Chef Nuru Rzazadeh of Baku-based restaurant “Veten” works hard to fulfill orders for some of his country’s most famous dishes.

With 10 years of experience in Azerbaijani cuisine, Rzazadeh is now thinking of new ways to reinvent this cuisine for guests of the COP29 conference in November 2024.

Syrdag is one of his favorites. This is a white fish lying on a pillow of vegetables.

Veten showcases the core flavors of Azeri cuisine and aims to celebrate the culture of the various regions they come from.

Overall, the 12 climatic zones of the small South Caucasus country create a collection of different tastes and flavors.

“Among the dishes that almost everyone in the southern region is familiar with, we have the famous lavang. Ganja region is known for its kufta-bozbashi, Shirvan has kovurma, Karabakh is famous for its kovurma. Dolma Actually, there are many dishes that we could list, but we do not have enough time for this,” says Rzazadeh. .

A prominent feature of Azerbaijani cuisine is meat, usually lamb and beef, often accompanied by rice and vegetables.

The ingredients can be baked, boiled, fried or dried but need to be seasoned generously.

“Azerbaijani cuisine stands out with its climate and agriculture. Our climates are different, so we use a wide variety of ingredients and vegetables in our dishes, which causes differences in taste. We also have a variety of spices that give our dishes a unique taste.”

Azerbaijani cuisine consists of around 5,000 dishes, from fatty meat kebabs to soups, stuffed vegetables and exotic fruits.

“We are so diverse and so rich in taste that it is impossible to say which dish is the royal dish of Azerbaijan. Out of 5,000 dishes, this is not possible. And what makes a dish a royal dish is the professional chef. If there is a professional, it is a culinary expert from Baku “Chefs everywhere, they will turn every dish into a royal meal,” says Tahir Amiraslanov.

Azerbaijani cuisine is often compared to the cuisine of neighboring Türkiye.

However, Amiraslanov argues that the first was created at the intersection of Eastern and Western culinary traditions and is therefore more diverse.

Eating your meal in true Azerbaijani style is only part of the event. Serving is just as important.

A table is usually generously filled; starters come first, followed by main courses, followed by a selection of teas and desserts.

As COP29 approaches, Veten and restaurants like it across the capital hope to offer a slice of Azerbaijan’s rich culture to the world.