It has much in common with the cuisines of the peoples of Transcaucasia. This is a tandoor oven, and utensils and household items, and many taste preferences. But she surpassed them in one thing: over the years of her formation, under the influence of religious traditions and her own cultural customs and customs of neighboring countries, she formed her own unique culinary features, which were appreciated by the whole world.
Story
Azerbaijan is an ancient country with a rich history and no less rich cuisine. The latter just displayed all the stages of development that the Azerbaijani people went through. Judge for yourself: today most of his dishes have Turkic names. But Iranian notes are guessed in their cooking technology and taste. Why did it happen? It's all about the history of this country.
In the III - IV century. BC e. it was conquered by the Sassanids. It was they who subsequently founded Iran and influenced the process of development and formation of Azerbaijan itself. And let in the VIII century. followed by the Arab conquest with the penetration of Islam into the lives of local residents, and in the XI - XII centuries. both the Turkish attack and the Mongol invasion, this had practically no effect on the established Iranian traditions that are still traced in Azerbaijani culture. Moreover, in the XVI - XVIII centuries. he himself returned to Iran, and after a hundred years he completely disintegrated into small principalities - khanates. This is what allowed them to subsequently form their own regional traditions, which are still preserved in Azerbaijani cuisine.
Distinctive features
- The basis of the diet in Azerbaijan is mutton, and, if possible, they always prefer young lambs, although occasionally they can afford both veal and game, such as pheasant, quail, partridge. The love for young meat is rather due to the favorite way of cooking it - on an open fire. It is always supplemented with sourness - cherry plum, dogwood, pomegranate.
- Widespread use of fish, unlike other cuisines of Transcaucasia. Preference is most often given to red. Cook it on the grill, on the grill or on steam bath with the addition of nuts and fruits.
- Genuine love for fruits, vegetables and spicy greens. Moreover, they are eaten raw, boiled or fried as part of any dish in which they account for at least half of the serving. True, local residents traditionally give preference to above-ground vegetables, such as: asparagus, cabbage, beans, artichokes, peas. The rest are rarely prepared. To enhance the taste fried foods they add leeks and green onions, dill, garlic, lemon balm, nuts (walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, etc.)
- The use of chestnuts in the cooking process. It's hard to believe, but before the appearance of potatoes in the local cuisine, hostesses widely used chestnuts. Moreover, they fell in love with their taste so much that even today some classic meat seasonings are inconceivable without them. it mountain(unripe grapes) sumac(barberry), abgora(grape juice after fermentation), bunk(pomegranate and pomegranate juice).
- Moderate salt intake. It is customary to serve meat here unsalted, since it is not salt that gives it an amazing taste, but the sourness of cherry plum, dogwood or pomegranate.
- Favorite spice is saffron, however, as in ancient Persia and Media.
- Extensive use of rose petals. This feature is called a highlight. Azerbaijani cuisine that sets her apart from the rest. Rose petals are used to make jam, sherbet, syrup.
A feature of Azerbaijani cuisine is the combination of unleavened products (rice, chestnut) with dairy and sour.
Basic cooking methods:
One can talk endlessly about national Azerbaijani dishes. And although in fact many of them coincide with dishes of other cuisines, in fact, the process of their preparation is significantly different. Judge for yourself:
Azerbaijani national plov. Its highlight is in its features. The fact is that rice is prepared for it and served separately from other ingredients. Subsequently, they are not mixed even during meals, and its quality is judged by the quality of rice preparation. Ideally, it should not stick together or boil soft.
Ovduh - okroshka.
Lula kebab - fried minced meat sausages served on pita bread.
Dushbara. In fact, these are Azerbaijani dumplings. Their highlight is that they are cooked and served in bone broth.
Kutaby with meat - fried pies.
Dzhyz-byz is a dish of lamb offal with potatoes and herbs, served with sumac.
Piti - lamb soup, potatoes, chickpeas.
Shila - a dish of chicken meat and rice.
Kyufta - stuffed meatballs.
Shaker-churek is a round biscuit made from ghee, eggs and sugar.
Azerbaijani dishes most often have Turkic names, but in terms of cooking method 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 in 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, sweet peppers. 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.
The main feature of Azerbaijani cuisine is the 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 plov 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. Drink only black long leaf tea and they 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 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 that has a great influence on the formation of Azerbaijani cuisine is Islam. Almost all local dishes are made according to Muslim traditions.
The national Azerbaijani cuisine was 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 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. The high temperature provides 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.
Featured Products
plant food
In Azerbaijani cuisine, a 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 bean. 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 also such 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.
From milk they make ayran, gatyg, cottage cheese and different kinds cheeses.
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 rightfully considered one of the hallmarks of 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 stones. 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.
Yukha (Yuxa) is the national type of bread in Azerbaijan, a kind of lavash.
Soups
Piti (Piti) is a national soup of Azerbaijani cuisine, which is cooked in special clay pots (pitishnitsa) from pieces of lamb on the bone with vegetables in the broth.
Kufta bozbash (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 - lamb soup, chickpeas with large homemade noodles which is 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 ground lamb meatballs. Served both hot and cold depending on the season.
Ovdukh - cold soup from chopped 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-term (for 6-7 hours) boiling of different parts of 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 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 grilled. 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 stuffed eggplant, tomatoes and peppers.
Dushbara - small dumplings stuffed with chopped lamb and herbs, served in broth.
Lavangi - chicken or fish stuffed with a special onion filling, walnuts, raisins and seasonings from albukhara and cherry plum. They are usually baked in a tandoor. The name comes from the Persian word "lavan", which means "belly". A traditional dish from the Talysh region in southern Azerbaijan, which is nonetheless hard to find in regular 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 a 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. Basically, these are 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.
desserts
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 is a sweetness, which is a layer of chopped nuts sandwiched between layers of thin fried dough, is a specialty of the city of Sheki in the northwest of 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 (Shekerbura / şəkərbura) is a popular Azerbaijani dessert made from sweet dough filled with ground almonds, hazelnuts or walnuts. Their effectiveness appearance add tucks around 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 cook halva big company, 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 a hot breakfast in cold weather.
