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, and many dishes ofArmenianandGeorgiancuisine withTurkic namesare widespread in Azerbaijan.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Although the population is predominatelyMuslim, Azerbaijani culture is largely secular.However, pork is less popular than other meats.In 2023, pork constituted about 2.4% of total meat consumption, primarily from imports.
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.
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:
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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:
Locally made brands of bottled water include the following:
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.
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 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 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.