Food and Drink Guide to Azerbaijan: What to Eat in Baku and Beyond

Why Azerbaijani food deserves your attention

Sitting where the Caucasus, Persia, Turkey and Central Asia meet, Azerbaijani cuisine is built on lamb, fresh herbs, saffron, pomegranate and slow cooking over charcoal. Meals are generous, social and centred on sharing.

Signature dishes to try

• Plov the national dish: saffron-tinted rice served with meat, dried fruit and a crisp golden crust called *gazmag*. There are dozens of regional versions.
• Dolma vine leaves or vegetables stuffed with minced lamb, rice and herbs, often eaten with garlic yoghurt.
• Dushbara tiny lamb dumplings in a clear broth, dusted with dried mint and vinegar.
• Lavangi chicken or fish stuffed with a paste of walnuts, onion and sour plum, a speciality of the Lankaran region.
• Qutab thin folded flatbread filled with greens, pumpkin or meat, cooked on a griddle.

Street food and kebabs

Kebab (locals say *kabab*) is everywhere: lamb *tikya*, minced *lulya*, and even kebab made from aubergine and tomato. Look for *tendir* bread baked in clay ovens, and grab a *doner* for a quick bite. In Baku, the area around Fountain Square and Nizami Street has plenty of casual spots.

Drinks worth seeking out

• Black tea is the heart of hospitality, poured from a samovar into pear-shaped *armudu* glasses and sipped with jam or sugar cubes held between the teeth.
• Sherbet a sweet, cooling drink of fruit, herbs and saffron.
• Pomegranate juice and wine Azerbaijan is a pomegranate country; local wineries near Ganja and the Savalan label are worth trying.
• Ayran salted yoghurt drink, perfect with grilled meat.

Practical dining tips and etiquette

• Tea is offered constantly; accepting it is a sign of respect.
• Bread is treated with reverence never throw it away or place it upside down.
• A sit-down meal in Baku costs roughly 15 to 30 AZN per person; tea houses are cheaper.
• Tipping around 10 percent is appreciated but not mandatory.
• Ramadan and regional customs may affect alcohol service outside Baku.

Stay connected in Azerbaijan

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