Food in Azerbaijan is characterized by the fact that national dishes are delicious, distinctive, varied and satisfying.
Food in Azerbaijan
The diet of Azerbaijanis consists of soups, meat (beef, lamb, poultry), vegetables (eggplants, tomatoes, sorrel, spinach, cabbage, onions), fish, and dairy products. Azerbaijanis love to season their dishes with such spices as anise, cumin, coriander, fennel, celery, basil, dill, parsley.
Azerbaijanis eat many meat dishes with cottage cheese, sheep cheese and fermented milk drinks. And it is customary to eat absolutely any dishes with all kinds of lavash.
Pilaf is especially popular in the country (there are more than 40 recipes for this dish): it is prepared with chicken or lamb, and you can also taste sweet fruit pilaf here.
In Azerbaijan, it is worth trying pilaf, kebabs, lula-kebab, mutton and beef donar, kufta, dolmasy (a dish like cabbage rolls, grape leaves, pepper, sorrel with meat, fruits and other fillings), fried game, various soups (hot meat or cold with kefir).
And those with a sweet tooth will be delighted with halva, baklava, Turkish delight, kozinaki, watermelon, young walnut jam, dogwood and heavenly apples.
Where to eat in Azerbaijan? At your service:
- cafes and restaurants offering their visitors to order national and other cuisines of the world;
- teahouses and fast food restaurants.
Drinks in Azerbaijan
Popular drinks of Azerbaijanis are tea (black, green, herbal), gatyh (fermented milk product), ayran, sherbet (infusion on berries, citrus and other fruits with added sugar and ice), black coffee, mineral water (“Sirab”, “Daridag”,“Badamly”,“Isti-su”,“Turshu-su”), beer, wine, cognac, brandy.
Tea in Azerbaijan is drunk always and everywhere, and often cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, rose water, thyme and other spices are added to it.
Gastronomic tour to Azerbaijan
Going on a gastronomic tour to Azerbaijan, you will take a sightseeing tour of the city of Baku and taste national cuisine in the best restaurants (traditional tea drinking will act as the finishing touch of any meal).
As part of the gastronomic tour, you will be taken to the mountain village of Lahich - here you will be treated to lamb or chicken shashlik, served with fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers and herbs, as well as kebab wrapped in lavash and decorated with onions and herbs.
And in the city of Sheki, you can try piti - a soup made from lamb, vegetables, peas, cherry plums and spices, as well as Azerbaijani dumplings (bushbara). And with these dishes you will certainly be served dry red wine "Caravan Saray".
Gourmets will be especially delighted with a trip to Azerbaijan - here they can taste the most delicate fish and meat dishes, sorbets and sweets made from fruit juices and cane sugar.
