Cuisine | Azerbaijan Culture

Azerbaijani cuisine is one of the oldest, richest and most delicious cuisines in the world. “Azerbaijani cuisine” is not only the dishes, the methods of their preparation, but also a key part of material culture. Azerbaijani cuisine is harmonious with culinary culture, its history, philosophy, table psychology, customs, physiology, hygiene, chemistry, equipment, ethics, aesthetics, poetry and other aspects of cuisine, as well as practical skills created by the Azerbaijani people in historical harmony with the environment. combines in a way.

Azerbaijani cuisine is the genius of the Azerbaijani people in the lands of the present-day Republic of Azerbaijan, South (Iran) Azerbaijan, the ancient Iravan Khanate of present-day Armenia, Zangazur and Goycha districts of Armenia, in the territories of Dagestan (Borchali) where Azerbaijanis have lived for a long time. It was established in and around Derbent, which was the center of one of the khanates.

Of course, the most important factor influencing the creation and development of the kitchen is the climate. In this regard, it is enough to note that 8 climatic zones pass through the territory of the Republic of Azerbaijan, which in turn determines the diversity and richness of flora and fauna of the region, creates favorable conditions for the life and development of all animals and plants. These are the main bases for creating a rich kitchen.

In addition to the use of wild animals, birds, fish and plants to create a rich cuisine, the production of agricultural products in the later stages of development of society is also required. To do this, the population must have a high level of agricultural and livestock culture.

For example, complex foods from dough and cereals could only occur if the production of agricultural products exceeded the demand for bakery products and bread substitutes. Only when it was necessary to store the surplus grain for a long enough time did it become possible to experiment and create complex dishes. Over the centuries, new dishes gradually appeared and became ingrained in the people’s memory. Only the presence of “hemp” (archaic form of sorghum, sieve) traces the history of cooking from cereals and dough to 5-6 thousand years BC, and allows us to talk about a stable product, respectively, a high level of agriculture.

Production of large quantities of grain products, high agricultural culture, the availability of irrigation systems, the development of animal husbandry, etc. informs.

All this would not be possible without a sedentary lifestyle.

It should be noted that the raw materials needed for cooking in the South Caucasus were mainly produced by Azerbaijanis with a high level of agricultural and livestock culture. For example, the Georgian scientist MITkeshelov wrote about Azerbaijanis living in the territory of the former Iravan khanate in 1888: “In the villages they are engaged in grain growing, agriculture and gardening. Of course, in the plains and pastures, they are not only engaged in animal husbandry, Azerbaijanis can be called a farming people, mainly because they live on the banks of rivers. We can say that Azerbaijanis live almost everywhere on the banks of rivers, while Armenians live only in mountainous areas.

When EK Artamanov wrote about Iran in 1889, he noted that “Azerbaijan, Khorasan, Kermanshah, Persia, Isfahan and Yazd give more grain”.

GV Sologub wrote in 1852: “Armenians focus their activities mainly on trade and accumulation of wealth. Azerbaijanis, in turn, have focused their activities on agriculture and livestock, according to their habitats, and are a major producer in the Caucasus.

In 1902, IV Segalov noted that “Muslim people live mainly on the banks of Bazarchay, Airichay, Bargushad, Oxchuchay and their tributaries, as well as Araz; The Armenian population lives in sparsely mountainous terrain. The vast majority of Armenian men (aged 15 to 40) go to the Caspian coast, Baku and Tbilissi (Tbilisi) every winter to earn money. Here they are attracted to slavery and street life. As for Azerbaijanis, they live in the plains and in good agricultural conditions.

This, of course, was a natural process. Before the arrival of other peoples, all the fertile lands were inhabited and used by the local population. This is confirmed by the Armenian scientist GA Yazov (1908): “The Armenians of the new homeland were not so welcoming, because there were very few free state lands.”

Records of travelers, scientists, merchants, diplomats and others, as well as archeological excavations prove that these lands have long been rich in grain, rice, sesame, soybeans, beets, melons, watermelons, grapes, apples, pomegranates, quinces and others. other similar agricultural, horticultural and horticultural products were grown.

These crops, as well as fresh and dried fish, caviar, honey, butter and other livestock products, were supplied not only to the local population, but also exported to neighboring, near and far countries. It is undeniable that for centuries Caucasian markets have been supplied with livestock and crop products produced by Azerbaijanis. For example, YD Angabadze and NG Volkova, citing sources in the book “Old Tbilissi”, write: There was a great demand in the markets of Tbilisi for gold fish imported from Azerbaijan, from Lake Goyja (this area is called “Sevan Lake” after the transfer to Armenia – TA).

Thus, the main people in the Caucasus who had the opportunity to create and develop a rich cuisine, a strong raw material base for the kitchen were the Azerbaijanis.

This fact explains the fact that the vast majority of dishes in the cuisines of Armenians, Georgians, Persians and others are named after Azerbaijani Turks.

