Azerbaijani cuisine

Azerbaijani cuisineis the cooking styles and dishes of the Republic ofAzerbaijan.The cuisine is influenced by the country's diversity of agriculture, from abundant grasslands which historically allowed for a culture ofpastoralismto develop, as well as to the unique geographical location of the country, which is situated on the crossroads of Europe and Asia with access to theCaspian Sea.The location has enabled the people to develop a varied diet rich in produce, milk products, and meat, including beef, mutton, fish andgame.The location, which was contested by many historical kingdoms, khanates, and empires, also meant that Azerbaijani cuisine was influenced by the culinary traditions of multiple different cultures, includingTurkic,Iranian,andEastern European.

History and features of Azerbaijani national cuisine

Azerbaijan's national cuisine is arguably closer toMiddle Eastern cuisinedue to the taste and preparation of the dishes, as well as adding a dark spice and flavor additives. Contemporary Azerbaijan cuisine retains the traditional methods of preparing dishes while incorporating modern cooking.

Azerbaijani dishes have traditionally been cooked with copper utensils and cookware. Copper bowls and plates are still commonly used as serving dishes.

Azerbaijani cuisine utilizes fruits and vegetables such asaubergine,tomato,sweet pepper,spinach,cabbage,onion,sorrel,beet,radish,cucumber,andgreen beans.Rice and products made fromflourare widely used in national cuisine. Fresh herbs, includingmint,coriander,dill,basil,parsley,tarragon,leek,chive,thyme,marjoram,green onion,andwatercressoften accompany main dishes. The majority of national dishes are made with lamb, beef and poultry meat. Dishes prepared of minced meat are also prevalent. The sea, lakes and rivers of Azerbaijan are abundant with different fish species, particularly thewhite sturgeon.Sturgeons are widely used in preparation of national dishes. Particularly, the Caspian Sea is home to many edible species of fish, including thesturgeon,Caspian salmon,kutum,sardines,grey mullet,and others. Blackcaviarfrom the Caspian Sea is one of Azerbaijan's best-known luxury foods.

The typical Azerbaijani meal involves three courses. One of the basic dishes of Azerbaijani cuisine isplovprepared withsaffron-covered rice, served with various herbs and greens, a combination distinct from those found inUzbekplovs. Other second courses include a variety ofkebabsandshashlik,includinglamb,beef, chicken,duckand fish (baliq) kebabs. Sturgeon, a common fish, is normally skewered and grilled as a shashlik, served with a tart pomegranate sauce callednarsharab.Dried fruitsandwalnutsare used in many dishes. The traditionalcondimentsare salt,black pepper,sumac,and especially saffron, which is grown on theAbsheron Peninsuladomestically. The third courses include soups, of which there are more than 30 types. These includekufta bozbash,pitiprepared of meat anddovga,ovdukh, dogramach, bolva prepared of greens and yoghurt.

Black teais the national beverage, and is drunk after food is eaten. It is also offered to guests as a gesture of welcome, often accompanied byfruit preserves.

Breakfast

The Azerbaijani breakfast is heavy in dairy products such as butter, various types of white cheese, and cream, as well as honey, tandoori bread and eggs, traditionally prepared intokuku,but alternatively, also scrambled.Eastern European breakfast traditions which were adopted under theRussian Empireand theSoviet Unionare also occasionally seen in Azerbaijan households, with foods such askasha,porridge,quarkandcrepesincluded on the breakfast table.

Light snacks

Azerbaijani light snacks

Azerbaijani cuisine has a number of light snacks andside dishesto open or accompany the main meals: a plate of green leaves calledgoy,pieces ofchorek(bread),choban(a tomato and cucumbersalad),white cheeseorqatik(sour yogurt) andturshu(pickles).This culinary tradition is comparable to Turkishmeze.The richer main courses such as soups, meats and plov are served afterwards.

Dishes

Dolma

Badımcan dolması

Azerbaijanidushbara

Dovga

Gürzə

Meat

Azerbaijani cuisine included large amounts of beef andgame.Consumption of camel meat was also widespread, although it has become increasingly rare in modern times. In order to preserve meat, it was historically jerked, or alternatively, roasted and stuffed into jars or animal stomachs. Apart from the cuts of meat, Azerbaijani cuisine features the use of head, legs, tails and intestines of animals in numerous dishes.

