The Delicious National Dish Of Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan's national dish is plov, a rice-based dish also known as pilaf. It is a hearty one-pot meal, packed with flavour and is considered a symbol of community and hospitality. Plov is a versatile dish, with regional variations and global influences. It is often served on celebratory occasions and is a common sight in Azeri homes and the bustling streets of Baku.

Plov: Azerbaijan's national dish

Plov, or pilaf, is a traditional one-pot rice dish from Azerbaijan. It is a hearty meal, often served at weddings, holidays and other celebratory occasions. The dish is seen as a symbol of community and hospitality, and its cooking time and effort reflect its importance in Azeri society.

Ingredients

Plov is versatile, with a range of ingredients that can be used. The dish typically includes long-grain rice, often Basmati, melted butter or olive oil, saffron threads dissolved in hot water (saffron water), and fried meat such as qovurma (lamb or beef). It also contains dried fruits like prunes, dried apricots, and golden raisins, and seasonings like salt, black pepper, coriander, and cumin.

Some versions of the dish include lavash, a type of flatbread, placed at the bottom of the pan to create a crispy layer known as gazmag. The type of rice used can vary depending on personal preference and the specific recipe.

Preparation

Preparing the rice involves soaking it in salted water for 30 minutes before draining and setting it aside. Saffron threads are added to hot water to create saffron water. The meat is cooked in a pot with olive oil, and dried fruits, chestnuts, and seasonings are added to the pot. In a separate pot, butter is melted, and the rice is added and briefly cooked before the saffron water is poured over it. The mixture is then layered, with lavash or flatbread at the bottom of a pan, followed by a layer of rice, then the meat and dried fruit mixture, and finally another layer of rice. The dish is then cooked on low heat, and additional seasonings are added to taste.

Variations

Plov has different names and variations across regions. In Russia, it is often referred to as rice pilaf, while in Iran, similar dishes might be called parcha-dosheme plov or shirin plov, which include additional ingredients like plums or dumplings. Azerbaijani plov itself has variations like sabzi plov, featuring greens, or kebabs served on the side.

Cultural Significance

Plov holds immense cultural significance in Azerbaijan and is a reflection of the country's diverse culinary traditions, influenced by its location at the crossroads of Europe and Asia. It is a dish that brings people together and is often served to guests visiting Azeri homes.

Azerbaijani cuisine: a melting pot of flavours and techniques

Azerbaijani cuisine is a melting pot of flavours and techniques, influenced by its unique geographical location and diverse agriculture. The country's position at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, with access to the Caspian Sea, has resulted in a varied diet rich in produce, milk products, and meat.

The culinary traditions of multiple cultures, including Turkic, Iranian, and Eastern European, have also left their mark on Azerbaijani cuisine. The taste and preparation of dishes lean closer to Middle Eastern cuisine, with the addition of dark spices and flavour additives.

One of the most famous Azerbaijani dishes is plov, often considered the national dish. Plov is a hearty one-pot rice dish that symbolises community and hospitality. It is versatile, with regional variations and global influences. The dish typically includes long-grain rice, saffron threads dissolved in hot water, fried meat (such as lamb or beef), dried fruits, chestnuts, seasonings, and sometimes lavash (a type of flatbread) at the bottom of the pan.

Other popular dishes in Azerbaijan include a variety of kebabs, shashlik (grilled meat or fish skewers), dolma (stuffed vegetables or leaves), piti, and a range of soups. The typical Azerbaijani meal consists of three courses, starting with a first course such as soup, followed by a second course like kebabs or shashlik, and ending with a third course of soup.

Azerbaijani cuisine also features a wide array of snacks and side dishes, such as green leaves, chorek (bread), choban (a cucumber and tomato salad), white cheese, and turshu (pickles). The breakfast typically includes dairy products, honey, tandoori bread, and eggs. Black tea is the national beverage, often served after meals and offered to guests as a gesture of welcome.

Azerbaijani cuisine showcases a diverse range of flavours, incorporating fresh herbs, spices, and an abundance of produce and meats. The cooking techniques and presentations vary, reflecting the country's rich cultural history and geographical diversity.

Black tea: the national beverage

Azerbaijan's national cuisine is influenced by its unique geographical location, which is situated at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, with access to the Caspian Sea. The country's diverse agriculture and history, which has been influenced by many historical kingdoms, khanates, and empires, have also played a role in shaping the country's culinary traditions.

