AN OVERVIEW OF THE SOUTHERN AZERBAIJANI CUISINE
A civilization has two great indications and two important
sources: a cooker and a kitchen. The identity of a nation is
partly understood through a study made in their cuisine.
Primitive communities did not have a kitchen at all. They
just casually cooked all the food on some kind of heater in
order to chew them properly. As civilizations developed,
knowledge on kitchen also developed and a tradition for
cooking food and new methods of cooking emerged. That is why
it can be said that the way to civilization passes partly
from the kitchen. The communities, which do not benefit from
agricultural plants and usually nourish meat and game, are
regarded underdeveloped even today. A community, which has
developed equipment and material in its kitchen, can be
regarded as a community, which has gone through certain
phases of success. Southern Azerbaijan can be regarded as
one of the oldest countries, which possesses the rich
history of the east. The present Southern Azerbaijani
civilization is deeply rooted in ancient times. The history
of the Southern Azerbaijani cuisine is as old as the history
of its people.
Southern Azerbaijani food is quite different. These foods,
which display the phases of civilization, traditions and
characteristics of various communities that lived in
Southern Azerbaijan and the phase of civilization for plants
and agriculture, are concrete documents showing the phases
which the civilization in Southern Azerbaijan has undergone.
The people in Southern Azerbaijan have improved their
habitat through their neighbors; have enriched the
traditional way of living they brought from Central Asia and
thus various kinds of food, fruit and drinks have arrived in
the region and regionally developed.
In Southern Azerbaijan there are also different eating
styles, which have passed on from ancient times, apart from
the different ways of cooking the food. What we mean by this
is not the way in which the food is eaten, either standing
up or by lying or sitting down. What we really mean by this
is eating the food together with a special ceremony and
having a banquet. In the past, in this old nation, there was
a tradition of eating food together with a crowd during the
religious ceremonies. This crowded eating habit in the form
of a banquet is observed in some other nations as well. This
kind of collective eating habit was a widespread habit
usually seen in weddings, when going to war, when a work has
been carried out successfully, upon returning from a
successful war, after funerals and on various religious
gatherings. Today, this tradition is widely practiced in
Southern Azerbaijan. Especially in weddings, when migrating,
on long journeys, upon the arrival of a guest, on religious
festivals, in ceremonies regarding the dead, upon returning
from pilgrimage, on births and on various similar occasions
this habit of eating in a collective manner was observed.
What is important on such occasions is that food, reflecting
the tradition of the region the most should be prepared.
However, today, rice and kebab are more common.
These dishes vary according to the regions. The main reason
for change is old traditions and customs. In some of the
regions they would sacrifice animals in order to cook these
dishes. Currently giving or cooking food to the needy in the
name of God is a tradition, which is practiced in special
months and days.
In Southern Azerbaijan they usually used to cook the food in
cauldrons. There are various types of cauldrons. Most of the
pots and pans were made out of copper. The sacks and water
bottles used in kitchens were made out of leather.
Meals were eaten in the biggest room of the house in
Southern Azerbaijan. Using the biggest spoon to distribute
the meal was a symbol of the superiority of the women at
home. This was only done by an elderly woman, or if she was
not present, by her closest friend. The meals were generally
eaten in groups. When eating group meals the ages of the
people were taken into consideration. The meal was generally
eaten at the table, which was prepared on a smooth surface.
The cloth over the table is generally from fabric or nylon.
If a guest arrived the young people left the table in order
for the guests to sit. The elder men and women continued to
eat together with the guests.
The nourishment culture of a community is closely linked to
the lifestyle. Changes in the lifestyle can cause changes in
the nourishment culture. That it why there are differences
in the nomadic and settled ways of lives in terms of
nourishment and this change affects the nourishment culture
to a considerable degree. The food culture of a country or a
community varies according to the life standards, climate,
variety of people and geography and from region to region.
It is possible to come across many Southern Azerbaijani dish
names in ancient inscriptions. Although the Azeri land has
been subject to raids of various invaders and occupational
forces for centuries, it has still been able to preserve and
maintain its national sovereignty, its culture, social life,
art and even its national dishes.
The delicious food of Southern Azerbaijan is known by many
people over the world. As it can easily be understood from
their names dolma (stuffed pepper), piti, bozbash (a meal
made out of meat and chick peas), meatballs, various types
of halvahs and meals are Turkish dishes, which are also
considered as Southern Azerbaijani dishes. For example the
word dolma (stuffed) has derived from the verb “to stuff”.
Dolma, which is considered as one of the national dishes of
Southern Azerbaijan, is cooked in various different ways.
Among the types of dolma are stuffed grape leaves, stuffed
cabbage leaves, apple, tomato, pepper, quince, onion,
eggplant, evelik (a kind of vegetable) etc.
We should count the kebabs as one of the Southern Azeri
food. This meal, which can be said to have been inherited
from ancestors, is widely made out of meat from the back of
the animal. Among the kebabs are berg kebab, soltani kebab,
Juje (dwarf chick) kebab, liver kebab, tomato kebab, Bonab
(a city in Southern Azerbaijan) kebab, tail kebab, kebab in
pan and Kubide kebab.
Among the meals, which are peculiar to Southern Azerbaijan,
are soups made out of vegetables and legumes. These dishes
are generally drunk in winter before the main courses and
are said to have a healing power. They are, therefore, a
very good choice for sick people to eat and are rich in
vitamins. Among the soups are yoghurt, ayran (a drink made
out of yoghurt), noodle, sour soup, semolina soup, scarlet
soup, boiled sheep’s head soup, fruit soup, tomato soup etc.
Another type of dish, which is widely preferred in Southern
Azerbaijan and which is regarded as tradition is meatballs.
The most famous meatballs are the Tabriz meatball and the
Rize meatball. Fried onions, dried apricots, cooked eggs,
walnuts and various other flavors are put inside the Tabriz
meatballs, which are made out of meat, various vegetables,
leppe (a kind of chickpea), rice, eggs, spices and flour. 
The Southern Azerbaijani dishes can easily be distinguished
from the dishes of other nations due to their peculiar
spices. Among these spices are saffron, cumin, turmeric,
thyme, red and black pepper, ginger, mint and dried roses.