Azerbaijani cuisine features a wide variety of traditional meat dishes such asbozbash(parchabozbash, kuftebozbash, qovurmabozbash),piti(gence piti, sheki piti)khash,bash-ayaq (kelle-pacha), kelepir, soyutma, bozport, buglama, bozartma,and a variety of different kebabs. A variety of lamb dishes are also commonly eaten, traditionally during celebrations such asNowruz.Meatball dishes and forms ofdolmaare regularly eaten as well. On particularly special occasions, local goose, turkey, duck, quail and pheasant meats are also cooked and consumed.

Azerbaijani cuisine also features a variety of seafood, especially fish which is obtained from the Caspian Sea as well as theKuraandArasrivers. Fish is prepared in a variety of ways: stuffed, chopped, dried, grilled, fried, boiled, cooked in the oven, cooked on skewers, cooked intandoors,cooked intoplovs,and in other ways depending on the occasion and personal preferences.

Pork consumption is forbidden to Muslims in Azerbaijan, in accordance withSharia,the Islamic law.

Name	Description
Balıq	Fish,usuallysturgeon,normally skewered and grilled as akebab,is served with a tart sour-plum sauce.
Dolma	The traditional recipe calls for mincedlambor beef mixed withriceand flavoured withmint,fennel,andcinnamon,and wrapped in vine leaves (yarpaq dolması) or cabbage leaves (kələm dolması). There are also sour sweet cabbage dolma (turş şirin kələm dolması) and eggplant dolma (qarabadımcan dolması).
Badımcan Dolması	Tomato,sweet pepper,andauberginestuffed with minced lamb or beef mixed withchickpeas.
Dushbara	Small dumplings stuffed with minced lamb andherbs,served in broth.
Lavangi	stuffedchickenor fish with onions, walnuts, raisins, albukhara, and alcha seasoning. A specialty of the Talysh region in southern Azerbaijan, but very difficult to find common in restaurants.
Lula kebab	A mixture ofmutton,herbs, andspicessqueezed around a skewer and barbecued, often served withlavash(thin sheets of unleavened bread).
Qutab	A sort ofpancaketurnover stuffed with minced lamb,cheese,orspinach.
Tika kabab	Chunks of lamb marinated in a mixture ofonion,vinegar,andpomegranate juice,impaled on a large skewer and grilled on the barbecue. In Russian, it is calledshashlyk(шашлык), from Turkicshishlyk(literally, "for skewer" ).
Qovurma	Pieces of mutton or lamb on the bone (blade chops) stewed with onions, tomatoes, andsaffron.There is alsosabzi qovurma,a lamb stew with herbs.
Sogan dolmasi	The term dolma covers a variety of stuffed vegetable dishes, widespread in the Middle East and the Mediterranean. Onion dolma are a tasty winter alternative to stuffed aubergines, tomatoes, and peppers.
Tebriz kuftesi	Large meatball dish named after the town of Tabriz in northern Iran. Prepared with minced meat, onions, peas, rice, potatoes, eggs, tomatoes, turmeric, and various herbs such as parsley, coriander and dill.
Bastirma	The word "Bastir" comes from the Turkish: bastırma et ( "pressed meat" ), pastırma[pastɯɾˈma]in modern Turkish. It's cooked as a kebab, but before cooking it should be marinated in special sauce and herbs.

Soups

Soups in Azerbaijan tend to have a thicker consistency and a larger ratio of dry ingredients to broth.A common feature of numerous Azerbaijani soups is that the soup serves the role of both the first and second courses– the soup is served in a large portion and the broth is drunk first as a starter, and then the dry ingredients of the soup such as the potatoes, meat, chickpeas and large vegetable chunks are consumed as a second course together with bread.

Another characteristic featured in several Azerbaijani soups is the use of finely cut mutton tails which are added soups. Tomato paste and tomato puree are rarely used in Azerbaijani soups and instead are substituted with fresh local tomatoes during the summer.During winter, local tomatoes are not widely available and so frequently substituted with dried cherries. Spices such as saffron and turmeric powder are also traditionally used in Azerbaijani soups.

