Beyond Meat in Baku: Azerbaijan’s capital offers a repertoire of green specials

Express News Service

Located on the shores of the Caspian Sea, Baku gets some of the best trout, Caspian salmon, sardines and grey mullet. Kebabs are another city favourite. But contrary to its excellent non-vegetarian profile, the capital of Azerbaijan offers a repertoire of green specials, many of which were formerly eaten in the royal households.

There is also the black tea culture and desserts made with an assortment of nuts that make Baku’s food scene—an amalgamation of Iranian and Turkish culinary influences—worth exploring.

Stepping inside Shah Restaurant is akin to setting foot into the medieval period of Azerbaijan. The thematic eatery, located in the Khatai District of Baku, pays tribute to Shah Ismail Khatai, the founder of the Safavid Dynasty. His portrait adorns one of the walls, which, created with grey and brown stone, are also decorated with artefacts like daggers, jewellery, musical instruments, carpets and old utensils. The mosaic flooring is complimented by chandeliers that warmly light the interiors.

The table with traditional upholstery is set with some of Baku’s choicest regal delicacies. That these were relished by the Shah himself makes them all the more appetising. There is Qutab, a flatbread filled with green vegetables, flavourful lentil soup served in earthen bowls, dolmas (a family of stuffed dishes) with greens, Sirdagh a medley of veggies cooked in a sweet and sour sauce, and the start of Azerbaijani cuisine—the pilaf, a traditional rice meal infused with local aromas, the recipe for which is taken from the book sourced from Shah’s chef.

Move from the palatial grandeur of Shah to the Serbet Panorama Restaurant in the old city, with its magnificent views of the Caspian Sea. Here, you must try the salad with tomatoes, red onions and cherries, drizzled with a cornelian cherry sauce. Mangal, a salad made with barbequed aubergines, is another highlight. Then arrives the Azerbaijani-style mashed potatoes and roasted pumpkin seasoned with herbs.

The meal ends, but not the experience. A particular kind of tea awaits one at the Khamsa Tea House on Shamsi Badalbeyli Street. Black tea is poured into pear-shaped glasses called Armudu from glass teapots. Add a squeeze of lemon and one cube of sugar for that perfect cuppa.

The vegetarian trail continues at Remzioglu Paxlava, a sweetmeat shop on Bulbul Avenue, where desserts such as baklava, Pakhlava and Shekarbura line the glass counters. The tray with Shekarbura, shaped in the form of half-moons, is almost empty for good reason.

It’s a delicious preparation of dough with the stuffing of nuts and sugar. While almonds are commonly used, hazelnuts or walnuts are also ground and used to make this sweet. This and a lot more await you; just carry your appetite.

<br /> Located on the shores of the Caspian Sea, Baku gets some of the best trout, Caspian salmon, sardines and grey mullet. Kebabs are another city favourite. But contrary to its excellent non-vegetarian profile, the capital of Azerbaijan offers a repertoire of green specials, many of which were formerly eaten in the royal households.</p> <p>There is also the black tea culture and desserts made with an assortment of nuts that make Baku’s food scene—an amalgamation of Iranian and Turkish culinary influences—worth exploring.</p> <p>Stepping inside Shah Restaurant is akin to setting foot into the medieval period of Azerbaijan. The thematic eatery, located in the Khatai District of Baku, pays tribute to Shah Ismail Khatai, the founder of the Safavid Dynasty. His portrait adorns one of the walls, which, created with grey and brown stone, are also decorated with artefacts like daggers, jewellery, musical instruments, carpets and old utensils. The mosaic flooring is complimented by chandeliers that warmly light the interiors.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });</p> <p>The table with traditional upholstery is set with some of Baku’s choicest regal delicacies. That these were relished by the Shah himself makes them all the more appetising. There is Qutab, a flatbread filled with green vegetables, flavourful lentil soup served in earthen bowls, dolmas (a family of stuffed dishes) with greens, Sirdagh a medley of veggies cooked in a sweet and sour sauce, and the start of Azerbaijani cuisine—the pilaf, a traditional rice meal infused with local aromas, the recipe for which is taken from the book sourced from Shah’s chef.</p> <p>Move from the palatial grandeur of Shah to the Serbet Panorama Restaurant in the old city, with its magnificent views of the Caspian Sea. Here, you must try the salad with tomatoes, red onions and cherries, drizzled with a cornelian cherry sauce. Mangal, a salad made with barbequed aubergines, is another highlight. Then arrives the Azerbaijani-style mashed potatoes and roasted pumpkin seasoned with herbs.</p> <p>The meal ends, but not the experience. A particular kind of tea awaits one at the Khamsa Tea House on Shamsi Badalbeyli Street. Black tea is poured into pear-shaped glasses called Armudu from glass teapots. Add a squeeze of lemon and one cube of sugar for that perfect cuppa.</p> <p>The vegetarian trail continues at Remzioglu Paxlava, a sweetmeat shop on Bulbul Avenue, where desserts such as baklava, Pakhlava and Shekarbura line the glass counters. The tray with Shekarbura, shaped in the form of half-moons, is almost empty for good reason.</p> <p>It’s a delicious preparation of dough with the stuffing of nuts and sugar. While almonds are commonly used, hazelnuts or walnuts are also ground and used to make this sweet. This and a lot more await you; just carry your appetite.<br />