Taste of Azerbaijan: Rich Flavors and Heritage Await COP29 Visitors

COP29 attendees will experience Azerbaijan’s unique culinary heritage, featuring rich flavors and traditional dishes that showcase the country’s vibrant culture. 

Nuru Rzazadeh, a chef at the Baku restaurant “Veten”, is diligently preparing some of his country’s most renowned dishes for orders.

With a decade of experience in Azerbaijani cuisine, Rzazadeh is now exploring innovative ways to reinterpret these dishes for the guests at the COP29 conference in November 2024.

Syrdag is among his preferred dishes. It features a white fish nestled on a bed of vegetables.

Veten highlights the essentials of Azeri cuisine and seeks to honor the culture of its diverse regional origins.

The small South Caucasus country boasts 12 distinct climate zones, each contributing to a diverse array of tastes and flavors.

“In the southern region, our renowned lavangi stands out as a dish that almost everyone recognizes. Ganja is celebrated for its kufta-bozbash, Shirvan offers its distinctive qovurma, and Karabakh is acclaimed for its dolma. ‘There are indeed numerous dishes we could mention,’ Rzazadeh notes, ‘but time doesn’t permit us to list them all.’”

A key aspect of Azerbaijani cuisine is the inclusion of meat, typically lamb and veal, often served alongside rice and vegetables.

Ingredients can be baked, boiled, fried, or dried; however, they must be generously seasoned with spices.

Azerbaijani cuisine is shaped by the country’s diverse climate and agricultural practices. The variety of climates allows us to incorporate a wide range of ingredients and vegetables into our dishes, resulting in distinct taste variations. Additionally, an assortment of spices contributes to the unique flavor profile of our meals.

Azerbaijani cuisine features approximately 5,000 dishes, ranging from rich meat kebabs to diverse soups, stuffed fish to exotic fruits.

“Our diversity and wealth of flavors make it impossible to designate a single dish as the royal dish of Azerbaijan. With 5,000 dishes in our repertoire, choosing just one is unfeasible,” explains Tahir Amiraslanov, a culinary expert from Baku. “A professional chef elevates any dish to ‘royal’ status—wherever such talent exists.”

Azerbaijani cuisine is frequently likened to the culinary traditions of neighboring Turkey.

However, Amiraslanov contends that the former emerged at the intersection of Eastern and Western culinary traditions and is thus more diverse.

In traditional Azerbaijani fashion, the event isn’t just about eating your meal; serving it holds equal significance.

A table is typically lavishly set, beginning with appetizers, followed by main courses and concluding with a selection of tea and desserts.

As COP29 draws near, Veten and similar restaurants throughout the capital aim to showcase a piece of Azerbaijan’s vibrant culture to the global audience.