Following tradition Traditional culinary culture Izmira GULIYEVA Baku Ph.D. in History AZERbaIJAN IS ONE OF THE OLDEst CENTERS OF HUMAN CIVILIZatION. THE CULTURE OF THE AZERbaIJANI PEOPLE GOES MILLENNIA baCK. ince time immemorial, Azer- baijanis’ traditional occupation Shas been agriculture and ani- mal husbandry, which could not but affect the characteristics and diet of the population. National cuisine can tell many interesting things about the culture and history of a country, and in this sense, Azerbaijani cuisine, with its excellent taste and quality characteristics, as it were, speaks for itself. As early as the Neolithic period, the population in Azerbaijan cul- tivated wheat and barley, which served as the basis for their diet along with meat. In the Bronze Age, with the development of cattle- breeding, dairy products came into the diet of our ancestors. Dishes of Azerbaijani cuisine are mentioned in ancient writ- ten sources, the records of trav- elers and explorers, merchants and diplomats. It’s no secret that Yarpag dolmasi 46 www.irs-az.com Dushbara the culinary art of Azerbaijan is popular with many nations of the world, especially in the East. Azer- baijan has long been known for local varieties of grapes and fruit, which contributed significantly to the enrichment of national cuisine. One of the important factors in- fluencing Azerbaijani cuisine is reli- gion. Muslim festivals and various rit- uals, including fasting, had a strong influence on diet and nutrition. Home cooking and eating has long served as the primary ethno- graphic feature of Azerbaijanis in both cities and rural areas. Using old culinary recipes from generation to generation, housewives have ex- panded the range of dishes and im- proved their quality. saffron, thyme, cumin, mint, tar- of them. One day before, peas are Like other regions of Azerbaijan, ragon, pepper, etc. In some dishes, soaked and cooked in a separate its capital Baku has its own unique along with lemon, the juice of unripe dish. The ready broth is filtered features of local cuisine. Developing grapes - abgora, pomegranate juice, through a metal sieve and placed and becoming richer over the centu- as well as sour sumac are used. on the fire, and when it boils, cooked ries, local cuisine reached the sophis- Azerbaijani national cuisine dish- peas, kufta, potatoes, 2-3 whole on- tication we observe today. Inhabit- es are traditionally prepared in cop- ions, salt, pepper, saffron, or yellow ants of Baku, which, in the context per vessels, and this tradition contin- ginger are added. It is served in a of the topic of the present article, is ues to live in Baku - Icharishahar. bowl, sprinkled with herbs or dry associated with its historical kernel As the basis for the first cours- mint. Peeled onions and sumac are – Icharishahar, are inveterate foodies es, Bakuvians primarily use meat served separately. that regard the process of cooking and bone broths. Unlike the usu- Dushbara (dumplings). Broth and eating food as a kind of ritual. al soups, the first courses have is cooked from sheep bones, and At the mention of Icharishahar, local thicker consistency as they usu- minced meat with onion, salt, pepper baklava and meat dishes spring to ally contain a small amount of and cilantro is made from the flesh mind, although we should not forget broth. Another characteristic feature of meat. Stiff flour dough is kneaded about complicated dishes cooking of liquid dishes is the wide use of fat with water and eggs and rolled out to which requires considerable skills, of sheep’s tail, which is usually put 1 mm. Then the dough is sliced into not to mention diverse and abun- into the dinner in a finely chopped equal squares of 2x2 cm. The minced dant ingredients. way, as well as of various spices. meat is placed in the center of each Joint meals, which are tradi- Below is a description of some square and wrapped in a special way. tional in the Baku fortress, be- basic traditional dishes characteristic The ready dushbara is shaken on a come an occasion to get together of Baku – Icharishahar: sieve, freed from excess flour, and - a form of social life. These days, Kufta-bozbash. Broth is cooked cooked in filtered broth. 