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Azerbaijan

Located at the crossroads of Eastern Europe and Western Asia, Azerbaijan is known for its blend of ancient culture and modern development. Baku, the capital, showcases this contrast with its historical Old City and futuristic Flame Towers. The country's economy is heavily reliant on oil and gas but is diversifying into tourism, with attractions like the mud volcanoes and the Caspian Sea coastline. Azerbaijan also hosts significant cultural events, reflecting its rich heritage influenced by Persian, Turkic, and Russian cultures.

Azerbaijan

Featured Dishes from Azerbaijan

Draniki

Draniki

Potato pancakes are shallow-fried pancakes consisting of grated or ground potato, matzo meal or flour and a binding ingredient such as egg or apple sauce, often flavored with grated garlic or onion and seasonings. They may be topped with a variety of condiments, ranging from the savory , to the sweet (such as apple sauce or sugar), or they may be served plain. The dish is sometimes made from mashed potatoes to make pancake-shaped croquettes. Some variations are made with sweet potatoes. Potato pancakes are associated with various European cuisines, including Irish (as boxty), German and Austrian (as Kartoffelpuffer, Reibekuchen, Reiberdatschi, Erdäpfelpuffer and Erdäpfellaibchen), Dutch (as aardappelpannenkoek, reifkoeken, reifjes), Belarusian (as дранікі draniki), Bulgarian (as patatnik), Czech (as bramborák, cmunda or vošouch), Hungarian (as tócsni, lapcsánka and other names), Jewish (as latka, Yiddish: לאַטקע, Hebrew: לביבה levivah, plural לביבות levivot), Latvian (as kartupeļu pankūkas), Lithuanian (as bulviniai blynai), Luxembourg (Gromperekichelcher), Polish (as placki ziemniaczane), Romanian (as tocini or tocinei), Russian (as драники draniki), Slovak (as zemiakové placky), Ukrainian (as деруни deruny), Italian (Frittelle di patate) and any cuisine that has adopted similar dishes. In Spain they are called tortillitas de patatas; in Mexico in some areas they are called tortitas de papa or camaron, and are only prepared in some regions for Lent or meatless Fridays. It is the national dish of Belarus, Ukraine, Russia and Slovakia. In Germany, potato pancakes are eaten either salty (as a side dish) or sweet with apple sauce, or blueberries, sugar and cinnamon; they are a very common menu item during outdoor markets and festivals in colder seasons. In Swiss cuisine, rösti is a variation that never contains egg or flour. American hash browns are also without eggs and flour. Potato pancake is a traditional favorite in the southern parts of Indiana during holiday festivities. In Taranto, Italy potato pancakes are called frittelle di patate alla tarantina and are made with potatoes, salt and Canestrato Pugliese.

Syrniki

Syrniki

Syrniki or syrnyky (Ukrainian: сирники, cheese cakes) are fried Eastern Slavic quark (curd cheese) pancakes. They are a part of Belarusian, Russian, Ukrainian, Latvian (biezpiena plācenīši) and Lithuanian cuisine (varškėčiai). In Russia, they are also known as tvorozhniki (творо́жники). The name syrniki is derived from the Slavic word syr (сир), meaning a soft curd cheese. The Ukrainian language retains the old Slavic sense of the word, as in domashnii syr (домашній сир, literal translation 'domestic cheese'), whereas in Russian another old Slavic word for curd cheese, tvorog (творог), is used. Syrnyky or tvorozhniki are made from creamy tvorog, mixed with flour, eggs and sugar, sometimes adding vanilla extract. Pot cheese or farmer's cheese or quark is suggested as a substitute for the tvorog. The soft mixture is shaped into cakes, which are pan- or shallow-fried in vegetable oil or in hot butter. The consistency should remain slightly creamy, while they are slightly browned on both sides. They are traditionally sweet and served for breakfast or dessert, but can be made savory as well. Raisins, chopped dried apricot, fresh apples or pears are sometimes added into the batter. They are typically served with varenye, jam, smetana (sour cream) and / or melted butter.

Zapekanka

Zapekanka

Casserole, cheesecake or coffee cake, can be savory or sweet, there are many different ways to prepare this dish

Apple pie

Apple pie

An apple pie is a pie in which the principal filling is apples. Apple pie is often served with whipped cream, ice cream , custard or cheddar cheese. It is generally double-crusted, with pastry both above and below the filling; the upper crust may be solid or latticed (woven of crosswise strips). The bottom crust may be baked separately ("blind") to prevent it from getting soggy. Tarte Tatin is baked with the crust on top, but served with it on the bottom. Originating in the 14th century in England, apple pie recipes are now a standard part of cuisines in many countries where apples grow. Apple pies are an unofficial symbol of the United States and one of its signature comfort foods.

Badambura

Badambura

Layered pastry with a sweet almond filling

Biskvit

Biskvit

Cake

Cake

Кекс — кондитерское изделие, выпекаемое из масляного бисквитного или дрожжевого теста. Первый рецепт кекса можно найти в Древнем Риме, когда гранат, орехи, изюм смешивались в ячменном пюре. Начиная с XVI века, когда из американских колоний стал поставляться сахар, кексы стали очень популярны (высокая концентрация сахара сохраняла фрукты). Кексы распространились по всей Европе, но рецепты их приготовления многообразны в разных странах и зависят от местных ингредиентов.

Charlotte Russe cake

Charlotte Russe cake

A charlotte is a type of bread pudding that can be served hot or cold. It is also referred to as an "icebox cake". Bread, sponge cake, crumbs or biscuits/cookies are used to line a mold, which is then filled with a fruit puree or custard. The baked pudding could then be sprinkled with powdered sugar and glazed with a salamander, a red-hot iron plate attached to a long handle, though modern recipes would likely use more practical tools to achieve a similar effect. The variant charlotte russe also called charlotte parisienne, created by the French chef Antonin Carême, uses a mold lined with ladyfingers and filled with Bavarian cream. Classically, stale bread dipped in butter was used as the lining, but sponge cake or ladyfingers may be used today. The filling may be covered with a thin layer of similarly flavoured gelatin.

Dondurma

Dondurma

Dondurma is the Turkish name for ice cream. Outside Turkey, it typically refers specifically to mastic ice cream, which is believed to originate from the city and region of Kahramanmaraş and is known as maraş dondurma in Turkish.[a] This is made from cream, salep , mastic (plant resin), and sugar. Two qualities distinguish Turkish ice cream: hard texture and resistance to melting, brought about by inclusion of the thickening agents salep, a flour made from the root of the early purple orchid, and mastic, a resin that imparts chewiness. The Kahramanmaraş region is known for Maraş dondurması, a variety which contains distinctly more salep than usual. Tough and sticky, it is sometimes eaten with a knife and fork.

