Delicious Azerbaijani Delicacies You Must Try

Azerbaijan's unique geographical location and diverse agriculture have contributed to its distinctive cuisine, which combines flavours from the Mediterranean, Iran, and Turkey. The country's diverse ethnicities also play a role in shaping its culinary landscape. Here, we will explore some of the must-try foods in Azerbaijan, a true highlight for any visitor to the country.

Hearty Soups

Azerbaijan is a country with a rich culinary history, having been a major hub of the Silk Road for centuries. This has resulted in a diverse range of flavours, ingredients, and dishes, including a variety of hearty soups. Here are some of the must-try soups when visiting Azerbaijan:

Piti

Piti is a traditional and prevalent Azerbaijani soup, often regarded as the national dish. It is a blend of tail fat and vegetables cooked in an aromatic mutton bone broth. Lamb, chickpeas, potatoes, and onions are slow-cooked for hours in a clay pot until tender. It is served in two steps: first, the broth is poured over pieces of bread, and then more bread is added and mixed with the meat and vegetables. Piti is typically served in a crock called a dopu, with an additional plate to separate the solids from the broth.

Dushbara

Dushbara is Azerbaijan's most popular soup, consisting of tiny lamb dumplings in a light broth. The dumplings resemble tortellini and are filled with ground meat. They are served in a mutton bone broth with coriander, fresh mint, and white wine vinegar infused with garlic. Preparing dushbara is a labour of love, requiring practice and patience to get the dumplings to the perfect size and shape.

Dovga

Dovga is a delicious and creamy soup that can be served hot or cold, depending on the season. It is made with a base of yoghurt and fresh herbs such as mint and dill, combined with rice, chickpeas, or lentils. Sometimes, small mutton meatballs are added to the soup. It is often served with a sprinkle of sumac, a tangy spice that enhances the flavour.

Bozbash

Bozbash, or kufta bozbash, is a rich and hearty soup, perfect for chilly days. It features large meatballs made from lamb, beef, or a combination of the two, along with chickpeas and potatoes. Each meatball contains a surprise in the middle – a dried sour cherry or plum. The soup is seasoned with saffron or turmeric and garnished with fresh coriander or dried mint.

Sulu Khingal

Sulu Khingal is a noodle soup with thin, homemade noodles cooked in a mutton broth with chickpeas, onions, and greens. Fried onions and chopped greens are added before serving, and the soup is seasoned with dried mint. Vinegar is served on the side as an additional spice.

These soups showcase the unique and diverse flavours of Azerbaijani cuisine, combining fresh ingredients and a variety of spices to create delicious and hearty meals.

Chargrilled Meats

Lyulya kebab is a variety of kebab that is considered the most famous and the most "Azerbaijani". It consists of minced lamb, salt and pepper, herbs, and finely diced onions, skewered and chargrilled.

Azerbaijani cuisine is perfect for meat lovers, but it also caters to those who enjoy more varied and diverse ingredients. The country's chargrilled meats are often served with flatbread and a plate of fresh greens and finely-sliced onions, accompanied by a glass of chilled ayran (a yogurt drink).

Lahmacun, a type of thin, crispy pizza topped with spiced minced meat, is another popular dish. It is usually served with fresh parsley or salad and a wedge of lemon, which is squeezed inside before eating.

In addition to the famous kebabs and shashlyks, Azerbaijan also offers a variety of other chargrilled meat dishes, such as Jiz Biz, a traditional dish made from fried sheep liver, kidney, lung, heart, and intestines, usually served with onions and potatoes.

Dumplings

One of the most popular foods in Azerbaijan is Dushbara, a dumpling dish that is both a delicacy and a labour of love. These tiny, mouth-watering dumplings are typically filled with minced lamb or a combination of lamb and beef, seasoned with black pepper, and boiled in a savoury lamb broth.

History and Tradition

Dushbara is a dish steeped in tradition and is often prepared for special occasions like weddings, holidays, and family gatherings. According to custom, every Azerbaijani woman should know how to make Dushbara and be able to make them as small as possible, with the goal of fitting ten dumplings in a tablespoon. This requires skill and practice, as the dumplings are moulded by hand, one by one, and can be time-consuming to create.

Preparation and Serving

The process of making Dushbara begins with preparing the broth, which traditionally involves boiling lamb chunks in water and then straining it. However, modern cooks often opt for quicker, water-based broths. The dumplings themselves are made by stuffing small squares of thin dough with the minced meat filling, sealing them into triangle shapes, and then boiling them in the broth. The dish is typically served hot, garnished with fresh mint, and accompanied by a side of vinegar and chopped garlic.

Variations

While the classic Dushbara recipe is a favourite, there are some variations to this dumpling dish. One such variation is Gürzə, which originates in Azerbaijan and is part of the country's national cuisine. Gürzə dumplings are formed as small cylinders with an open top, boiled, and then seasoned with cinnamon. They are often served with yogurt or sour cream mixed with crushed garlic. In some regions, Gürzə dumplings are boiled in lamb stock and served as a soup, seasoned with parsley, vinegar, and garlic.

Flatbreads

Azerbaijan has a unique and diverse cuisine, with influences from both the East and West. Flatbreads are a staple and fundamental part of every meal and are served with almost every dish. Here is a closer look at some of Azerbaijan's must-try flatbreads.

Saj Ichi

Saj Ichi is a type of Azerbaijani barbecue, cooked on a domed iron griddle called a 'Saj'. Lamb, the meat of choice, is cooked over hot coals with potatoes, aubergine, bell peppers, onions, and tomatoes. This dish is typically served with Ayran, a refreshing drink made from water, yogurt, and salt. The flatbread itself is made from a simple dough of flour, water, salt, and yeast and is cooked until thin and crispy.

Gutabs

Gutabs are Azerbaijani stuffed meat or vegetable pies, often served as a snack or appetiser. They are cooked on a large circular metal griddle called a 'saj' and are typically shaped like a crescent. The fillings can be meat, vegetables, cheese, or greens, and they are served with sumac and yogurt.

Kutabs

Kutabs are another popular stuffed flatbread, similar to Indian stuffed parathas. They are often filled with ground lamb and greens, or cheese and winter squash, but there are many variations. The dough is rolled paper-thin and then filled and folded before being pan-fried. They are often served with a sprinkling of sumac, a red spice with a lemony note.

Feseli

Feseli is a flaky, crispy flatbread that is easy to make at home. The dough is made with flour, salt, and water, and then filled with either a simple butter filling or a spiced butter filling, featuring cumin, coriander, fennel, anise, star anise, saffron, and turmeric. The bread is then fried in butter until golden.

Rice Pilaf

The rice is typically steamed long-grain rice, cooked with saffron to give it a delightful aroma. The rice is cooked until it has a soft exterior but remains firm on the inside, with a sticky texture. The rice is then layered with a golden crust, or gazmag, at the bottom. This is made by mixing flour, butter, eggs, and yogurt.

The rice is served with fried side dishes, such as meat and vegetables, and it is considered a sign of respect to serve Plov to guests.

One variety of Plov is the Khan pilaf, which is made with chicken. The chicken is poached and shredded, then mixed with saffron, nuts, dried fruit, and spices. This is then layered with flatbread and baked in the oven.

Another variety is the Lobiya Chilo plov, or Bean Pilaf, which is usually served with salty fish and is a popular dish to celebrate the last Tuesday before Novruz, a holiday that marks the coming of spring.

Plov is a versatile dish, with many different combinations of ingredients, and it is an essential part of Azerbaijani cuisine and culture.

Frequently asked questions