<strong>Tea:</strong> Azerbaijanis love tea, drinking it hot all year round, even in the heat of summer.
Tea: Azerbaijanis love tea, drinking it hot all year round, even in the heat of summer.
Courtesy Kamilla Rzayeva
<strong>Tandir bread: </strong>Tandir bread is glazed in egg or yoghurt then baked in a clay oven. The result is a crisp exterior and an inside that's soft and light.
Tandir bread: Tandir bread is glazed in egg or yoghurt then baked in a clay oven. The result is a crisp exterior and an inside that's soft and light.
Jaafar Almadhoon/CNN
<strong>Qutab:</strong> A lighter option to kebabs, classic qutabs are filled with minced meat, while the vegetarian version may include pumpkin or fresh herbs.
Qutab: A lighter option to kebabs, classic qutabs are filled with minced meat, while the vegetarian version may include pumpkin or fresh herbs.
Courtesy Kamilla Rzayeva
<strong>Mangal salad: </strong>The name of this much-loved Azerbaijani salad comes from the way the main ingredients, eggplant, bell pepper and tomato, are roasted on a mangal, a Caucasian-style grill.
Mangal salad: The name of this much-loved Azerbaijani salad comes from the way the main ingredients, eggplant, bell pepper and tomato, are roasted on a mangal, a Caucasian-style grill.
Courtesy Kamilla Rzayeva
<strong>Kebabs:</strong> Kebab variations are eaten throughout the Middle East and Asia, but the Azerbaijani version should not be missed.
Kebabs: Kebab variations are eaten throughout the Middle East and Asia, but the Azerbaijani version should not be missed.
Jaafar Almadhoon/CNN
<strong>Dovgha:</strong> This Azerbaijani soup is sour milk-based, with added rice, a handful of chick peas and a variety of finely minced greens.
Dovgha: This Azerbaijani soup is sour milk-based, with added rice, a handful of chick peas and a variety of finely minced greens.
Courtesy Kamilla Rzayeva
<strong>Levengi chicken:</strong> Although it looks like a standard grilled chicken on the outside, inside lies a stuffing consisting of fried onions, roasted walnuts, raisins, dried plums, dried pitted Cornelian cherries, minced and mixed into a paste.
Levengi chicken: Although it looks like a standard grilled chicken on the outside, inside lies a stuffing consisting of fried onions, roasted walnuts, raisins, dried plums, dried pitted Cornelian cherries, minced and mixed into a paste.
Courtesy Kamilla Rzayeva
<strong>Yarpaq:</strong> A variety of dolma, yarpaq, (grape leaf) is made from minced meat wrapped in grape leaves and cooked over a slow fire.<br />
Yarpaq: A variety of dolma, yarpaq, (grape leaf) is made from minced meat wrapped in grape leaves and cooked over a slow fire.
Courtesy Kamilla Rzayev
<strong>Uch baji: </strong>This variety of dolma consists of aubergine, tomato and bell pepper stuffed with minced meat and prepared in their own juices.
Uch baji: This variety of dolma consists of aubergine, tomato and bell pepper stuffed with minced meat and prepared in their own juices.
Courtesy Kamilla Rzayeva
<strong>Desserts: </strong>The country's best pastries -- such as round shorgoghal spiced breads -- are baked during the Novruz holiday in March.
Desserts: The country's best pastries -- such as round shorgoghal spiced breads -- are baked during the Novruz holiday in March.
Courtesy Kamilla Rzayeva
<strong>Shirin chorek: </strong>This sweet bread is filled with nuts and dried grapes.
Shirin chorek: This sweet bread is filled with nuts and dried grapes.
Courtesy Kamilla Rzayeva
<strong>Halva: </strong>In the town of Sheki, locals head to Aliahmed Sweets to buy halva, a sticky treat made from sugar and nuts.
Halva: In the town of Sheki, locals head to Aliahmed Sweets to buy halva, a sticky treat made from sugar and nuts.
Maureen O'Hare/CNN