The Azerbaijan National dishes have been cooked in the copper utensil since olden days. And even now the meal cooked in copper pans (qazans) is considered more preferable in many areas of Azerbaijan. That's why the National kitchen utensil includes mainly copper pans, colanders, basins, trays, skimmers, ladles etc. Ancient Ganja always was known for its talented copper-smiths and tinkers. It should be pointed out that in the past same as nowadays copper pans were tinned periodically to avoid copper getting into the food.

Another specific of Azerbaijan cuisine, same as of any other traditional nourishment cookery, is its rationality for own region. In this connection can be mentioned medically useful Azeri dishes. Such traditional dishes as umaj and arishta help for treatment of respiratory, digestion and bladder diseases. Kallapacha (khash) is good for those who turned voiceless or got a dry cough or need to strengthen bones.

Ganja Pakhlavasi

Some Azerbaijan dishes basically are cooked and served for certain rituals and ceremonies. For example, dishes from samani (wheat sprouts, grown up in utensils) are cooked only for the spring holiday of Novruz. Qovud is cooked only for the holiday of Khydyr Nabi. Parents celebrating their baby's first teeth traditionally cook and give all neighbors and friends such grain and bean dishes as hadiq, qovurqa.

Order of the dish serving is very original. As a tradition tea is served first then salads and main courses come. Nowadays the most popular traditional salads and hors d'oevres include fresh vegetables and verdure salads, marinade salads, sturgeon caviar, kyukyu (baked pudding) with eggs and verdure, fish, nuts kernel, fisinjan (wiped over) of beans, beetroot etc. The table is usually decorated with various greens, fresh tomatoes and cucumbers, pickles.

The list of basic traditional main courses prepared of meat, fish, poultry, vegetables and flour includes over 100 titles. At the region of Ganja the most popular among them are different variations of pilaf and barbecue. At the Azerbaijan banquets, celebrations and wedding parties the first courses (soups) are usually not served.

Mutacca

Following after the main course (especially after pilaf) they often serve dovga. This spoon-dish, cooked of sour milk (yogurt) and verdure, promotes better assimilation of the dinner you have had. And it is considered that the best dovga cookers in Azerbaijan are natives of Ganja.

Fresh and processed fruit and nuts are usually served as a dessert. The most popular dinner conclusion in Azerbaijan is sherbet, or the tea with confectionary. The Azerbaijan National confectionery is known for its typically Oriental articles, such as different kinds of halva, quymaq, pakhlava, qurabiya, shaker-churek, shaker-bura, shirin-nazik, rahat-locum, mutacca etc.