Russian okroshka, as well as balva - rice soup with the addition of greens and finely chopped boiled eggs.
The local soups are very high-calorie and satisfying, so they are often used as full-fledged second courses. Such is the Sulu Khingal. Based on meat broth with the addition of young lamb meat and a variety of vegetables, it will delight the most sophisticated gourmets. It is also served with a few shreds of bread and vinegar. Shchorba is another famous Azerbaijani dish. It is a rice soup with the addition of chickpeas and fruits (apples, plums and cherry plums).
In the cuisine of Azerbaijan, you can also find "light" soups. For example, hamrashi - with beans and noodles, sujuk - sweet soup, with walnuts and oil, seasoned with saffron tincture. The broth is also interesting. boiled dumplings lamb with addition fat tail fat, onion and spices - it is called kurza. Popular and Azerbaijani dumpling soup- dushbara. It consists of small dumplings (from 8 to 10 pieces are placed on one spoon). They are boiled in lamb broth, add dried mint or cilantro. Serving food with wine vinegar and garlic.
Dishes made from sour milk are also widely used. Among them, dovga is distinguished by special taste qualities - this is a fragrant sour-milk rice soup with meatballs, seasoned with mint, cilantro and spinach. It is really versatile, it is served both cold and hot. Meatballs are cooked separately and added to the soup just before serving. Delicate taste And pleasant aroma differs and syudlu-syyyg - milky rice soup with the addition of sweet, sugar syrup, saffron, butter and cinnamon.

Main dishes

In Azerbaijani cuisine, preference is given to dishes from lamb and poultry meat. In connection with religious beliefs - the local residents mostly profess Islam - they do not eat pork. Particular attention is paid to the freshness of the meat, because most of the dishes are cooked on an open fire.
One of the national dishes, without which it is impossible to imagine caucasian cuisine, many call plov. It is very ancient and it is hardly possible to establish the exact place of its origin. For the first time, the recipe for cooking appeared in the countries of the Middle East around the 2nd-3rd centuries. BC. There are many options and techniques for its preparation. In Azerbaijan alone, there are about 30 variants. According to local culinary traditions, pilaf consists of two parts: the first is rice porrige(it is possible to use other cereals, but this is extremely rare), the second is gara (a combination of meat, vegetables, fruits, dried fruits, herbs and spices). When cooking, special attention is paid to the choice of dishes. As a rule, cast-iron or copper cauldrons are used.
Azerbaijanis have their original technology cooking pilaf. Its essence lies in the fact that rice and gara are cooked separately and combined on a plate just before serving, while the ingredients should never be mixed. There are regions where rice and stuffing for pilaf are served on separate plates. Gara options can also be varied. For its preparation, meat, fish fillets and vegetables are used, to which fruits are necessarily added, mainly cherry plum, sour plums and pomegranate.
The taste of Azerbaijani pilaf depends on right technology cooking rice. So that the cereal is not overcooked, but remains whole and crumbly, it is steamed using metal coasters and adding a little lamb fat or butter. Plov is served to guests following certain traditions that have evolved over many centuries. When serving, the dish is divided into three parts: the first is rice, the filling is served on the second plate, greens, spicy herbs (basil, onion, cilantro) and kazmag (flat cake from unleavened dough), playing the role of a snack. It is customary for Asians to serve pilaf warm and drink it with sherbet.
It is hard to imagine the local cuisine without fragrant shish kebab. Shish kebab is an integral part of many national cuisines, although the traditions of its preparation originated in the Middle East. Juicy and fragrant Azerbaijani shish kebab is made from lamb, although other types of meat are often used - beef, veal, chicken, fish fillet and even seafood.
Among the dishes fried meat you can also highlight kebab (meat minced meat from lamb, fried on the grill, served with herbs and lavash) and tandyr kavap (fried meat baked in the tandoor, that is, in a pitcher-shaped grill). Dener kebab, or shawarma, is also popular among Asian peoples - this dish has Arabic roots and is common in many countries of the Middle East. It is a pita stuffed with pre-grilled lamb or beef. Together with meat, finely chopped fresh vegetables seasoned with garlic or tomato sauce.
In Azerbaijan, food is treated with respect, so even the entrails of animals are used. All of these ingredients work well together. national dish called chyz-byz - a roast based on broth from lamb bones and ribs. Lungs, liver and lamb heart are added to it, stewing everything with a small amount of vegetables, mainly potatoes and onions.
Dolma is another national dish common among the peoples of the Caucasus and Central Asia. This is a kind of variation on the theme of Ukrainian cabbage rolls, but instead of cabbage leaves, grape, quince and fig leaves are used. For the filling, use lamb with stewed vegetables or fillet of sturgeon or stellate sturgeon.
In Azerbaijan, there are many options for making dolma. In the summer, badimdzhan dolmasy is often served - this is a vegetable dalma. Eggplants, sweet peppers and tomatoes are used for its preparation. The dish is served with sour milk sauce and chopped garlic. Delhi dolma is also very popular. It is prepared from eggplant, and rice and peas are used as a filling, seasoning everything with mint and other herbs. Depending on the main ingredients, there are several more options for Azerbaijani-style cabbage rolls: sogan-dolmasy (from onions), khiyar-dolmasy (from fresh cucumbers), pib dolmasy (from linden leaves) and alma-dolmasy (from apples).
A traditional meat dish among the peoples of the Caucasus is kyufta - these are large-sized meatballs made from lamb with the addition of saffron and other fragrant herbs. There are several varieties of this dish: arzuman-kufta ( meatballs, stuffed boiled egg, onions and herbs), riza-kyufta ( meat balls, stewed in tomato sauce), tava-kyuftasi (beef meatballs fried in a pan). No less popular is the Tabriz kyufta - meatballs stuffed with rice with the addition of dried apricots, raw eggs and chickpeas (chickpeas). A lot of herbs and spices add aroma and sophistication to the food.