Name	Description
Piti	The national soup of Azerbaijan made from pieces ofmuttonon the bone, cooked withvegetablesin a broth; prepared and served in individualcrocks.
Kufta bozbash	Apea soupwith lambmeatballsand boiledpotatoes.The meatballs inkufta bozbashare large, hearty, and made of minced lamb or beef andrice,sometimes with adried pluminside.
Dovga	A yogurt-based soup withsorrel,spinach,rice, driedpeas,and small meatballs made from ground mutton; served hot or cold depending on the season.
Ovdukh	A cold soup based on ayogurt–water mixture poured over slicedcucumbers,chopped boiled meat, quarters ofhard-boiled egg,and greens (dill,coriander,basil,tarragon,and sometimes mint).
Dogramach	Same asovdukh,but without the meat.

Types of plov

Azerbaijani pilaf. Left:gara(lamb, halved apricots, plums, apricot seeds). Right: rice (partially colored with turmeric).

Shah pilaf

Lula kebab

Plovis one of the most widespread dishes in Azerbaijan and there are over 200 types of plovs in Azerbaijani cuisine. They are usually prepared with local vegetables, meats and spices. In Azerbaijani tradition, it is customary that the household prepares a plov for guests visiting the house.They are typically served in a large metal or porcelain bowl covered with a lid to keep it warm. The type of rice used to make the plov varies from one recipe to another and depends on personal preferences. Since plov is a heavy, fatty food, it is traditionally served together with sour drinks such as ayran, black tea with lemon, or verjuice. Plovs have different names depending on the main ingredients accompanying the rice:

Name	Ingredients
Kourma plov	Mutton plov with onion
Chilov plov	Bean plov with fish
Sabzi qovurma plov	Mutton plov
Toyug plov	Chicken plov
Shuyudli plov	Dill plov with beef
Shirin plov	Dried fruit plov
Syudli plov	Rice cooked inmilk
Sheshryanch plov	Six-color plov, eggs cooked "sunny side up" on a bed of fried green and white onions.

Azerbaijani plov consists of three distinct components, served simultaneously but on separate platters: first component is rice (warm, never hot), the second component isgara,consisting of fried meat, dried fruits, eggs, or fish prepared as an accompaniment to rice, and third component being aromatic herbs. Rice is not mixed with the other components even when eating plov.

Spices

Spices play an important role in Azerbaijani cuisine, especiallysaffronwhich is used in over 50 national dishes.Other spices widely used in Azerbaijani cuisine includeanise,cumin,cinnamon,thyme,coriander seeds,curcuma,sumac,caraway,bay leaves,mint,dill,parsley,celery,tarragon,andbasil.

Desserts

Pakhlavasi

Quba pakhlavasi

Shekerbura

Badambura

Shorgoghal

Typical Azerbaijani desserts are sticky, syrup-saturated pastries such aspakhlavaandShaki halva.The former, a layer ofchopped nutssandwiched between mats of thread-like fried dough, is a specialty ofShakiin northwest Azerbaijan. Other traditional pastries includeshekerbura(crescent-shaped and filled with nuts),peshmak(tube-shaped candy made out ofrice,flour,andsugar), andgirmapadam(pastry filled with chopped nuts).

Sweets are generally bought from a pastry shop and eaten at home or on special occasions such as weddings and wakes. The usual conclusion to a restaurant meal is a plate of fresh fruit that is in season, such asplums,cherries,apricots,orgrapes.

In March 2009, Azerbaijani bakers achieved an entry in the CIS book of records for baking the biggest and heaviest pakhlava in the CIS, weighing about 3 tons. More than 7 thousand eggs, 350 kg of nuts, 20 kg of almonds, 350 kg of sugar, and the same amount of flour was used in the preparation of the pastry.

