Azerbaijan is a country located in the Caucasus region of Eurasia, and is known for its rich culture, heritage and cuisine. Azerbaijani food is an amalgamation of different influences from neighbouring countries such as Turkey, Iran, Russia and Armenia. The cuisine of Azerbaijan is primarily based on local ingredients that are readily available in the region.
Azerbaijan is known for its hearty dishes that are typically served with a variety of side dishes. A typical Azerbaijani meal consists of several courses including a soup, salad, kebab, pilaf (rice dish), shashlik (meat skewers), and desserts. Common ingredients used in Azerbaijani cuisine include meat such as beef, lamb and chicken; vegetables such as potatoes, tomatoes, onions and eggplants; fruits such as pomegranates and apples; nuts such as hazelnuts and walnuts; spices such as cumin, coriander and paprika; herbs such as parsley, basil and dill; dairy products such as yogurt; grains such as wheat and barley; legumes such as chickpeas and lentils; rice varieties such as long-grain Basmati rice; pastas like noodles or macaroni.
Soups are a common appetizer in Azerbaijan cuisine. Some popular soups include piti (a lamb soup cooked with chickpeas or beans), dovga (a yogurt-based soup with herbs), shorba (a tomato-based soup) and borscht (a beetroot-based soup). Soups are usually served with freshly baked bread.
Kebabs are another specialty of Azerbaijani cuisine. Kebabs can be made from either meat or vegetables cooked on a skewer over an open fire or charcoal grill. Popular types of kebabs include lyulya kebab (minced lamb kebab), kyufta kebab (mixed minced meat kebab) and jingalov kebab (flatbread filled with greens).
Pilaf is one of the most popular dishes in Azerbaijan cuisine. Pilaf is typically made from long grain Basmati rice cooked with onions, carrots, peas, spices like cumin or coriander seeds, lamb or other meats like beef or chicken.
It can also be prepared without meat for vegetarian diners. Pilaf can be served plain or topped with nuts like almonds or walnuts for extra flavor.
Desserts in Azerbaijan consist mainly of sweet pastries filled with nuts or fruit jams like apricot jam or quince jam. Popular desserts include shakarbura (fried pastry topped with honey syrup), pakhlava (layered pastry filled with nuts)and halva (ground sesame paste sweetened with honey). Fruit compotes are also popular dessert options in Azerbaijan.
In conclusion, Azerbaijani food is varied due to its diverse cultural influences from neighbouring countries like Turkey, Iran Russia and Armenia. It features hearty soups like piti which use regional ingredients like legumes beans lentils grains vegetables fruits nuts spices herbs dairy products meats pastas noodles macaroni etc., alongwith variety of Kebabs made from either meat or vegetables cooked on a skewer over an open fire or charcoal grill ,Pilaf which uses long grain Basmati rice cooked with onions carrots peas spices like cumin coriander seeds lamb beef chicken etc., alongwith Sweet pastries filled nuts fruit jams apricot jam quince jam Shakarbura pakhlava halva Fruit compotes etc., making it one the most unique cuisines around the world!
To sum up what is Azerbaijan famous food? The answer would be hearty soups ,kebabs ,pilafs ,sweet desserts & fruit compotes that make up this unique cuisine!