Flour dishes and bread products

Bread and flour products occupy a significant place in diet Azerbaijanis. Previously, bread was baked on iron sheets - sajs, over time, they were replaced by tendyrs, which have not left the life of local residents so far. Good alternative to traditional bread products churek performs. It is made from yeast dough, it is often round, sometimes it resembles a roll. Churek is baked without any filling, only sprinkled with a small amount of sesame seeds on top. In appearance, it resembles an ordinary loaf.
Azerbaijanis call kutab (gutab in some regions) a hearty and tasty flour dish - this is a seasonal dish, popular mainly in spring and autumn. It is a thin pie baked from unleavened dough, it looks like a crescent moon. Qutab is stuffed with lamb or lamb giblets, adding pomegranate seeds, grated onion, cheese and lots of greens. Previously, camel meat was used instead of lamb, but now it is almost never done. In some regions of Azerbaijan, Lezgin kutabs, or afars, are popular. They differ from traditional dishes in that only greens are used as a filling, and they are cooked on an open fire, using saji for this.
A variety of kutab is also kyatya - these are the same pies, but the role of the filling is played by a mixture of cheese from sheep milk(wound) and onion. Finely chopped woodlice leaves are also added here, sometimes they are replaced with young nettle leaves or spinach. The filling is a mixture boiled potatoes and minced meat. Kyatya and kutab usually have large sizes, they are seasoned with lots of greens. They are baked on iron discs - sajs. Pies are eaten hot, often served with curdled milk or kefir.
It is difficult to imagine Azerbaijani cuisine without traditional lavash - not a single holiday can do without it. In fact, this is an ordinary unleavened bread, shaped like an oval cake. As a rule, pita breads are very thin - their thickness does not exceed 2-5 mm, and the width of one sheet is about 50 cm. For dough, they use mainly wheat, less often barley flour. Products are baked in special ovens (tendyrs). Traditionally, the eldest woman in the house kneads the dough for pita bread. To do this, use a large wooden trough - tasht. The daughter-in-law is always entrusted with rolling out the dough. After that, the cake is pulled onto the inner walls of the oven and baked for literally 30-50 seconds. Finished sheets are folded into small piles of 10 pieces. Lavash is not a perishable product, so it can be stored dry for a long time.
In Azerbaijan, lavash is served with meat and is always used when serving kebab. In addition, it has a certain ritual function. There is a tradition according to which in some regions of the country it was presented as a gift for the daughter-in-law, which symbolized good luck and prosperity.

