Very often the title of a dish indicates not just one dish, but their family. The reason for such naming is related to the following factor: dishes from the Azerbaijan Cuisine in different regions of the country often appear in different modifications depending on local resource specifics. Dolma (in Azeri-Turkish means "filled") is a sample of such a dish. Its 30 variations are known well. At some regions they cook it with vine leaves, in second group - with mulberry leaves, in third - with cabbage leaves. They also use to cook dolma with eggplants, tomatoes, pepper, onions, apples, quince, sorrel leaves etc.

In Baku and Absheron, where they have relatively not many fruit gardens, but much more vineyards, the most popular is classical variation of dolma - with vine leaves. Along with this priority, dolma in vegetables is the favorite season dish at spring and summer in Baku and Absheron. Colorful by its both taste and appearance, the dolma-assortment (in eggplants, tomatoes and pepper) really often becomes the central main course of the dinner.

Yarpaq Dolmasi (dolma in vine leaves)

In translation from Azeri-Turkish, the names given to different dishes of Azerbaijan Cuisine often indicate their cooking technology, different culinary operations with ingredients. So are dolma (filled), bulama (dragged), qatlama (folded), sarma (winded), sykhma(pressed), suzma (poured), doghrama (cutted), bastyrma (piled), qovurma (stewed), qyzartma (fried), portlama (baked), ezme (crumpled), kufta (ball), qurut (dry), nazik (thin) etc.

From the time of immemorial there is a tradition in Azerbaijan: black tea is served first when guests come. The meaning of this tradition is tied to knowledge that the tea ceremony helps to build an easy conversation. Thus the tea in Azerbaijan is a symbol of warm hospitality.

Countless chaykhana establishments (tea houses) are spread over local cities and villages. They traditionally play something like Oriental club-houses and meeting rooms. It's known that institute of these tea houses was well developed in Azerbaijan by XVI century.

Some people frequently prefer the tea with wild curative herbs. Coffee is less popular.

While serving the black tea, they usually bring to the table also something from confectionery items and various jams. The most popular are jams of cherries, apricots, cornel, figs, quinces, grapes, peaches, strawberries, blackberries, plums, watermelon rind, nuts, rose petals, mulberries etc.

Traditional Azerbaijanian confectionery items include halva, shaker-bura, pakhlava, shaker-chorek, rahat-lukum, the Baku qurabya, the Azerbaijan naan, the Ordubad roll, the Garabagh kata, the Guba tykhma, the Lankaran tykhma, the Shamakha mutakas, the Shaki halva, the Nakhchivan pakhlava, shaker-pendir, parvarda, qozinak, noghul, feshmak, qoz-halva etc.

Baki Paxlavasi

In Baku they traditionally prefer shaker-bura, the Baku pakhlava, shaker-churek and some other confectionery items. Rather often they use to serve the tea along with shor-qoqal - puff gingerbread, filled with spices. Shor-qoqal is especially pleasant with sweetened tea. Same as all of Azerbaijan, inhabitants of the capital and its suburbs love also confectionery items brought from Shaki. Among them can be mentioned the Shaki pakhlava, peshvang, tar-halva, qyrmabadam and others, manufacturing from a rice flour, sugar, nut nucleus, butter, egg fibers and spices.