Name	Description
Pakhlava	Azerbaijani baklava consists of pastry,cardamom,andsaffronare used for the preparation. Nuts (mostlyhazelnuts,almonds or walnuts) and sugar are used as the filling, and syrup is used as a sweetener.There are some regional variations, like Quba, Ganja, Tenbel andSheki baklava.
Shekerbura	Shekerbura (şəkərbura) is a popular Azerbaijani sweet pastry, filled with groundalmonds,hazelnuts,orwalnuts.The ancient name for this crescent-shaped pastry is Sheker Burek, a Turkic word meaning ‘sweetpatty’. In Azerbaijan, it usually involves the teamwork of relatives, friends, and neighbors who congregate at someone's home to make this.Nowruzdelights. What really makes these look rather spectacular is the pattern on the dough produced by the traditional tweezers called maggash.
Samani halva	Samani halva is made from maltedwheat,and can be best described as a spicy, gooey, chewy treat. One samani halva tradition in Azerbaijan is to make halva communally, usingflourfrom seven different homes.
Shorgoghal	Another Novruz delicacy, Shorgoghal is a flaky pastry filled withturmeric,anise,caraway,cinnamonandblack pepper.In ancient times, the yellowpastryrepresented thesun,while the crescent-shapedShekerburarepresented themoon.These rolls are time-consuming to prepare, but the process is not really complicated.
Guymag	This is a simple, rich dessert, traditionally offered to women who have just given birth or to patients after surgery to keep their strength up. It is high in calories and easy to prepare. It is also served as a hot breakfast when the weather is cold.
Firni	Firni is a dessert made from rice flour, which has a light texture and bland flavor, making it much lighter than British and North American bakedrice puddings.
Badambura	Badambura is slightly less sweet than pakhlava and has no honey so it is less sticky as well. It is filled with plain ground sugar, almonds (badam in Azerbaijani language), cardamom, and vanilla.

Dairy products

Qatiq

Milk and dairy products play an important role in the Azerbaijani diet. Milk, butter, cream, sour cream, yogurt, cottage cheese, buttermilk,dovga,ayran,qatiq,qurut,suzme, and other dairy products are regularly consumed in the morning, as a snack, and even incorporated into lunch and dinner. Cow's milk is most often used to produce local dairy products, however sheep's milk is also sometimes used and goats' milk is consumed for its perceived health benefits. Rural communities in Azerbaijan produce local butter, buttermilk and cheeses using traditional churning techniques.

Name	Description
Ayran	A savory dairy drink. It is a staple of an Azerbaijani dinner/lunch table and is served cold.
Qatiq	A fermented, savory milk product. It is typically eaten withQutabsor with bread.
Qurut	It is made from grain mixed withsour milkoryogurt.
Dovga	Avegetarian,yoghurt-basedsoupcooked with a variety of herbs.Coriander,dill,mintandriceare mainstays of the soup.
Shor	Azerbaijani cottage cheese.
Suzme	Creamy, fatty dairy product made from filtered and thickenedqatiq.
Xinaliq pendiri	Khinalugcheese, produced in the ancient village ofKhinalug.It is one of the most popular cheeses in Azerbaijan.
Motal pendiri	Motal cheese. Another type of cheese widely consumed in Azerbaijan.

Ayran

Breads

Salyan çörəyi(tandoor bread)

Different types of bread are baked in Azerbaijan: flat, rolling, flatbread,lavash,sengek, xamrali, thick, thin, crepes, cakes, andtandoor bread.In theMiddle Ages,tandoorovens were one of the common facilities of the population who lived inOld City(Icheri Sheher). This has been discovered during the archaeological excavations in different areas of Old City. During the meeting held in Ethiopia, theUNESCOIntergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of theIntangible Cultural Heritagedecided to includelavashin the Representative List of theIntangible Cultural Heritageof the organization.

Non-alcoholic beverages

Black tea inarmudu stekan(pear-shaped glasses)

Black teais a popular drink in Azerbaijan.Azerbaijani peopleusually prefer tea made in asamovar.Jam (Murabba) is often added to the tea as a sweetener.

Ayranis a cold yogurt beverage mixed with salt.

