Azerbaijan > Azerbaijani cuisine

Azerbaijani cuisine

So, the seafarer of 16 century Anthony Jankinson who was dining in Shemakha with khan Abdulla, has counted, that the dinner was in two changes, and all dishes were 290 - together with fruit. Some Europeans, who have not got used to traditional abundance of the Azerbaijan cuisine, were surprised at first, but having left took with them pleasant memoirs. "Ah, it is a pity, that here, in Poti when I write these lines, there is no about me some very tasty jizbiz that is prepared at the butchers in Nukha”- so wrote the famous Alexander Dumas who traveled across Azerbaijan. (Jizbiz - finely cut interiors of the ram, fried in melted fat tail) The main menu for the Nouruz feast is confirming great and glorious past of traditional cuisine. These are sweet cakes- pahlava, shakarbura, shorgogal, shakarchorak, on a feast table and for distribution among friends, relatives and neighbor children during Novruz Now one can get them in shops all year long but at home, the womerraf all family are traditionally baking these sweets only before Novruz.

It would take too much time to list all the sweets and cookies but it is necessary to note well known to all Azerbaijan sweets from Sheki region-the special pahlava from rice flour that is baked as thin noodles called rishtas. Then several flat layers of rishtas are stuffed with nuts ground and messed with honey, spices are added and the surface is decorated with a saffron .There gfe Sheki pahlava is baked at a special flat tray brought to full readiness with burning charcoal from both sides. There are also various kinds of halvahs.

,That is hard to list or describe - as halva made from green grown wheat grains, nuts, thick boiled grape juice etc.

Generally wheat and its products are among, sacral foodstuff of Azerbaijan people:- there is a custom to feed lying woman right after the birth of the child with special halvah - guymag. When the person dies, the visitors bringing their condolences are met with the obligatory halvah and tea party. The Azerbaijan flour dishes reflect not only ancient traditions of people but also technology of food changing in time - they are simple and very tasty. For example, special pies - gutabs - sometimes they become the central entertainment of a table if you are invited specially on gutabs. You can get the whole mountain of these pies looking more like Mexican taco or Turkish lahmagun but much thinner and delicious with various kinds of stuffing like pumpkin, special greens and ground meat with the grains of sour pomegranate.

The Basic meat of the Azerbaijan dishes - is mutton though beef is also often used.

There is also vast consumption of poultry, fish and vegetables. Old folks say that “the one, who in childhood eats dishes fropi a wild bird, grows b, healthy and brave.

Generally, in Azerbaijan always existed traditional dishes that were considered medical treatment. For instance, the khash a transparent broth from the mutton or beef legs that is cooked for hours on very slow fire. It is customary to,eat it early in the mornings, on an empty stomach. Healthy people add in it vinegar and garlic, patients eat it without vinegar.

Vinegar is added, “To neutralize" superfluous fats and calories. The khash and kalla pacha - the likewise dish with the head of a ram instead of legs-are useful to people with crises of bones, articulate pains, a loss of a voice, dry cough. To make the fat food easier sour milk is often served to the table Even the well-known dolma has many interesting versions. Usually ground or cut meat with green grass and spices is wrapped in the grape leaves or cabbage leaves or stuffed into tomatoes, eggplants and peppers. Sorpetimes-definite sorts of dolma are covered with cut tomatoes, quince chestnuts or huts from above a ready dish and sometimes with a small helping of sour milk and well ground garlic.

In some regions, mutton is frequently used for simple shepherd's food. Such meal as ‘ soyutma is a broth from fresh cut lamb meat. Boiled meat and a broth can be served separately. However, despite of simplicity of preparation, it is very tasty dish, perhaps because it is prepared with special mood, and perhaps because lambs of Azerbaijan are very tasty for the grasses they eat. People who manage to compare the taste of local mutton with European one are easily acknowledging the difference.

A variety offish dishes is caused by presence of a sea to say nothing of rivers and lakes.