ARN’s Natasha Thomas reports on the sights, sounds and flavours of Azerbaijan.

Day Two

Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, the independent Azerbaijan has spent a lot of its resources in restoring or renovating historical sites that were neglected or destroyed during Communist times.

With its history dating back to medieval times, the city is dotted with ancient structures, the biggest concentration of which can be found in the old city area.

The pride of the town here is the Maiden tower which was used as a fortress in the 12th century. Our tour guide tells us that for Baku residents, it’s a symbol of impenetrability and resistance, because according to legend it was never captured.

Another landmark is Shirvanshahs' Palace dated to the 15th century which has been restored substantially. Interesting, its walls are covered with Arabic scriptures – the language was commonly spoken in medieval times.

The ensemble of historic monuments in the walled city is now part of the UNESCO World Heritage List.

As is evident in its history, Baku has seen different rulers and regimes over the centuries and the demographics of its people is a testament to that. They are a mix of Turkish, Russian, Azeri, Georgian, Iranian and Arabic descent. Our tour guide told us that to this day in some regions; many of the elders can still speak Arabic.

But the evidence to this mixed cultural pot is most evident in the country’s cuisine.

CUISINE

Food is a very important part of the lifestyle here.

I went for lunch at a traditional Azeri food restaurant called Mugam in the old city while dinner was at Gala Bazar restaurant; another local food joint in the outskirts of Baku.

The cold mezze of brinjal, bread, cheese, salads is very similar to what you would get in a Lebanese restaurant.

Soups are an important part of the diet here and are a throwback to the country’s Russian connections. I tried the Dushbara - small dumplings stuffed with minced lamb and herbs, served in a broth.

The main course of sabzi (meat with greens) and sinjan (chicken in nuts) with saffron rice is extremely similar to the cuisine of its southern neighbour, Iran.

Across town, you will find Doner restaurants and kebab corners.

Whether these influences started in Azerbaijan or the other way round is a matter for historians to figure out.

For me (and my palate), it was just sensational to discover some of the best food I’ve ever eaten.

But what made it even more unique was the hospitality and the generosity of the people who went out of their way to ensure that their guests left only when their stomachs were about to burst.

As one of the chefs here describes to me, “Whether you go to a small cafe or a big restaurant, the proprietors will make sure there is an endless supply of food on the table. In fact even at Azeri weddings, the most important element is the food; not the decorations and not the party. It’s all about the food”.

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