Eklerki

Eklerki

An éclair is a pastry made with choux dough filled with a cream and topped with a flavored icing. The dough, which is the same as that used for profiterole, is typically piped into an oblong shape with a pastry bag and baked until it is crisp and hollow inside. Once cool, the pastry is filled with custard (crème pâtissière), whipped cream or chiboust cream, then iced with fondant icing. Other fillings include pistachio- and rum-flavoured custard, fruit-flavoured fillings, or chestnut purée. The icing is sometimes caramel, in which case the dessert may be called a bâton de Jacob (lit. 'Jacob's staff'). A similar pastry in a round rather than oblong shape is called a religieuse. The word comes from the French éclair, meaning 'flash of lightning', so named because it is eaten quickly (in a flash); however some believe that the name is due to the glistening of the frosting resembling lightning. The éclair originated during the 19th century in Lyon, France where it was called pain à la Duchesse ('Duchess-style bread') or petite duchesse ('little duchess') until 1850. The word is first attested both in English and in French in the 1860s.

Firni

Firni

Kheer, also known as payasam or payesh, is a pudding or porridge popular in the Indian subcontinent, usually made by boiling milk, sugar or jaggery, and rice. It can be additionally flavoured with dried fruits, nuts, cardamom and saffron. Instead of rice, it may contain cracked wheat, vermicelli , sago or tapioca (sabudana). In Southern India, it is known as payasam and it is made in various ways. The most popular versions are the ones made with rice and vermicelli (semiya).

Halva

Halva

Halva is a type of confectionery that is widely spread throughout the Middle East and North Africa, the Balkans, Central Asia, and South Asia. The name is used for a broad variety of recipes, generally a thick paste made from flour, butter, liquid oil, saffron, rosewater, milk, turmeric powder, and sweetened with sugar. The word halva entered the English language between 1840 and 1850 from Romanian, which came from Ottoman Turkish: حلوى, romanized: helva, itself ultimately derived from Arabic: حلوى, romanized: ḥalwā, a sweet confection. The root in Arabic: ح ل و, romanized: ḥ-l-w, means "sweet". The original name for the confection was Persian: روغن خورديگ, romanized: rōɣn khordīg, meaning "oil food".

Kanafeh

Kanafeh

Knafeh is a traditional Arab dessert made with kadayif (spun pastry dough) layered with cheese and soaked in a sweet, sugar-based syrup called attar. Knafeh is a popular throughout the Arab world, especially in the Levant, and is often served on special occasions and holidays. The most common variant of knafeh in Jordan and Palestine, Knafeh Nabulseyeh, originated in the Palestinian city of Nablus. The English language borrows the word "knafeh" from Levantine and Egyptian Arabic, and widely transliterates it as kanafeh, kenafeh, knafeh, kunafah, kunafeh, konafa, knéfé, kunafa, and similar variations.

Kazandibi

Kazandibi

Kazandibi or kazan dibi is a Turkish dessert and a type of caramelized milk pudding. It was developed in the kitchens of the Ottoman Palace and is one of the most popular Turkish desserts today. It is traditionally made by burning the bottom of tavuk göğsü. A variant of kazandibi uses muhallebi instead.

Kiev cake

Kiev cake

Kyiv cake is a dessert cake produced in Kyiv, USSR since December 6, 1956 by the Karl Marx Confectionery Factory which is now a subsidiary of the Roshen corporation. The cake has emerged as a symbol of Kyiv, largely due to its brand name and packaging featuring the depiction of a horse chestnut leaf, which was present on the Coat of Arms of Kyiv during the Soviet era. The cake consists of two light layers of meringue with hazelnuts covered in a chocolate glaze, and filled with a buttercream-like filling.

Kogel mogel

Kogel mogel

Kogel mogel is an egg-based homemade dessert once popular in parts of Europe. It is made from egg yolks, sugar, and flavourings such as honey, vanilla, cocoa or rum, similar to eggnog or zabaione. In its classic form it is served slightly chilled or at room temperature. Served warm or hot, it is considered a home remedy for sore throats. Variations include milk, honey and soda. Kogel mogel became known by this name by the 17th-century Jewish communities of Central Europe. It may have its roots in the Jewish code of law called the Shulchan Arukh where one is allowed to consume sweet syrup and/or raw egg on Shabbat to make one's voice more pleasant. Vasmer's dictionary mentions different hypotheses on the origin of the name such as English hug-mug, hugger-mugger, or German Kuddelmuddel.

Kurabiye

Kurabiye

Qurabiya also ghraybe, ghorayeba, ghoriba, ghribia, ghraïba, gurabija, ghriyyaba,, kurabiye, or kourabiedes (Greek: κουραμπιέδες) and numerous other spellings and pronunciations, is a shortbread-type biscuit, usually made with ground almonds. Versions are found in most Arab, Balkan and Ottoman cuisines, with various different forms and recipes. They are similar to polvorones from Andalusia. In the Maghreb and Egypt, they are often served with Libyan tea, Arabic coffee or Maghrebi mint tea. A recipe for a shortbread cookie similar to ghorayebah but without almonds, called in Arabic khushkanānaj gharīb (exotic cookie), is given in the earliest known Arab cookbook, the 10th-century Kitab al-Ṭabīḫ. Kurabiye appears in the Ottoman cuisine in the 15th century.

Medok

Medok

Layered honey cake, a Georgian variation of the medovnik layered honey cake

Morozhenoye

Morozhenoye

Ice cream is a frozen dessert typically made from milk or cream that has been flavoured with a sweetener, either sugar or an alternative, and a spice, such as cocoa or vanilla, or with fruit, such as strawberries or peaches. Food colouring is sometimes added in addition to stabilizers. The mixture is cooled below the freezing point of water and stirred to incorporate air spaces and prevent detectable ice crystals from forming. It can also be made by whisking a flavoured cream base and liquid nitrogen together. The result is a smooth, semi-solid foam that is solid at very low temperatures . It becomes more malleable as its temperature increases. Ice cream may be served in dishes, eaten with a spoon, or licked from edible wafer ice cream cones held by the hands as finger food. Ice cream may be served with other desserts—such as cake or pie—or used as an ingredient in cold dishes—like ice cream floats, sundaes, milkshakes, and ice cream cakes—or in baked items such as Baked Alaska.

Mutaki

Mutaki

Cardamom walnut roll-up cookies, common during the Novruz holiday in the spring

Oreshki

Oreshki

Walnut-shaped cookies filled with caramel, chocolate, nuts

Pakhlava

Pakhlava

Baklava is a layered pastry dessert made of filo pastry, filled with chopped nuts, and sweetened with syrup or honey. It was one of the most popular sweet pastries of Ottoman cuisine. There are several theories for the origin of the pre-Ottoman version of the dish. In modern times, it is a common dessert among cuisines of countries in West Asia, Southeast Europe, Central Asia, and North Africa. It is also enjoyed in Pakistan and Afghanistan, where, although not a traditional sweet, it has carved out a niche in urban centers. The word baklava is first attested in English in 1650, a borrowing from Ottoman Turkish: باقلاوه /bɑːklɑvɑː/. The name baklava is used in many languages with minor phonetic and spelling variations. The earliest known reference to baklava is in a poem by the 15th century mystic Kaygusuz Abdal.

Pechenye

Pechenye

Pişmaniye

Pişmaniye

Pişmaniye is a Turkish confection made by blending flour roasted in butter into pulled-sugar and then forming it into fine strands. It is sometimes garnished with ground pistachio nuts. Although it is sometimes compared to cotton candy, both the ingredients and method of preparation are significantly different. Until recently pişmaniye used to be made at home in most regions of Turkey, but this tradition is now rapidly disappearing. Today the manufacturing process is partially mechanised. There are many different Turkish names, used in different provinces, the most common being tel helva, çekme helva, tel tel, tepme helva and keten helva.