Azerbaijani cuisine is rich in produce, milk products, and meat, including beef, mutton, fish, and game. The country's culinary traditions have been influenced by multiple cultures, including Turkic, Iranian, and Eastern European cuisines.

While there are many delicious dishes in Azerbaijani cuisine, the national beverage of Azerbaijan is black tea. Black tea is typically drunk after a meal and is also offered to guests as a gesture of welcome, often accompanied by fruit preserves.

Azerbaijani people usually prefer their tea made in a samovar, and jam is often added to the tea as a sweetener. Tea plays an important role in Azerbaijani culture and is a popular drink for family gatherings and festivities.

In addition to black tea, there are other non-alcoholic beverages enjoyed in Azerbaijan, such as ayran, a cold yogurt beverage mixed with salt, and sherbet, a sweet cold drink made of fruit juice mixed or boiled with sugar, often perfumed with rose water.

Breakfast in Azerbaijan: dairy, honey, tandoori bread and eggs

Breakfast in Azerbaijan is a dairy-lover's dream. The traditional breakfast consists of sweet butter, various types of white cheese, cream, honey, and tandoori bread. Eggs are also a staple, traditionally prepared into a dish called kuku, or alternatively, scrambled with herbs.

Tandoori bread, or tandir, is cooked inside a tandir oven, attached to the walls of the hollow interior. The bread is also prepared like fragile bread and kept for a long time. It is one of three traditional breads in Azerbaijan, the others being lavash and shirinchorek. Each is different in shape, size, taste, and smell.

Lavash is a thin, flatbread made of water, flour, and salt. Its thickness varies depending on how thinly it was rolled out. Toasted sesame seeds or poppy seeds are sometimes sprinkled on before baking. Many regional varieties of flatbread are baked in the tandir oven.

Cheese is also a key part of breakfast in Azerbaijan, with numerous varieties of different styles, textures, and flavours. Motal cheese, for example, is prepared from sheep's milk, then broken into small pieces and packed into a sheep or goat skin, known as a motal, for 3-4 months. It has a rather spicy, slightly sharp taste and aroma. Shor, a salty cottage cheese, is another popular variety, prepared from a yogurt-based beverage.

Honey is another important food in Azerbaijan, and people usually start their morning with a tablespoon of it. Baku, the country's capital, even holds a Honey Fair, where over 300 beekeepers from around Azerbaijan gather to sell honey flavours including lime, meadow, acacia, crown of thorns, chestnut, sunflower, licorice flower, and sweet clover.

While the traditional Azerbaijani breakfast is heavy in dairy, influences from the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union mean that Eastern European breakfast foods such as kasha, porridge, quark, and crepes are also occasionally seen on the breakfast table.

Azerbaijani desserts: syrup-saturated pastries

Azerbaijani cuisine is heavily influenced by the country's diverse agriculture and its unique geographical location, which is situated at the crossroads of Europe and Asia. The country's desserts are vibrant, aromatic, and hugely popular, often featuring natural ingredients like honey, almonds, and fresh dough.

One such dessert is Bamiye, a pastry made from choux pastry that is put through a meat grinder with a special nozzle, resulting in ribbed pasta dough. The dough is then divided into equal portions, stretched to a length of 7-8 cm, and fried in vegetable oil. The bamiye is then submerged in sugar syrup and left until entirely saturated. Once dried, sugar is sprinkled over it.

Another syrup-saturated pastry is the classic Azerbaijani baklava, which is arguably the most well-known of all the country's desserts. Baklava is made with layers of wheat dough, layered with chopped nuts, sugar, and cardamom. The number of layers can vary, but it typically ranges from 10 to 12. While Baku baklava is the most typical and traditional version, cut into diamond shapes with a nut on top, other varieties exist, such as Ganja baklava, which has a lighter texture due to the use of peeled walnuts and a pink infusion called "gulab".

Shaki baklava, also known as halva, is another variety of syrup-saturated pastry. It is made with rice flour, chopped nuts, spices, and honey or syrup. The pieces are typically cut into squares or rectangles.

Azerbaijani pastries are known for their long shelf life, making them a perfect treat to indulge in while visiting the country and to bring home as souvenirs.

Frequently asked questions