After the climate, the main factor affecting the kitchen is the stove. For example, in Slavic cuisine, especially in Russian cuisine, many sweet cakes, stews and stews have emerged with the capabilities of the Russian oven. The creation and development of Azerbaijani cuisine is largely based on the use of ovens, stoves, ovens, pots, pans, barbecues, etc. due to the large number of types of open and closed hearths.

Unique utensils and kitchen utensils also had a certain effect on our kitchen. Even today, our housewives use animal skin, stone, wood, clay, glass, metal and so on. use a variety of utensils.

In addition to gas and electricity, wood, charcoal, dung, etc. are still used as fuel in the folk cuisine of Azerbaijan. Of particular interest is the use of fresh. Where fresh is used, the cutting of trees and shrubs for fuel is reduced. Where fresh is prepared and used, there are no liver diseases or respiratory diseases. According to Indian scientists, the smoke generated during the combustion of fresh air has antiseptic properties.

One of the indicators of the level of culinary culture of a nation is its attitude to water, its purification and ability to use water. From ancient times, the people of Azerbaijan divide water into white and black. Water, which contains many salts, ions and metals, is hard, black water. Conversely, water that is low in ions, metals and salts is considered soft water.

Only soft white water is used in the preparation of drinks and dishes. A bunch of willows is always buried on the banks of rivers, ditches and canals. Willow roots, branches, etc. with antimicrobial properties. parts water cures. For this purpose, a bunch of willow twigs are cut into containers containing water. Sometimes silverware is thrown into the water. If this is not the case, they throw apricot kernels in a special container containing water to allow the impurities in the water to settle.

Perhaps the first and best natural water purifier in history is still used by Azerbaijanis. This is a water stone used to purify water. The water stone resembles a carved pyramid made of black or white sandstone, the top of which is placed on a special wooden support with the bottom facing down, and a container is placed under it to collect fresh water. They fill the stone with water, and in many cases they throw a silver object or a willow branch into the water. Drops of water passing through the capillaries of the stone are collected in the following container of clean water, and the water is not only purified, but also cools naturally due to the pressure differences in the pores of the stone and through the capillaries.

It should be noted that the oldest samovar, 3,700 years old, was found in Azerbaijan (Sheki region) and is older than the 2,000-year-old Egyptian samovar. This is one of the starting points in cooking, moving the hearth from the outside of the pot to the inside, changing the water-air balance in the water, changing the amount of nutrients released in the aquatic environment and, accordingly, the taste of the liquid.

Another important factor influencing the cuisine is the historical and geographical location of the people, their interaction with neighboring nations.

The passage of ancient trade caravans and military roads through the territory of Azerbaijan has had a certain impact on our cuisine. Although belonging to the all-Turkic ethnos leads to the existence of dishes of the same name and roots, Azerbaijani cuisine can be considered the crown of all-Turkic cuisine. In terms of taste, Azerbaijani cuisine is closer to Anatolian cuisine.

Long-term ties with the Arabs have given our cuisine coffee, and the historic Silk Road has brought tea to these places from as far away as China. On the other hand, acquaintance with Russian cuisine brought to Azerbaijani cuisine “shi” and “borsch” (popularly known as “borsch”), on the other hand, there was an opportunity to get acquainted with Russianized European cuisine, distorted by Russia. In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, with the development of the oil industry, a direct acquaintance with European cuisine began (this process is still observed today), which only affected the restaurant cuisine, taught the population to use aluminum utensils. did not add anything positive to the folk cuisine.

One of the factors strongly influencing the national cuisine of Azerbaijanis is the religion and beliefs of the people. Zoroastrianism, fire-worship, Avesta philosophy are reflected in psychology, customs, thinking of the Azerbaijani people, as well as in the kitchen. Respect for the cook’s first assistant, the stove, we think, comes from here. Table customs and dishes formed under the influence of belief in light and fire are still alive today. For a long time, Christianity has existed and continues to exist in Azerbaijan – and this factor remains in our cuisine. At the same time, there is no doubt that Azerbaijanis have been Muslims for a thousand years and the influence of Islam on cuisine. Refusal to use gold dishes, refrain from pork, ban on the use of alcohol, etc. speaks of the strong influence of Islamic traditions. Various holidays, rituals and fasting also had a strong effect on the kitchen.

It should be noted that religious customs, prohibitions, advice related to religion are the object of special research. It should be noted that the religion, especially Islam, has a solid scientific basis for its requirements for food and foodstuffs. For example, in Islam, it is not recommended to eat fruits and grains by peeling them. However, it has only recently been discovered in science that most of the water-soluble vitamins and trace elements are found in the bark of plants, and so on.

Unique utensils and kitchen utensils also had a certain effect on our kitchen. Even today, our housewives use animal skin, stone, wood, clay, glass, metal and so on. use a variety of utensils.