An Azerbaijanisherbet(Azerbaijani:şərbət) is a sweet cold drink made offruit juicemixed or boiled withsugar,often perfumed withrose water.Sherbets (not to be confused withsorbetices) are ofIranianorigin and they may differ greatly in consistency, from very thick and jam-like (as inTajik cuisine) to very light and liquid, as in Azerbaijan.Sherbets are typically prepared in the following natural flavors:

• Lemon
• Pomegranate
• Strawberry
• Cherry
• Apricot
• Mint

Locally made brands of bottled water include the following:

Brand	Origin	Originating area
Aysu
Badamlı	Badamli, Nakhchivan
Sirab	Sirab, Nakhchivan
Şollar	Şollarvillage	North-east
Tamiz gazh su
Qax	Qakh district	North
Kakh

Alcoholic beverages

Unlike multiple other countries with a predominantly Muslim population, alcohol consumption in Azerbaijan is entirely legal, and a variety of alcoholic drinks, both locally produced and imported can be found in shops and bars across the country. Although alcohol consumption in Azerbaijan is relatively moderate,alcoholic drinks still play a part in nightlife, festivities and celebrations.

Wine

Chabiant Azerbaijani wine

Main article:Azerbaijani wine

Azerbaijan produces wine locally. In theKhanlar districtof the Azerbaijan Republic, for example, archeologists have found jars buried with the remains of wine dating back to the 2nd millennium BC. One of the most ancient and notable regions known for its wine-making produce isTovuzin northwestern Azerbaijan. Archeological findings in this region speak of ancient vessels for wine storage, stones and remains oftartaric acidused for wine-growing.

The contemporary wine-making in Azerbaijan is seen inGanja-QazakhandShirvaneconomic zones.Vineyards in these regions account to about 7% of the country's cultivated land. The regions are famous for 17 vines and 16 table grape varieties, the most common of the wine cultivars beingPinot Noir.In Azerbaijan, wines made fromgrapesare calledsharab(Azerbaijani:şərab) while wines from other fruits including apples,pomegranatesandmulberryare callednabiz(Azerbaijani:nəbiz). Other sorts are calledchakhyr(Azerbaijani:çaxır). According to historians, there are more than 450 different categories of wild grape found in Azerbaijan which had been used for wine-making throughout the history of Azerbaijan.

Beer

Main article:Beer in Azerbaijan

Beer in Azerbaijan is typified by lighter lagers. Of the domestically produced beers, the most widely distributed is Xirdalan named after thecity of Xırdalanin Azerbaijan, formerly brewed by Baki-Castel (BGI) but bought byBaltikain 2008. In February 2017 company was renamed to Carlsberg Azerbaijan.As a sponsor of Baku's Eurovision Song Contest, Xirdalan issued special commemorative Eurovision cans and bottles in 2012. Other widespread, locally produced brands include Novxanı, NZS, Afsana and Annenfeld. Beer popularity continues to grow in Azerbaijan as of 2018 and there are plans to fully localize malt processing for beer production, with a new malt processing plant being planned to be launched in 2024.Unlike almost allCIScountries, the beerbottlesin Azerbaijan are marked with excise duty sticker.

Fruit preserves

Fruit preserves of all kinds, traditionally served alongside tea, are a ubiquitous sighting at family gatherings and festivities in Azerbaijan. Jams, jellies, and especially fruit conserves are eaten in between sips of tea or sometimes placed directly into tea as a sweetener and a flavoring.

• 
  Peach jam
• 
  Strawberry jam
• 
  Cherry jam
• 
  Blackberry jam
• 
  Walnut jam

See also

• Culture of Azerbaijan
• History of Azerbaijan
• Agriculture in Azerbaijan
• Dishes from the Caucasus

External links

• AZ Cookbook: Food from Azerbaijan and Beyond
• Proverbs about Food in Azerbaijan,Azerbaijan International,Autumn 2000, pp. 36–37.
• Food! Glorious Food!,Special issue ofAzerbaijan International,Autumn 2000.
• Azerbaijani dishes: photographs and descriptions
• Azerbaijani cuisine: descriptions of dishes by categoryon advantour.com
• Cuisine of Azerbaijan based on the bookAzerbaijani Cookingpublished in Baku(in Russian)(archived 16 February 2009)
• Selected recipes from Azerbaijani cuisine