sweet pastries

Azerbaijanis have a special love for sweets: delicious fruit jams and various pastries become essential attributes of any feast. Range sweet pastries quite diverse and has about 30 varieties. The list of the most famous Azerbaijani delicacies includes baklava, Baku kurabye and sheker-bura.
Baklava is a traditional oriental dessert, which is layered cake stuffed with nuts with the addition of cardamom, saffron, cloves and other spices. Each region of Azerbaijan has its own traditions for its preparation. Even outwardly, it looks different: there is a square and a triangular one, although in the classic version it is cut into small pieces in the shape of a rhombus.
Kurabye harmonize well with fragrant Azerbaijani tea - this is a very simple spicy shortbread cookie. There is a legend that in ancient times this dessert was invented by a resourceful servant of the Persian Sultan. Somehow the villains took away all the sweets from the Sultan's palace. The servant decided to rectify the situation and baked simple cookies from those products that were oval shape. To give it a more aesthetic appearance, I decorated it with powdered sugar, sprinkled with cinnamon and saffron. Since then, kurabye has become a favorite dessert among Asian peoples. Shaker-churek is another kind of Azerbaijani shortbread cookies - these sweet, tender shortbread cookies that simply melt in your mouth will decorate any holiday table.
Easy to prepare and at the same time very delicious dessert is sheker-bura ("sweet pie"). The delicacy is prepared mainly during the national holiday Novruz. According to traditions, on this day sheker-bura symbolizes the moon, and baklava is the personification of the stars. Pies are baked from wheat flour, almonds, walnuts and cardamom are used as fillings. From above they are decorated with a small pattern in the form of wheat ears.
Firni also belongs to Azerbaijani desserts. It is made from milk and rice flour, poured on top with melted butter and sprinkle with cinnamon. Mutaki is another sweet that everyone will like, it is prepared mainly on holidays. The delicacy is a simple crumbly tubes with a nut-sugar filling. It is quite simple to prepare, but thanks to the use of spices, the taste is very unusual.
Azerbaijani nan also belongs to the category of butter cookies. This dessert has the form of small slices, cut obliquely. The delicacy has light spicy taste, which is inherent in all oriental sweets. During cooking, various fruit fillings, walnuts, candied fruits and raisins are added to it, and on top it is decorated with powdered sugar.

Beverages

The most famous Azerbaijani soft drink Sherbet is considered to be one of the oldest types of drink common in the countries of the East. Previously, it was a combination of decoctions of dogwood, rose hips and licorice with the addition of spices and spices. Now it is prepared on the basis of fruit juices, adding a number of spices and spices, a little sugar and ice cream.
The second place is occupied by airan - a fermented milk drink that perfectly quenches thirst. Traditionally, it is made from cow's, less often sheep's milk, adding a little salt and water.
Not only excellent taste, but also medicinal properties possesses doshab - boiled fruit juice. It is made by combining grape, mulberry and apricot juices. Use it without sugar. Its texture resembles rather sauce. Doshab is often used as an addition to meat dishes and snacks.
It is hard to imagine an Azerbaijani feast without tea: according to local residents, it is conducive to friendly communication and is simply necessary to maintain a relaxed conversation. According to local traditions, tea drinking is a kind of symbol of hospitality and respect for the guest.
Over the centuries, Azerbaijan has developed its own traditions of tea drinking. The first thing worth noting is that only black long leaf tea is drunk here. The drink itself must be very strong. Tea leaves are brewed in large teapots, then poured ready drink into tall pear-shaped mugs (armuds). However, it is never diluted. hot water and do not add sugar or granulated sugar thus preserving the natural strong taste and pleasant aroma.
Usually served with tea different types fruit jam or oriental sweets. To make it even more fragrant, it is often necessary to add oriental spices- cloves, ginger, cinnamon and cardamom. In the summer, rose oil is added to tea, which perfectly quenches thirst on hot days.
For Azerbaijanis, tea is also an attribute of matchmaking. If during this ceremony the parents of the daughter-in-law put a piece of sugar in it, this means that it is time to prepare for the wedding, and if sugar is served separately, this means that it is too early for the groom to rejoice.
From alcohol it is worth noting mulberry brandy - this is a strong alcoholic drink, for the preparation of which mulberry juice is used. It has a transparent color, has a tart taste with a clearly perceptible smell of berries. The drink can be stored for several years. It is aged in special wooden barrels. Aged varieties have a richer shade (from golden to dark brown), a pronounced tart taste that harmoniously combines with the aroma of fragrant herbs, berries and wood.

As you can see, Azerbaijani cuisine is distinguished by a great abundance of various dishes, each of which is characterized by a unique flavor range. The uniqueness of the taste of local culinary masterpieces is associated not only with the skill of the chefs, but also with a wide variety of products that the generous land of Azerbaijan gives for their preparation. Azerbaijanis adopted many recipes and traditions from those peoples who lived next to them for many centuries. All this contributed to the fact that they were able to creatively diversify the range and improve taste qualities own food, but at the same time managed to preserve the unique local flavor!

I don’t even know where to start the story about the month I spent in Azerbaijan. The scenery is simply magnificent, the cities are charming, and the people are insanely friendly. The holiday was full of adventures, and everything was not at all what I expected. So where would you start?