Ponchiki

Ponchiki

Pączki are filled doughnuts found in Polish cuisine. A pączek is a deep-fried piece of dough shaped into a flattened ball and filled with confiture or other sweet filling. Pączki are usually covered with powdered sugar, icing, glaze, or bits of dried orange zest. A small amount of grain alcohol (traditionally rectified spirit) is added to the dough before cooking; as it evaporates, it prevents the absorption of oil deep into the dough. Pączki are commonly thought of as fluffy but somewhat collapsed, with a bright stripe around them; these features are seen as evidence that the dough was fried in fresh oil.

Ptichye moloko

Ptichye moloko

Ptasie mleczko or bird's milk is a Central European confectionery originating in Poland. It is a small, chocolate-covered bar with a soft marshmallow-like interior. E. Wedel is one of the most recognized chocolate confectioneries in Poland, having exclusive rights for the name Ptasie mleczko. Other confectionery producers also make similar candies named differently (e.g., Alpejskie mleczko, "Alpine milk"). Nonetheless, Ptasie mleczko is often used to refer to similar candies with vanilla, cream, lemon or chocolate flavour. In Russia, ptichye moloko (птичье молоко) is both a popular candy and a famous soufflé cake. The brand was introduced in the 1960s during the Soviet era, and continues to be used by companies operating the factories which produced these candies and cakes since that time. The confectionery is also produced in other post-Soviet states.

Revani

Revani

Basbousa is a sweet, syrup-soaked semolina dessert that is typically associated with cuisines of Egyptian cuisine, Similar but slightly different dishes are also popular in the wider region. The semolina batter is baked in a sheet pan, then sweetened with sugar syrup and typically cut into diamond (lozenge) shapes or squares. The Oxford Companion to Food (3rd edition) suggests that basbousa might have developed from a dish called ma'mounia, which was created around the 10th century. Ma'mounia was made by cooking rice in fat and syrup. This recipe was later adapted to use semolina, with the batter being cooked first and then soaked in syrup. Another take on its origin suggests that basbousa was first made during the 16th century in the Ottoman Empire, likely in what is modern-day Turkey, to celebrate the conquest of Armenia.

Samani halva

Samani halva

Confection made from malted wheat, mulberry or grape syrup, walnut, nutmeg and spices

Shekerbura

Shekerbura

Shekarbura is a sweet pastry. In the Republic of Azerbaijan it is called şəkərbura and is used as a dessert. It is a sweet pastry in half-moon shape, filled with ground almonds, hazelnuts, or walnuts, and sugar. Shekerbura, shorgoghal, and pakhlava are the iconic foods of Novruz holiday in Azerbaijan. In Azerbaijan, it usually involves teamwork of relatives, friends and neighbors who congregate at someone's home to make this Nowruz delight. Like other pastries prepared for Nowruz, shekerbura also has a symbolic meaning which denotes the half-moon or flame of fire.

Shor gogal

Shor gogal

Spiral layered bun or pastry made with spices such as fennel, anise, turmeric, ginger, cumin and pepper, common during the Novruz holiday in the spring

Sütlaç

Sütlaç

Muhallebi is a milk pudding commonly made with rice, sugar, milk and either rice flour, starch or semolina, popular as a dessert in the Middle East. While the dessert is called muhallebi in Turkey and Iraq, in the Levant (Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, and Palestine) and Egypt, it is called mahalabiyeh or mahalabia. Legend has it that muhallebi (Arabic: مهلبية) was introduced into Arab cuisine in the late seventh century by a Persian (Iranian) cook from what was then the Sasanian Empire (224–651), who served it to an Arab general by the name of Al-Muhallab ibn Abi Sufra. He liked it so much, he named it after himself. The earliest recipes, dating to the 10th century, featured three versions: milk thickened with ground rice, milk with rice grains and chicken, and an egg custard without rice. Early recipes for muhallabiyya include a work attributed to Ibn Sayyar al-Warraq of Baghdad and two 13th-century Arab cookbooks, one by al-Baghdadi and another from Al Andalus that have a spiced pudding variation made with mutton instead of chicken. In the Middle Ages, muhallebi and its European counterpart blancmange were made with shredded chicken. There are records from the Ottoman Empire for two versions of muhallebi: a version with shredded chicken (tavuk göğsü) served during the reign of Mehmed the Conqueror, and a later recipe dating to 1530 for a meatless version flavored with rose water.

Tort skazka

Tort skazka

A log-shaped cake made with, for example, fruit liqueur, cognac, rum

Trilece

Trilece

Sponge cake topped with a milk topping and a caramel sauce, the milk topping was traditionally made with milk from goats, cows and buffalo, modern versions use cow milk, condensed milk and heavy cream

Tulumba

Tulumba

Tulumba or Bamiyeh is a deep-fried dessert found in Egypt, Turkey and the regional cuisines of the former Ottoman Empire. It is a fried batter soaked in syrup, similar to jalebis or churros. It is made from unleavened choux pastry dough (usually about 3 cm long) piped with a pastry bag using an open star or similar tip. It is first deep-fried to golden colour and then sugar-sweet syrup is poured over it when still hot. It is eaten cold. Tulumba literally means 'pump' in Turkish, deriving from the Italian tromba. The dessert is called pomba in Cypriot Greek and bombacık in Cypriot Turkish. In Armenian cuisine it may be called either pomp or tulumba (Armenian: թուլումբա). Tulumba features in Albanian, Serbian, Bosnian, Bulgarian, Macedonian, Greek (Greek: τουλούμπα), Azeri (Azerbaijani: Ballıbadı) and Turkish cuisines. The sweet is also found in Persian cuisine as bamiyeh (Persian: باميه), after the vegetable of the same Persian name (okra), due to its shape. In Hejazi it is called ṭurumba (Arabic: طُرُمْبَة) directly from Italian: tromba, but in Egyptian and some Arab cuisines it is called balaḥ ash-Shām (Arabic: بلح الشام), literally "Syrian dates" or "Damascene dates," though the name may have come from "şambali", another Turkish dessert (the "Şam" in "şambali" corresponding to "Shām" in "balaḥ ash-Shām" and both referring to Damascus). In Iraqi cuisine it is known as datli (Arabic: داطلي), directly coming from Turkish word tatlı. It is made from a yogurt[citation needed] and starch based dough, which is fried before being dipped in syrup. It is a special sweet often enjoyed at Iftar in Ramadan. It is also commonly sold alongside jalebi, which is prepared in a similar way, but arranged in a web-like arrangement of strips of dough.

Varenye

Varenye

Varenye is a popular whole-fruit preserve, widespread in Eastern Europe (Russia, Ukraine, Belarus), as well as the Baltic region (Lithuanian: uogienė [uə̯ˈɡʲiə̯nʲeː], Latvian: ievārījums, Estonian: moos). It is made by cooking berries, other fruits, or more rarely nuts, vegetables, or flowers, in sugar syrup. In some traditional recipes, other sweeteners such as honey or treacle are used instead of or in addition to sugar. Varenye is similar to jam except the fruits are not macerated, and no gelling agent is added. It is characterized by a thick but transparent syrup having the natural colour of the fruits. Varenye is an old Slavic word which is used in East Slavic languages in a more general sense to refer to any type of sweet fruit preserve. The word has common etymological roots with the verbs denoting cooking, boiling, brewing, or stewing (Russian: варить, Belarusian: варыць, Ukrainian: варити).