5-7 minutes traditions have become some- from the brisket. The flesh of mutton after the broth starts boiling, the du- what simpler, but abundant is minced and onions are added. Salt, shbara emerges on the surface - the feasts with laboriously prepared pepper and separately washed rice dinner is ready. Vinegar with garlic is meals are still typical of the cul- are added here, and it all is mixed served separately. On top, the dush- ture of Icharishahar. manually. Palm-sized kufta balls are bara is sprinkled with dried mint or Important ingredients of original made from the resulting minced greens, depending on the season. Baku cuisine are a lot of spices - meat, and a plum is placed in each Dovga with meat. Broth is www.irs-az.com 47 Following tradition wide strips and arishta (noodles) is chopped with a sharp knife. Before dropping the arishta in the broth, it should be shaken. Meatballs, beans and chopped greens are placed in the broth, and it is sprinkled with mint when served. Vinegar is served separately. Khash (jelly). The head, feet and tripe are processed, washed well and soaked for at least an hour. Then they are chopped into pieces, put in a pot, and cold water is poured on them - 2 Dovga liters of water per 1 kg. They cook it cooked from bones, and minced peas are added to the boiling broth for a long time, occasionally remov- meat with onions, salt and spices is with washed rice, plums, onion ing the foam with a skimmer. After made from the flesh of meat. Small roasted in butter, cooked meat and the cooking, the meat is removed balls – meatballs – are made from salt. It is served sprinkled with dill and separated from the large bones. the minced meat. One day before, and cilantro. The shorba can also be Then the meat is cut into small peas are left to soak. Gatig is mixed cooked with meatballs. In the same pieces and put in the broth to finish with 2-3 eggs in a separate dish. They way, a chicken shorba is cooked - cooking. The resulting broth is fil- whisk it, add washed round rice, sprinkled with dried mint after cook- tered and served separately from the cook it on low heat and stir it with ing. meat with vinegar and garlic added a wooden spoon. When the mixture for flavor. starts to boil, peas, meatballs and Azerbaijani second courses are broth are added. At the end, herbs made mostly from mutton, in the and salt are added and prepared. In form of pieces or finely chopped summer, the dovga is served cold. pieces (Gushbashi), as well as in the The ready dovga should be sour and form of minced meat. Some sec- aromatic from cilantro and dill. ond courses are cooked from beef, Sulu-khingal. Broth is made from chicken, duck, goose and turkey in the mutton breast and shoulder. the form of independent dishes and Peas are soaked separately, cooked seasonings to pilafs. in a separate bowl and then put in While preparing most second the broth. Stiff dough is kneaded courses, mutton fat is used - fat tail, with eggs and water and rolled out melted butter or dairy butter. Fresh to a thickness of 1 mm. The dough Sulu khingal herbs, as well as various spices are is cut into 2x2 cm squares, gently served separately: sumac, pepper, shaken on a sieve, freed from excess Khamrashi. Broth is cooked from narsharab, vinegar, lemon, and in flour and put into the boiling broth. lamb bones, and minced meat with summer – fresh cucumbers and to- When it boils, they put onion roasted onion is made from the flesh of meat. matoes. Farinaceous second courses - in butter, chopped cilantro and dill The minced meat is cut into small guru khingal, shula khingal and gur- and prepare it. Before serving, it is balls of 5-6 pieces per serving. Beans za – are very popular in Baku and Ab- sprinkled with dried mint. Vinegar is soaked in advance and cooked sepa- sheron. served too. rately are placed in the filtered broth, Guru khingal. Stiff dough is Shorba. They take mutton - 2-3 and then noodles prepared in the kneaded with salt, water and eggs. It slices per serving, pour cold water following way are added: stiff dough is rolled out to a thickness of 1mm, and cook it for about an hour. One is kneaded with water and eggs and cut into diamonds, boiled in salted day before, peas are left to soak in rolled out to a thickness of 1 mm. It water and then drained in a colan- cold water and boiled, and then the is sprinkled with flour, cut into 5 cm der. The mutton is cut into 2-3 pieces 48 www.irs-az.com Khingal cut into diamonds, then boiled in water and drained. When serving, they put khingal on the plate and on top, minced meat sprinkled with grated cheese and cinnamon. Gatig with mashed garlic is served sepa- rately. Gurza. They make minced meat Tomato dolma Tomato from mutton, add salt and pepper per serving and fried on a strongly and fry it. Stiff dough is kneaded, heated pan with oil. Onions, abgora, rolled out to 1 mm and cut into cir- cinnamon, and salt are added. After cles of 5 cm. The ready minced meat that, it is combined and prepared is placed in the circles and wrapped with khingal.