I'm still a little confused and trying to digest everything. (Process photos, damn it, I took more than 2000 photos)

So, I’ll start, perhaps, with this ... when I found out that I was going to, I was haunted by only one question: “I wonder what kind of cuisine is there?”:

Food in Azerbaijan

Instead of jumping right into the top 5 dishes I've tried, as I usually do, today I'm going to take a little digression.

First of all, I must say that I was in Azerbaijan for work.

And when I wasn't eating breakfast, lunch and dinner at the hotel buffet, I used to dine at the stadium, which meant eating a tiny muffin and drinking a bottle of water, if I was lucky I could eat beetroot salad and cold pizza. (But I'm not complaining by any means: many sporting events don't provide free food for the media at all - in London they charged £1.05 for a bottle of water. I was grateful for the free snacks).

I want to say that my understanding of Azerbaijani cuisine is limited. However, I did manage to try a few dishes outside the hotel and get a glimpse of Azerbaijani culture in the process.

What is Azerbaijani cuisine like?

If I were asked to describe Azerbaijani food in four words, I would say: pickles, herbs, lamb and sodium.

Each meal begins with a plate of appetizers, which are eaten with warm naan-like flatbread. Appetizer includes: fresh herbs, cheeses, olives, onions, tomatoes, cucumbers and assorted pickles: pickled onions, pickled cabbage, pickled olives. At one restaurant, I even tried pickled mushrooms (It's a little funny that what I call pickled, they call white cucumber).

Herbs are highly valued here; sometimes they bring a whole plate with only herbs. They smell wonderful.

At least one of the main dishes comes with lamb meat. Even those dishes that do not contain it contain a large amount of sodium, which I have never tried before.

I don't like to complain about food. I can't stand doing it and I can't stand those who do it. But I admit that after a month in Azerbaijan, I needed a sodium break (And this happened to me, a man who repeatedly sat down to watch movies with a can of pickles and destroyed it at a time).

Dinner was usually accompanied by tea, an important part of Azerbaijani culture, and something else that I will definitely write more about in another post.

So, now that you have an idea (or at least MY idea) about Azerbaijani cuisine, we can move on to the top 5 dishes I tried in Azerbaijan.

5 best dishes I tried in Azerbaijan

Drink soup from Sheki

Petey. God, drink! Undoubtedly, this is the best thing I have eaten in Azerbaijan. Piti is a soup that is cooked in an individual clay pot that you ‘disassemble’ before eating. First, break the pieces of bread and throw them into the pot. Then slowly tilt the pot of piti so that the broth floods the bread; then add the rest of the ingredients to finish cooking the dish - do each step very quickly and you'll be splashed with hot soup :).
The recipe itself is simple: lamb, chickpeas, chestnuts and potatoes. But as a result, you get a hearty and aromatic soup, one of the most aromatic soups in my life - most likely thanks to big portion cooked fat.

Badambura in Baku

Badambura is a well-known Azerbaijani pie. It comes in various forms, with fillings of sugar, cinnamon and finely chopped nuts. I first tried it in the tournament accreditation center. While waiting for my accreditation to be printed, I casually mentioned that I was hungry. The center volunteers immediately took badambur and juice from personal lunch bags and insisted that I eat. I don't know because of the hunger or their kindness, but no badambura was as magnificent as that first one.

Black tea and cherry jam in Baku

As with all the dishes on this list, this tea has a history that makes it unforgettable. But tea itself was fantastic, which is not surprising, since tea occupies a huge place in the daily life of an Azerbaijani; on the streets I often saw men playing board games and sipping black tea from beautifully shaped small mugs. There is even a special tradition - to drink it with jam, but I will talk about this in another post.

Sheki halva

We went to Sheki for one day, so the stop at the local sweet shop was no more than five minutes. But even in those few minutes, I saw just how popular this guy's halva was: the tiny shop was filled with locals pushing each other in hopes of buying the latest halva. The boxes disappeared as soon as some person filled them with freshly cut sweets.

By the way, halva is a dessert of crushed nuts lying between layers of the thinnest fried dough with honey oozing from it - specialty of the house Sheki, so I think we bought the best of the best.

Fish of the Caspian Sea and smoked cheese in the city of Gabala

The fish was not so appetizing, perhaps due to the fact that I had to remove the heads first, then, when I greedily devoured small bodies, I had to remember about the bones.

And again, these dishes - memories of one night - I drank along with local Azerbaijanis who did not know Russian except for "Vodka!" - which is why I put this salty snack on my list (the salt content in it is above the norm, which I need to cope with vodka).