Firni is a dessert made from rice flour with milk, which has a light texture and mild flavor, 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 - 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) - 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.
AT summer time 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. Kuku has its origins 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 the 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: ...
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 alcoholic beverages, since the cuisine of this country was largely influenced by Islam.
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- minced meat cutlets 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- this is 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, cardamom, ginger, various varieties nuts, poppy. 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 of 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 the dishes home cooking, you can appreciate culinary traditions this country.
The cuisine of Azerbaijan is famous for its high nutritional and taste qualities. In many restaurants around the world, such dishes are served - dovga (sour-milk soup with herbs), kyufta-bozbash (broth with meatballs), piti soup, and, of course, kebab and pilaf.
Features of Azerbaijani cuisine
Pilaf is a traditional holiday dish among Azerbaijanis. It is made from rice and can be served with meat, fish, vegetables and even fruits. A variety of seasonings and spices are widespread in Azerbaijani cuisine: cloves, cinnamon, parsley, basil, vazari, saffron, cilantro and others.
Very popular with tourists and travelers around the world are Azerbaijani barbecue and other dishes in tandir. Usage lamb in various dishes — distinguishing feature cuisines of this people. Beef, fish or poultry are used by Azerbaijanis to a much lesser extent.
In the cuisine of Azerbaijan, you cannot find pork dishes or drinks containing alcohol. This is due to the influence of Islam on the cuisine of this country. Another one distinguishing feature — unique aroma and spicy taste of dishes.
Some dishes in Azerbaijan are usually cooked in special dishes. For example, pilaf is usually cooked in a cauldron, piti soup - in a pit. For cooking Lula kebab uses different skewers.
This unique taste of Azerbaijani pilaf…
Pilaf is one of the most famous dishes of the national cuisine of Azerbaijan. This dish is presented in several varieties:
- kaurma - pilaf with lamb;
- tyarchilo - with chicken or hen;
- tursu govurma - with lamb meat and sour fruits;
- fisinjan - with game, sour fruits, nuts and cinnamon.
Unlike other oriental options, Azerbaijani pilaf involves a separate preparation of g ara (meat component) and cereal part. Experts say that this option is more ancient than the others.
- Gara is usually prepared using fruits - cherry plums, plums, pomegranates.
- For rice, one of four cooking options is usually chosen, the most exotic of which is cooking on a ghazmag.
- Gazmag - flatbread unleavened dough, it is lined with the bottom of the dishes in which pilaf is cooked.
- No option is complete without the use of fats. As a rule, this is ghee or butter.
Gara and rice are cooked separately, and only when served are combined, but not mixed. In this version, it is customary to serve pilaf spices(tarragon, basil or green onion), as well as gasmag. Usually such pilaf is washed down with cool, sour sherbet. Moreover, unlike other variants of Asian pilaf, this one is served not hot, but slightly warm, the main thing is that the oil does not freeze.
This dish is very popular in Azerbaijan, there is even a saying: "If I am destined to die, let my death come from pilaf."
Without dessert - nowhere!
The national cuisine of Azerbaijan involves a large number of sweet dishes and all kinds of desserts. Sweets are usually divided into three groups: floury, candy-like and caramel-like. As a rule, they all contain many spices and various additives: poppy, almond, sesame, nuts, ginger, vanillin and others.
National flour sweets include more than thirty items. Most Popular - baklava, shekerbura, kurabye, mutaki.
In the spring of 2009, Ganja confectioners prepared a wonderful baklava in honor of the Novruz holiday. The length of the product was 12 meters, the width was 4 meters, and the weight of the sweet was almost 3 tons. Thus, the Azerbaijani baklava set a record and entered the CIS Book of Records.
deserve special attention. Unlike Central Asian dishes with this name (which are sweet foods), here it is a soft drink with a sour taste, which is usually taken with pilaf. In addition to berry and fruit juices, sherbet is based on infusions of various buds or seeds.
Every tourist should try this
Traditional Azerbaijani the first dish - kelle-pacha - is prepared from lamb's head and legs. The name of the liquid hot soup is translated from Turkish: "kelle" - head, "pacha" - legs. Processed lamb legs, head and scar should be washed well and boiled over medium heat. Cook these ingredients for 6-7 hours, periodically removing the foam. Then the meat must be removed, large bones separated, the flesh cut into small pieces and sent back to boil in the same broth. When serving with a dish, it is recommended to serve crushed garlic and vinegar separately. Some soup options involve adding tomato paste and olive oil.
Dolma is a kind of Russian cabbage rolls, only the leaves are used not cabbage, but grape. In some regions of Azerbaijan, culinary specialists also use the leaves of quince, figs and other trees growing here. In the process of cooking, these leaves turn into an appetizing, tender and crispy crust. Stuffing for dolma, except for meat and vegetable mince, can serve fish and even fruits. To all types of dolma, except for fish, it is customary to serve fermented milk drinks with or without garlic.
Doshab
Of the drinks in Azerbaijan, doshab enjoys special honor - concentrated, boiled fruit juice. It can be made from mulberry, apricot or grape juice no added sugar. The consistency of the doshab resembles thick sauce. It is used as a seasoning for meat dishes, salads, and is also used for medicinal purposes.
Azerbaijani cuisine can be found in many restaurants around the world. Be sure to try some traditional national delicacy and you will immediately feel the unique aroma of the East. It is not surprising that there are so many admirers of Azerbaijani dishes among gourmets.
