Azerbaijani Cuisine

Azerbaijani cuisine has been highly influenced by the dishes of various cultures as well as the economic and political processes in Azerbaijan. Several dishes that are native to the country are now part of the cuisines of other cultures. Food plays an important part in the country’s culture, which is associated to its values, traditions and history.

Azerbaijan has nine climate zones which contribute to the richness of its soils. The country is near the Caspian Sea, which is a home to several edible fish such as grey mullet, sardines, Caspian white fish or kutum, Caspian salmon, and sturgeon. Black caviar is also found in the Caspian Sea. It is one of the popular delicacies in Azerbaijan and other former Soviet countries.

The country’s cuisine features over 30 kinds of soups. It also has a wide variety of shashliks and kebabs, including fish or balig, chicken, beef and lamb. Sturgeon is usually served with narsharab, a tart pomegranate sauce.

Azerbaijani cuisine has over 40 plov recipes. The national dish of the country is saffron-rice plov which is accompanied with various greens and herbs.

The cuisine of the country is famous due to the frequent use of vegetables and greens in the dishes. Fresh herbs such as cilantro or coriander, mint, basil, dill, tarragon, parsley, chives, leeks, marjoram, thyme, watercress, and green onions are usually served with the main dishes.

The national beverage of the country is the black tea. It is consumed before the beginning of each meal. It is also served as a hospitality beverage to guests and is often accompanied with fruit preserves.

Azerbaijani cuisine has several soup dishes. Piti is the national soup of the country, which is made from mutton and is cooked with vegetables. Dovga is a yoghurt-based soup made from small mutton meatballs, dried peas, rice, spinach and sorrel. It is either served cold or hot depending on the season. Ovdukh is a cold soup usually served during summer. It is made from a mixture of water and matsoni, which is poured over to boiled meat, sliced cucumbers, hard-boiled egg, and greens such as tarragon, mint, basil and coriander. Dogramach is similar to ovdukh, however, this dish has no meat.

A typical Azerbaijani meal usually starts with a plate of green leaves called goy and is served with chorek (bread), gatik (yoghurt), pendi (cheese), and salat (cucumber and tomato salad). The traditional condiments are sumah (a dark red spice), istiot (pepper), and duz (salt).

Some of the main dishes of Azerbaijani cuisine include baliq, dolma, dusbara, lavangi, and lyulya kabab. Baliq is a grilled fish dish served with tart sour-plum sauce. Dolma is a dish made from minced lamb mixed with rice, mint, cinnamon and fennel. It is served in cabbage or vine leaves and is accompanied with aubergine, sweet pepper, and stuffed tomato. Dusbara is a small dumpling stuffed with minced lamb and flavoured with herbs. Lavangi is a chicken casserole with herbs and walnuts. This dish is native to the Talisan region and is quite difficult to find in restaurants. Lyulya kabab is a mixture of minced lamb, spices and herbs, which are squeezed in a skewer and grilled.