Ayran

Ayran

Ayran[a] is a cold savory yogurt-based beverage that is consumed across Central Asia, and the Balkans, in Turkey and Iran. The principal ingredients are yogurt, water and salt. Herbs such as mint may be optionally added. Some varieties are carbonated. Ayran (cf. airag in Mongolian: 'mare milk', uyran (уйран) in Chuvash: 'buttermilk') is mentioned in Mahmud al-Kashgari's 11th century Dīwān Lughāt al-Turk, although he did not give any information how ayran was made. The word is derived from the Old Turkic root adır- ("to separate"), cf. Turkish ayır- ("to separate").

Black tea

Black tea

Black tea is a type of tea that is more oxidized than oolong, yellow, white, and green teas. Black tea is generally stronger in flavour than other teas. All five types are made from leaves of the shrub (or small tree) Camellia sinensis, though Camellia taliensis is also rarely used. Two principal varieties of the species are used – the small-leaved Chinese variety plant (C. sinensis var. sinensis), used for most other types of teas, and the large-leaved Assamese plant (C. sinensis var. assamica), which was traditionally mainly used for black tea, although in recent years some green and white teas have been produced.

Chai

Chai

Tea is an aromatic beverage prepared by pouring hot or boiling water over cured or fresh leaves of Camellia sinensis, an evergreen shrub native to East Asia which probably originated in the borderlands of south-western China and northern Myanmar. Tea is also made, but rarely, from the leaves of Camellia taliensis. After plain water, tea is the most widely consumed drink in the world. There are many different types of tea; some have a cooling, slightly bitter, and astringent flavour, while others have profiles that include sweet, nutty, floral, or grassy notes. Tea has a stimulating effect in humans, primarily due to its caffeine content. An early credible record of tea drinking dates to the third century AD, in a medical text written by Chinese physician Hua Tuo. It was popularised as a recreational drink during the Chinese Tang dynasty, and tea drinking subsequently spread to other East Asian countries. Portuguese priests and merchants introduced it to Europe during the 16th century. During the 17th century, drinking tea became fashionable among the English, who started to plant tea on a large scale in British India.

Cognac

Cognac

Cognac is a variety of brandy named after the commune of Cognac, France. It is produced in the surrounding wine-growing region in the departments of Charente and Charente-Maritime. Cognac production falls under French appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) designation, with production methods and naming required to meet certain legal requirements. Among the specified grapes, Ugni blanc, known locally as Saint-Émilion, is most widely used. The brandy must be twice distilled in copper pot stills and aged at least two years in French oak barrels from Limousin or Tronçais. Cognac matures in the same way as whiskies and wines barrel-age, and most cognacs spend considerably longer "on the wood" than the minimum legal requirement.

Darchin chai

Darchin chai

Kefir

Kefir

Kefir is a fermented milk drink similar to a thin yogurt or ayran that is made from kefir grains, a specific type of mesophilic symbiotic culture. It is prepared by inoculating the milk of cows, goats, or sheep with kefir grains. Kefir is a common breakfast, lunch or dinner drink consumed in countries of western Eurasia. Kefir is consumed at any time of the day, such as alongside European pastries like zelnik (zeljanica), burek and banitsa/gibanica, as well as being an ingredient in cold soups.

Mineral water

Mineral water

Mineral water is water from a mineral spring that contains various minerals, such as salts and sulfur compounds. It is usually still, but may be sparkling . Traditionally, mineral waters were used or consumed at their spring sources, often referred to as "taking the waters" or "taking the cure," at places such as spas, baths and wells.

Pomegranate juice

Pomegranate juice

Pomegranate juice is made from the fruit of the pomegranate. It is used in cooking both as a fresh juice and as a concentrated syrup. Various primary studies have been conducted into possible health benefits derived from drinking pomegranate juice, but there is no good evidence to suggest any effect in blood pressure management, glucose and insulin management, or heart disease. Interactions with prescription drugs are possible.

Qatiq

Qatiq

Qatiq is a fermented milk product from the Turkic countries. It is considered a more solid form of yogurt than ayran. In order to make qatiq, boiled milk is fermented for 6–10 hours in a warm place. Sometimes red beets or cherries are used for colouring. The product may be kept in a cool place for two or three days. If stored longer, it will turn sour; it may still be added to high-fat soups, though. The chalop soup is made from qatiq in Uzbekistan. When sour milk is strained in a canvas bag, the resulting product is called suzma. Dried suzma, or kurut, is often rolled into marble-size balls.

Salep

Salep

Salep, also spelled sahlep or sahlab,[note 1] is a flour made from the tubers of the orchid genus Orchis . These tubers contain a nutritious, starchy polysaccharide called glucomannan. Salep flour is consumed in beverages and desserts, especially in the cuisines of the former Ottoman Empire, notably in the Levant where it is a traditional winter beverage. An increase in consumption is causing local extinctions of orchids in parts of Turkey and Iran. The word salep ultimately comes from Arabic saḥlab (سَحْلَب), through French and Turkish salep in the mid 18th century. The Arabic word is perhaps shortened from ḵuṣā aṯ-ṯaʕlab (Arabic: خُصَى الثَعْلَب, lit. 'fox's testicles'). The Ancient Romans used ground orchid bulbs to make drinks, which they called by a number of names, especially satyrion and priapiscus. As the names indicate, they likewise considered it to be a powerful aphrodisiac. Of salep, Paracelsus wrote: "behold the Satyrion root, is it not formed like the male privy parts? No one can deny this. Accordingly, magic discovered it and revealed that it can restore a man's virility and passion".

Şərbət

Şərbət

Sharbat is a drink prepared from fruit or flower petals. It is a sweet cordial, and usually served chilled. It can be served in concentrated form and eaten with a spoon or diluted with water to create the drink. Popular sharbats are made of one or more of the following: basil seeds, rose water, fresh rose petals, sandalwood, bael, hibiscus, lemon, orange, mango, pineapple, grape, falsa (Grewia asiatica) and chia seeds. Sharbat is common in homes of Iran, Turkey, Bosnia, Arab world, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh and India, and popularly consumed by Muslims when breaking their daily fast during the month of Ramadan.

Vodka

Vodka

Vodka is a clear distilled alcoholic beverage. Different varieties originated in Poland, Russia, and Sweden. Vodka is composed mainly of water and ethanol but sometimes with traces of impurities and flavourings. Traditionally, it is made by distilling liquid from fermented cereal grains and potatoes since the latter was introduced in Europe in the 18th century. Some modern brands use maize, sugar cane, fruit, honey, and maple sap as the base. Since the 1890s, standard vodkas have been 40% alcohol by volume (ABV) (80 U.S. proof). The European Union has established a minimum alcohol content of 37.5% for vodka. Vodka in the United States must have a minimum alcohol content of 40%.

