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Azerbaijan
Food and Drink
Azerbaijani food combines Turkish and central Asian elements. While
Baku has an excellent selection of international restaurants, from
Japanese fusion to Italian, in most country restaurants the kebab is
king.
Azeris reckon their tomatoes are the best in the world and there is
some justification for this. A special place in the cuisine also
belongs to lamb kebabs, of which there are many different varieties.
Sumac, a purple powder derived from dried berries, adds a zesty citron
flavour to plainly grilled meat.
Hand-cut chips, made from locally-grown potatoes, are excellent.
Vegetarians will end up eating a great deal of salad and lentil soup
as most dishes contain meat. In the chaikhanas (tea houses), men
linger for hours drinking sweet black tea out of tiny glasses and
playing nard(backgammon).
Specialities:
• Lule kebab (spiced, minced lamb pressed on to skewers and grilled)
• Dograma (a milky potato, cucumber and onion soup served cold)
• Piti (mutton and chickpea soup – a Sheki speciality)
• Kutab (pancakes stuffed with spinach, herbs or meat)
• Badimjan Dolmasi (lamb and herb-stuffed trio of aubergine, tomato
and green pepper)
• Dushbara (soup made with mutton stock containing small pieces of
pasta)
• Toyuk Lavangi (chicken stuffed with nuts and dried fruits)
• Shirin Plov (meat and rice pilaf with nuts and dried fruit)
• Monastirski (chicken or lamb topped with melted cheese and
pomegranate sauce)
• Choban salatasi (finely chopped tomatoes, onions, cucumber and
herbs)
Things to know:
Although the majority of Azeris are nominally Shia Muslims, alcohol is
widely available.
Tipping:
Expected by waiters in most restaurants. 10% is fine.
Regional drinks:
• Local wines (improving all the time and a reasonably priced
alternative to expensive foreign imports)
• Xirdalan (the favoured local beer)
• Efes (a Turkish beer brewed locally under license)
• Shabat (a soft iced drink made of sugar, various fruits and herbs)
• Chai (tea, served black in a glass with lemon and sugar to taste)
• Darchin chai (tea, flavoured with cinnamon, ginger and,
occasionally, rosewater)
• Su (mineral water from the mountains available either naturally
carbonated or still)
Azerbaijan Travel & Tourism
Guide
 About
Azerbaijan
Why
Visit Azerbaijan?
History
of Azerbaijan
Language
& Culture of Azerbaijan
People
of Azerbaijan
Weather
& Geography of Azerbaijan
Things
to See & Do in Azerbaijan
Shopping
& Nightlife in Azerbaijan
Food
& Drinks of Azerbaijan
Getting
Around Azerbaijan
Passport
& Visa Requirements for Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan Visa Information
Azerbaijan Satellite View & Map
Star Holidays will soon launch Azerbaijan Tour Packages,
Contact us for inquiries.
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