The food of Azerbaijan... rice baked in puff pastry, sweet jams made from olives and black walnuts, slow cooks stews with hints of saffron and pomegranate, table salads loaded with fresh dill, parsley and mint, copious amounts of Azerbaijani tea, my daughter’s fave... the paper thin savory pancakes stuffed with meat as pine nuts or cheese, the local honey, cheese and condiments, the caviar.... this is one place where you should definitely eat local. The local food is incredible. Like the Middle East, food is shared at your table, which is fantastical we got to order and sample a variety of dishes between the three of us (my eldest was in Cyprus for her Duke of Edinburgh expedition). We also popped by the cafe in the @heydaraliyevcenter - the building designed by Zaha Hadid. It’s hands down one of the most artistic, contemporary designs in a restaurant that I’ve ever seen... then again, it was designed by an architectural great. I had foodie firsts here - the rice baked in pastry was perfection... wow! I need to try my hand at that sometime. Also, I had never ever eaten sweet olive jam or black walnut jam. Azerbaijani jams contain a syrup and whole fruit. The olive jam is unique to them - it’s made from specific olives and recipes are regional. We tried a few but the best on was from our hotel - the JW Marriott Absheron @jwmarriottbaku - and what blew our mind was that when we mentioned that we loved it (I mean, my hubby hates olives but he ate loads of this, it’s that good), the hotel restaurant staff and chef gifted us a large jar, very well wrapped and sealed, to take back with us to Kuwait. If you’re ever thinking of going - that hotel is lovely and for local food, @qaynana_restaurant in the Old Town was incredible! It’s hard to believe that this was a year ago. How much has life changed?! . . • #azerbaijan #baku #foodgasm #blog #instabaku #foodpics #foodphotography #foodpic #yum #foodlover #eat #foodblogger #eeeeeats #tasty #hungry #travelling #travelblogger #foodblogger #edinburghfoodie #ukfoodblogger #ukblogger #foodie (at Baku, Azerbaijan) https://www.instagram.com/p/CLoWcOXD26-/?igshid=171ixx95x7fmr