Xirdalan

Xirdalan

Ardebili chicken stew with prunes

Ardebili chicken stew with prunes

Ardebili chicken stew with prunes, also known as "Aloo Mosamaa," is a Persian dish made with chicken, pitted prunes, onions, saffron, and spices. It is a savory and slightly sweet stew that is typically served warm, often alongside rice.

Aush reshteh

Aush reshteh

Ash reshteh or ash-e-reshteh is a type of āsh (Iranian thick soup) featuring reshteh (thin noodles), kidney beans, chick peas, herbs, and kashk (a sour dairy product, made from cooked or dried yogurt) commonly made in Iran. Hot, fried garlic, onion, or mint are used as edible garnishes. There are more than 50 types of thick soup (ash) in Iranian cooking, this being one of the more popular types. The ingredients used are reshteh (thin noodles), kashk (a whey-like, fermented dairy product), herbs such as parsley, spinach, dill, spring onion ends and sometimes coriander, chick peas, black eye beans, lentils, onions, flour, dried mint, garlic, oil, salt and pepper. This is a soup that is vegetarian but can easily be made vegan by omitting the kashk; alternatively, meat can be added.[citation needed] Ash reshteh has its origins in the distant past, with the recipe evolving and transforming over the centuries. By the year 500 A.D., the addition of noodles to the dish helped to shape it into a form much closer to the version we know today. The soup's history is one of gradual adaptation, as each generation of cooks left their mark on this timeless culinary creation.

Badımcan dolması

Badımcan dolması

Eggplant, tomato and green peppers stuffed with minced beef or lamb

Beef

Beef

Beef is the culinary name for meat from cattle . Beef can be prepared in various ways; cuts are often used for steak, which can be cooked to varying degrees of doneness, while trimmings are often ground or minced, as found in most hamburgers. Beef contains protein, iron, and vitamin B12. Along with other kinds of red meat, high consumption is associated with an increased risk of colorectal cancer and coronary heart disease, especially when processed. Beef has a high environmental impact, being a primary driver of deforestation with the highest greenhouse gas emissions of any agricultural product. In prehistoric times, humankind hunted aurochs and later domesticated them. Since that time, numerous breeds of cattle have been bred specifically for the quality or quantity of their meat. Today, beef is the third most widely consumed meat in the world, after pork and poultry. As of 2018, the United States, Brazil, and China were the largest producers of beef.

Borek

Borek

Börek or burek is a family of pastries or pies found in Ottoman cuisine. The pastry is made of a thin flaky dough such as filo with a variety of fillings, such as meat, cheese, spinach, or potatoes. A borek may be prepared in a large pan and cut into portions after baking, or as individual pastries. They are usually baked but some varieties can be fried. Borek is sometimes sprinkled with sesame or nigella seeds, and it can be served hot or cold. It is commonly served with ayran or yogurt in Turkey, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Bulgaria, Kosovo, Serbia, North Macedonia and Romania. It is a custom of Sephardic Jews to have bourekas for their Shabbat breakfast meal on Saturday mornings.

Bozartma

Bozartma

Stewed lamb and vegetables

Bozbaş

Bozbaş

Bozbash is a traditional meat stew (also described as a soup) that is popular in Armenia, Azerbaijan and Iran. In Azerbaijan, there are varieties of bozbash, such as küftə (medium- to large-sized meatball) and tikə (medium to large-size meat cubes) bozbash. Bozbash is a word of Azerbaijani origin. It may be derived from Azerbaijani boz ("light gray") and bash ("head"), which in turn may point to the light color of the dish when its cooked. The küftə (meatball) version of the dish resembles a gray head when cooked.

Buglama

Buglama

Lamb or fish stew with vegetables

Carp

Carp

The term carp is a generic common name for numerous species of freshwater fish from the family Cyprinidae, a very large clade of ray-finned fish mostly native to Eurasia. While carp are prized quarries and are valued (even commercially cultivated) as both food and ornamental fish in many parts of the Old World, they are considered trash fish and invasive pests in many parts of Africa, Australia and most of the United States. The cypriniformes (family Cyprinidae) are traditionally grouped with the Characiformes, Siluriformes, and Gymnotiformes to create the superorder Ostariophysi, since these groups share some common features. These features include being found predominantly in fresh water and possessing Weberian ossicles, an anatomical structure derived from the first five anterior-most vertebrae, and their corresponding ribs and neural crests. The third anterior-most pair of ribs is in contact with the extension of the labyrinth and the posterior with the swim bladder. The function is poorly understood, but this structure is presumed to take part in the transmission of vibrations from the swim bladder to the labyrinth and in the perception of sound, which would explain why the Ostariophysi have such a great capacity for hearing.

Chakhokhbili

Chakhokhbili

Chakhokhbili is a traditional Georgian dish of stewed chicken and tomato with fresh herbs. The characteristic feature of Chakhokhbili is to dry-fry chicken without adding any kind of oil. Its name comes from the Georgian word ხოხობი (khokhobi) which means "pheasant".

Chicken

Chicken

The chicken is a large and round short-winged bird, domesticated from the red junglefowl of Southeast Asia around 8,000 years ago. Most chickens are raised for food, providing meat and eggs; others are kept as pets or for cockfighting. Chickens are common and widespread domestic animals, with a total population of 26.5 billion as of 2023[update], and an annual production of more than 50 billion birds. A hen bred for laying can produce over 300 eggs per year. There are numerous cultural references to chickens in folklore, religion, and literature.

Chicken tabaka

Chicken tabaka

Chicken tabaka or chicken tapaka (Georgian: წიწილა ტაფაკა tsitsila tapaka) is a traditional Georgian dish of a pan-fried chicken which is also popular in other Caucasian cuisines. It also became a common restaurant dish in the Soviet cuisine and is found nowadays in many restaurants throughout Eastern Europe and Central Asia. The chicken is fried in a traditional frying pan called tapa (Georgian: ტაფა). For frying thoroughly, the chicken is flattened out on the pan and pressed by a weight. In modern cookery, special pan sets with a heavy cover or with a screw press are often used. Chicken tabaka is often seasoned with garlic or dressed with traditional Georgian sauces, such as bazhe, satsivi or tkemali.

Doğrama

Doğrama

Shredded meat and bread stew

Dolma

Dolma

Dolma is a family of stuffed dishes associated with Ottoman cuisine, typically made with a filling of rice, minced meat, offal, seafood, fruit, or any combination of these inside a vegetable or a leaf wrapping. Wrapped dolma, specifically, are known as sarma, made by rolling grape, cabbage, or other leaves around the filling. Dolma can be served warm or at room temperature and are common in modern cuisines of regions and nations that once were part of the Ottoman Empire. Stuffed vegetable dishes have been a part of West Asian Cuisine for centuries.[better source needed] Recipes for stuffed eggplant have been found in Medieval Arabic cookbooks and, in Ancient Greek cuisine, fig leaves stuffed with sweetened cheese were called thrion. The word dolma, of Turkish origin, means "something stuffed" or "filled". (A Turkish share taxi is called a dolmuş for similar reasons). In some of the former Ottoman countries, native names have been retained or have blended with Turkish language terms, for example, in the Arab states of the Persian Gulf and Damascus, stuffed leaves are called mahshi yabraq or mahshi brag, a combination of the Turkish word for leaf (yaprak) and the Arabic term for stuffed (mahshi). The origins of dolma, as suggested by The Oxford Companion to Food, likely stem from Armenian culinary traditions before becoming integrated into Turkish cuisine. William Pokhlebkin, a specialist on culinary history and cookbook author, contends that the dish's inception traces back to Armenian culinary heritage: Several dolma recipes were recorded in 19th-century Iran by Naser al-Din Shah Qajar's chef, including stuffed vine leaves, cabbage leaves, cucumbers, eggplants, apples, and quinces, with varied fillings prepared with ground meat, sauteed mint leaves, rice and saffron. Iraqi Jewish families have a version of dolma with sweet and sour flavors that were not found in other versions. Dolma are part of cuisine of the Sephardic Jews as well. Jews in the Ottoman Empire used locally grown grape leaves and adopted the Turkish name of the dish.

Doner kebab

Doner kebab

Doner kebab or döner kebab[a] is a dish of Turkish origin made of meat cooked on a vertical rotisserie. Seasoned meat stacked in the shape of an inverted cone is turned slowly on the rotisserie, next to a vertical cooking element. The operator uses a knife to slice thin shavings from the outer layer of the meat as it cooks. The vertical rotisserie was invented in the 19th-century Ottoman Empire, and dishes such as the Arab shawarma, Greek gyros, Canadian donair, and Mexican al pastor are derived from this. The modern sandwich variant of doner kebab originated and was popularized in 1970s West Berlin by Turkish immigrants. This was recognized by the Berlin-based Association of Turkish Döner Manufacturers in Europe in 2011.

Dovga

Dovga

Dovga is an Azerbaijani soup made from plain yoghurt and herbs. Traditionally, it is served as a wedding soup and is introduced between courses of meat, intended to boost digestion. Dovga is a soup that is cooked with a variety of herbs. While its ingredients can vary seasonally and regionally, the soup usually includes coriander, dill, mint, and spinach. The soup is sometimes cooked with rice, chickpeas, and meatballs. It is often served warm in winter or chilled in summer. One variation of dovga is abdug, popular in Iran. Abdug does not include rice and is served with ice in the summer.

Draniki

Draniki

Potato pancakes are shallow-fried pancakes consisting of grated or ground potato, matzo meal or flour and a binding ingredient such as egg or apple sauce, often flavored with grated garlic or onion and seasonings. They may be topped with a variety of condiments, ranging from the savory , to the sweet (such as apple sauce or sugar), or they may be served plain. The dish is sometimes made from mashed potatoes to make pancake-shaped croquettes. Some variations are made with sweet potatoes. Potato pancakes are associated with various European cuisines, including Irish (as boxty), German and Austrian (as Kartoffelpuffer, Reibekuchen, Reiberdatschi, Erdäpfelpuffer and Erdäpfellaibchen), Dutch (as aardappelpannenkoek, reifkoeken, reifjes), Belarusian (as дранікі draniki), Bulgarian (as patatnik), Czech (as bramborák, cmunda or vošouch), Hungarian (as tócsni, lapcsánka and other names), Jewish (as latka, Yiddish: לאַטקע, Hebrew: לביבה levivah, plural לביבות levivot), Latvian (as kartupeļu pankūkas), Lithuanian (as bulviniai blynai), Luxembourg (Gromperekichelcher), Polish (as placki ziemniaczane), Romanian (as tocini or tocinei), Russian (as драники draniki), Slovak (as zemiakové placky), Ukrainian (as деруни deruny), Italian (Frittelle di patate) and any cuisine that has adopted similar dishes. In Spain they are called tortillitas de patatas; in Mexico in some areas they are called tortitas de papa or camaron, and are only prepared in some regions for Lent or meatless Fridays. It is the national dish of Belarus, Ukraine, Russia and Slovakia. In Germany, potato pancakes are eaten either salty (as a side dish) or sweet with apple sauce, or blueberries, sugar and cinnamon; they are a very common menu item during outdoor markets and festivals in colder seasons. In Swiss cuisine, rösti is a variation that never contains egg or flour. American hash browns are also without eggs and flour. Potato pancake is a traditional favorite in the southern parts of Indiana during holiday festivities. In Taranto, Italy potato pancakes are called frittelle di patate alla tarantina and are made with potatoes, salt and Canestrato Pugliese.

Duck

Duck

In cooking and gastronomy, duck or duckling is the meat of several species of bird in the family Anatidae, found in both fresh and salt water. Duck is eaten in many cuisines around the world. It is a high-fat, high-protein meat rich in iron. Duckling nominally comes from a juvenile animal, but may be simply a menu name. One species of freshwater duck, the mallard, has been domesticated; the domesticated duck is a common livestock bird in a variety of cultures. The Pekin duck is another livestock breed of importance, particularly in North America. Magret refers specifically to the breast of a mulard or Muscovy duck that has been force fed to produce foie gras.

Düşbərə

Düşbərə

Joshpara is a kind of dumpling popular in Central Asia, South Caucasus and the Middle East. They are made of unleavened wheat dough squares filled with ground meat and condiments. Josh means "to boil" while para is a term for "bit" in early Persian. This word was commonly used prior to the 10th century, when it was replaced by the modern Persian name gosh e-barreh, meaning "lamb's ear". There are several variations of the name in other languages including Azerbaijani , Bashkir (сөсбәрә, süsbərə) Kazakh (тұшпара, tushpara), Kyrgyz (чүчпара, chuchpara), Tajik (тушбера, tushbera), Uzbek (chuchvara) and Uyghur (چۆچۈرە, chöchürä). The Arabic word shishbarak (Arabic: شيشبرك) or shushbarak (Arabic: شُشْبَرَك) is thought to be derived from joshpara in pre-Islamic times. Another theory about the words' etymology is that the word comes from the Turkic word düşbərə. The words tosh and dash mean "filled up" and "spill out", and berek means "food" (dishes made from dough). This alludes to the fact that düşbərə should be added in when the water is boiling and spilling out of the saucepan.

Fesenjan

Fesenjan

Fesenjān is a sweet and sour Iranian stew (a khoresh). The roots of this Persian delicacy trace back to the Sassanid dynasty's golden age. It is typically served over rice in the Iranian manner. In Iran, it is made with minced meat (lamb, sheep or beef), meatballs, chicken or duck. Like other khoresh stews served over rice, fesenjan is common also to Iraqi cuisine. As a festive dish for special occasions, it has become part of Jewish Rosh Hashannah celebrations, even though the typology of Jewish ethnic cuisines is imprecise. In Azerbaijan, where it called fisincan plov, the stew is made with lamb meatballs instead of poultry. Fesenjān is flavored with pomegranate paste and ground walnuts (see bazha) and spices like turmeric, cinnamon, orange peel, cardamom, and rosebud. It is traditionally made with eggplant and poultry (duck or chicken). Fesenjān can also be made using balls of ground meat or chunks of lamb. Depending on the recipe, it can have a sweet or sour taste. Fesenjān is served with Iranian white or yellow rice (polo or chelo). If the pomegranate sauce comes out too sour, sugar and fried onions may be added to sweeten it. Sometimes, a hot iron is applied to cause oxidation and darken the sauce's color.

Fish

Fish

Baked, steamed, stuffed, skewered and grilled, common fish include Caspian salmon, carp, grey mullet, kutum, sardines, sturgeon

Funchoza

Funchoza

Mung bean noodles with beef, chicken, shrimp, julienned vegetables, oil and vinegar

Germiya erishte

Germiya erishte

Guru khingal

Guru khingal

Fried ground lamb meat and onions with flat diamond-shaped noodles

Guymag

Guymag

Porridge made of flour, clarified butter, water, cinnamon, sugar

Gyurza

Gyurza

Minced lamb dumplings in lamb broth

İmam bayıldı

İmam bayıldı

İmam bayıldı is a dish in Ottoman cuisine consisting of a whole Eggplant stuffed with onion, garlic and tomatoes, and simmered in olive oil. It is a zeytinyağlı (olive oil-based) dish and is found in most of the former Ottoman regions. The dish is served at room temperature or warm. The name supposedly derives from a tale of a Turkish imam who, for one reason or another, lost consciousness over the dish. In one version it is said that he swooned with pleasure at the flavour when his wife presented him with this dish, although other more humorous accounts suggest that he fainted upon hearing the cost of the ingredients or the amount of oil used to prepare it. Another version claims he ate so much of it that he passed out.

Jiz-biz

Jiz-biz

Fried sheep offal with onions and potatoes

Kasha

Kasha

In English, kasha usually[a][b][c] refers to the pseudocereal buckwheat or its culinary preparations. In Slavic languages, "kasha" means porridge or puree. In some varieties of Eastern European cuisine, kasha can apply to any kind of cooked grain. It can be baked but most often is boiled, either in water or milk, but the word can also refer to the grain before preparation, which corresponds to the definition of 'groats'. The word "kasha" is used in Belarus , the Czech Republic (kaše), Lithuania (košė), Poland (kasza), Romania and Moldova (cașa), Russia (каша), Slovakia (kaša), Slovenia (kaša), Kazakhstan, and Ukraine (каша). The English-language usage of kasha, which refers primarily to buckwheat, probably originated with Jewish immigrants, as did the form קאַשי kashi (literally translated as "porridges"). As an Ashkenazi-Jewish comfort food, kasha is often served with onions and brown gravy on top of farfalle, known as kasha varnishkes. Kasha is a popular filling for knishes and is sometimes included in matzah-ball soup.[citation needed]

Kavurma

Kavurma

Kavurma is a broad type of fried or sautéed meat dish found in Turkish cuisine. The name also refers to canned or preserved versions of a similar dish, prepared by dry frying the meat to render down the fat. Similar dishes are known in Central Asia as kuurdak. It is present in cultures and cuisines of Turkey and neighbouring countries, including the Balkans, most notably in Serbia and Bulgaria. Its name comes from the Turkic word for the technique of frying, qawirma which subsequently was adopted into other languages such as Persian, Arabic, and Urdu-Hindi. Through these, the word - kavurma in the modern Turkish language - was the root of the names for other widely different dishes, such as the braised korma of the Indian Subcontinent, the stewed qovurma of Azerbaijan and the stewed ghormeh of Iranian cuisine. Despite the use of the same root word, it is quite possible that the dishes themselves are not related. In Turkey, kavurma or saç kavurma refers to a dish made by sautéing or frying onions and meat such as lamb, beef, hare or other game briskly over a high heat. Peppers such as urfa biber are nearly always used, and the dish is cooked and often served in a shallow two-handled pan or saç which has its origins in the cooking utensils used by nomads. Çoban Kavurma, "shepherd's kavurma", similarly comprises meat fried with onion, tomato and capsicum, while sahanda kavurma is served in a small metal pan called a sahan.

Kebab

Kebab

Kebab , kebap, (North American) kabob, kebob, or (Kashmiri) kabab,[a] is a variety of roasted meat dishes that originated in the Middle East.

Kelem dolmasi

Kelem dolmasi

Cabbage rolls, cabbage leaves stuffed with a savory gound meat and rice mixture

Khamrashi

Khamrashi

Noodle soup with mutton, beef, chicken or lamb broth

Kharcho

Kharcho

Kharcho, also spelled Harcho , is a traditional Georgian soup containing beef, rice, cherry plum purée, and chopped walnuts (Juglans regia), but they are not compulsory. The soup is seasoned with Khmeli Suneli and coriander. The soup is usually served with finely chopped fresh coriander. The characteristic ingredients of the soup are meat (usually fatty cuts of beef), cherry plum purée made from tklapi or tkemali, rice, chopped walnuts, and a spice mix that varies between different regions of Georgia. Typically, kharcho is made with beef, and the Georgian name of this soup, "dzrokhis khortsis kharcho", literally translates as “cow’s meat kharcho.” In the Samegrelo region, Megrelian kharcho is made as a stew rather than a soup. Rice is excluded and it is typically served over a bed of ghomi (Georgian polenta).

Khash

Khash

Khash is a dish of boiled cow or sheep parts, which might include the head, feet, and stomach (tripe). It is a dish of Armenian origin. Khash and its variations are traditional dishes in Afghanistan, Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Georgia, Greece, Iran, Iraq, Turkey, North Macedonia, Mongolia and some Persian Gulf countries.

Khingal

Khingal

Savory dumplings filled with minced meat, lamb, beef or pork, some variations use flat noodles topped with meat or served as a soup

Kofta

Kofta

Kofta is a family of meatball or meatloaf dishes found in South Asian, Central Asian, Balkan, Middle Eastern, North African, and South Caucasian cuisines. In the simplest form, koftas consist of balls of minced meat—usually beef, chicken, pork, lamb or mutton, camel or a mixture—mixed with spices and sometimes other ingredients. The earliest known recipes are found in early Arab cookbooks and call for ground lamb. There are many national and regional variations. There are also vegetable and uncooked versions. Shapes vary and include balls, patties, and cylinders. Sizes typically vary from that of a golf ball to that of an orange.

Kokoretsi

Kokoretsi

Kokoretsi or kokoreç is a dish of the Balkans and Anatolia , consisting of lamb or goat intestines wrapped around seasoned offal, including sweetbreads, hearts, lungs, or kidneys, and typically grilled; a variant consists of chopped innards cooked on a griddle. The intestines of suckling lambs are preferred. A dish identical to modern kokoretsi is first attested in the cuisine of the Byzantines. They called it πλεκτήν (plektín), κοιλιόχορδα (koilióchorda), or χορδόκοιλα (chordókoila); the latter two are preserved with the meaning of wrapped intestines in the Greek idioms of Corfu as τσοιλίχουρδα (tsoilíchourda), of Plovdiv as χορδόκοιλα (chordókoila), of Chios as σοιλίγουρδα (soilígourda), of Pontians as χορδόγκοιλα (chordógkoila), and in part, of Zagori and Argyrades as χορδή (chordí), of Thessaly as χουρδή (chourdí), of northern Peloponnese as κορδιά (kordiá) or κόρδα (kórda), and of Vogatsiko as κουρδί (kourdí). Other names found in medieval texts are γαρδούμιον (gardoúmion) and γαρδούμενον (gardoúmenon), from which γαρδούμπα (gardoúmpa) and γαρδουμπάκια (gardoumpákia) derive, as alternative names for a smaller version of kokoretsi in Greece. Τhe Medieval Greek γαρδούμιον (gardoúmion) in turn derives from Latin caldumen; from caldus or calidus 'warm, hot'. According to Greek linguist and philologist Georgios Babiniotis, the Greek word κοκορέτσι (kokorétsi) comes from Albanian kukurec. According to Turkish Armenian linguist Sevan Nişanyan, Albanian kukurec is a loanword derived from Serbo-Croatian and Bulgarian kukuruza, originally meaning corncob in these languages. Nişanyan also asserts that the Greek word is not derived from the Albanian kukurec, but both words are cognates that were loaned from South Slavic languages independently. The Aromanian name is cucureci.

Korma

Korma

Korma or qorma is a dish with its origin in the Indian subcontinent, consisting of meat or vegetables braised with yogurt, water or stock, and spices to produce a thick sauce or gravy. The English name is an anglicisation of the Hindi-Urdu qormā (क़ोरमा, قورمہ), meaning "braise". It refers to the cooking technique used in the dish. All these words, and the names of dishes such as the Iranian ghormeh (Persian: قورمه), Turkish Kavurma and the Azerbaijani qovurma or kavarma, are ultimately derived from a Turkic word qawirma, meaning "[a] fried thing". The Indian korma is, however, possibly unrelated in a culinary sense to the modern Turkish kavurma or to some other dishes using the same root word, as they use widely varying techniques and ingredients. Korma has its roots in the Mughlai cuisine of the Indian subcontinent. A characteristic Mughal dish, it can be traced back to the 16th century and to the Mughal expansion into South Asia. Kormas were often prepared in the Mughal court kitchens, such as the famous white korma, perhaps garnished with vark, was said to have been served to Shah Jahan and his guests at the inauguration of the Taj Mahal.

Kufta bozbash

Kufta bozbash

Soup with beef or lamb meatballs, potatoes

Kükü

Kükü

Similar to a frittata, made with vegetables, herbs, meat, fish

Kuru fasulye

Kuru fasulye

Kuru fasulye is a stewed bean dish in Turkish cuisine. It is made primarily with white beans and olive oil, and onion and tomato paste or tomato sauce are almost invariably used. Sometimes other vegetables or meat may also be added, especially pastirma. Kuru fasulye is often served along with cacık and rice or bulgur. It is often considered the national dish of Turkey. Its counterpart[citation needed] in Greek cuisine is called fasolada.

Kutabi

Kutabi

Flatbread filled with a savory greens and herb mixture

Lahmajoun

Lahmajoun

Lahmacun ,[a] Lahmajun, or Lahmajo (Armenian: լահմաջո), is a Middle Eastern flatbread topped with minced meat (most commonly beef or lamb), minced vegetables, and herbs including onions, garlic, tomatoes, red peppers, and parsley, flavored with spices such as chili pepper and paprika, then baked. Lahmacun is often wrapped around vegetables, including pickles, tomatoes, peppers, onions, lettuce, parsley, and roasted eggplant. Originating from the Levant, lahm bi ajeen or lahmacun is a popular dish in Lebanon and Syria. In the Levant it is part of a series of foods called, collectively, Manakish - flatbreads with toppings. It is also sometimes referred to as "Lebanese pizza". It is also very popular in Armenia and Turkey. It is sometimes described as "Armenian pizza", or "Turkish pizza", or similar names due to its shape and superficial similarity. However, unlike pizza, lahmacun is not usually prepared with cheese and the crust is thinner. In Lebanon, Syria, and Palestine it is also known as "sfiha" (Arabic: صفيحة, romanized: ṣafīḥa, lit. 'thin plate' or 'sheet'). The name entered English from Turkish lahmacun, pronounced lahmajun, and from Armenian Լահմաջո (lahmajo), both derived from Arabic لحم بعجين (laḥm ʿajīn, laḥm bi-ʿajīn), meaning "meat with dough".

Lamb

Lamb

Lamb and mutton, collectively sheep meat is one of the most common meats around the world, taken from the domestic sheep, Ovis aries, and generally divided into lamb, from sheep in their first year, hogget, from sheep in their second, and mutton, from older sheep. Generally, "hogget" and "sheep meat" are not used by consumers outside Norway, New Zealand, South Africa, Scotland, and Australia. Hogget has become more common in England, particularly in the North (Lancashire and Yorkshire) often in association with rare breed and organic farming. In South Asian and Caribbean cuisine, "mutton" often means goat meat. At various times and places, "mutton" or "goat mutton" has occasionally been used to mean goat meat.

Levengi

Levengi

Chicken (toyuq levengi), fish (baliq levengi), turkey, duck, eggplant, stuffed with a mixture of walnuts and onions

Lyulya kebab

Lyulya kebab

Lula kebab is a type of kebab cooked on skewers. It is made from minced meat. It is a specialty of Armenian, Azerbaijani, and other cuisines of countries in South Caucasus, the Middle East, and Central Asia. The soft portion of the mutton is ground with onion using a meat grinder and mixed with pepper and salt. There should be 400 grams of onion in per 1 kilogram of minced meat. This ratio is followed to make it stay on the skewer. The meat mash is mixed well and stored in the refrigerator for an hour. Later the mince is extracted from the refrigerator and is mixed well. The mince is wrapped around the skewer. The mince gets slightly long form on a slightly wide skewer. Then it gets fried on coal barbecue, called a mangal. It's cooked for 10-15 minutes. The kebab is served between the lavash. Sprinkling sumac on it is optional.

Manti

Manti

Manti is a type of dumpling mainly found in Turkish cuisine, Armenian cuisine and Central Asian cuisine but also in West Asia, South Caucasus, and the Balkans. Manti is also popular among Chinese Muslims, and it is consumed throughout post-Soviet countries, where the dish spread from the Central Asian republics. The dumplings typically consist of a spiced meat mixture, usually lamb or ground beef, wrapped in a thin dough sheet which is then boiled or steamed. The size and shape of manti vary significantly depending on geographic location. Manti resemble the Chinese jiaozi and baozi, Korean mandu, Mongolian buuz and the Tibetan momo. The dish's name is cognate with Chinese mantou, Korean mandu, and Japanese manjū, though the modern Chinese and Japanese counterparts mostly refer to different dishes. The name, depending on the language, can refer to a single dumpling or to more than one dumpling at a time; in English, it is often used as both a singular and plural form.

Marag

Marag

Hyderabadi marag or marag is a spicy mutton soup served as a starter in Hyderabad, India and part of Hyderabadi cuisine. It is prepared from tender mutton with bone. It is thin soup. The soup has become one of the starters at Hyderabadi weddings. The ingredients include those locally available such as mutton with bone, onions, cashew nuts, curd, coconut powder, boiled milk, cream, ginger-garlic paste, salt, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, black pepper powder, green chillies, etc.

Minced meat cutlets

Minced meat cutlets

Minced meat cutlets in Azerbaijan, known as Tava-Kebab, are made from minced lamb or beef mixed with herbs, onions, and eggs, then shaped and fried until golden brown. They are a popular dish served with various side dishes.

Ovdukh

Ovdukh

Chilled yogurt soup with herbs

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