10 Edible Souvenirs That Definitely Need To Bring The Caucasus

The word "Caucasus" always brings to mind the association "food". Any trip turns into a gastronomic in Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan. To return home to extend the pleasant driving experience, take advantage of our gastronomic guide. Adjika Batumi, Georgia Adjika regard as their invention in every village on the eastern shore of the Black Sea, but most species in the same place at the same time can be found on a gigantic (and, I must say, quite untidy) central market of Batumi. From red or green pepper, coriander, fenugreek, herbs or nuts, dry and wet, banks, bags and plastic cups - go without a year's supply of the Georgian main seasoning here is impossible.

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2.Alani and sudjukh Ashtarak, Armenia City near Yerevan - Center dessert production in Armenia. Sausages: similar to the Georgian churchkhela, but as a rule, softer and softer the latter, in addition to the grape juice is always added cinnamon, cardamom and other spices. Alani - stuffed with ground walnut dried peaches and other fruits: apples, pears, apricots, figs and even tomatoes.

3. Pickled cherries and pickled cucumbers Gabala, Azerbaijan In any restaurant in Baku will tell you that pickles them from Gabala. And in fine restaurants it is even true. Salt in Gabala strongly everything that grows in the garden, especially in the garden - apples, quince, plum, but interesting all the cucumbers and cherry. On the pickles are large, puffy white cucumbers are fresh rather tasteless, but in the brine reaches the desired crispiness and succulence, especially if the cook forgot to add a few sprigs of tarragon. Cherries marinated without spices, just salt, sugar, water, vinegar, and a powerful and Azerbaijani fatty meat dishes it is perfect.

4.Cheese Hood Tusheti, Georgia King among the countless varieties of Georgian cheese - Hood - a native of the northern region of Tusheti. The present Hood made of cheese from sheep's milk, which is placed in a bag made of sheep skin turned inside out, a long time beating and kicking, after which the resulting cheese ball is put into the brine. It turns hard, brittle, gray-yellow cheese with the smell, the strength is not inferior to the most desperate French cheeses. Who do Gudu and in the factories, from cow's milk and without kicking skins, but in villages and small industries blyudut strictly technology.

5.Cheese Yeghegnadzor Yeghegnadzor, Armenia City in the center of Armenia is famous for its bizarre and very fragrant (it may well compete with Hood) cheese. Well salted curd mixed with dried thyme and paste the resulting fill clay pots, which are sealed with wax and sent to the exposure - at least six months. So in a jar and then sell.

6.Nadzuki Imereti, Georgia Administrative borders of this Georgian region unmistakably recognizable - along the road grow endless stalls and kiosks. These stalls sell nadzuki - pita bread, mixed up with honey, raisins, covered with honey glaze. The taste is more reminiscent of our sticks. Is it tastes best with tea or fresh yogurt.

7.Pasta quince Baku, Azerbaijan From quince (as well as dogwood, cherry plums and other acid fruits) are cooked jam, only instead of sugar added to the salt and pepper sometimes. The resulting thick paste sold in urban markets. Try to choose what you like more, and take without hesitation, then to add to marinades and sauces to meat, fish, poultry, vegetables - in short, everything.

8.Peaches and pomegranate wine Noravank, Armenia Not a tourist, coming to Armenia avoids a trip to the monastery Noravank - rightly so, there is beauty reigns crazy. Road to Noravank passes by the village of Areni, where the season is necessary to buy fresh, not in season - dried peaches special varieties, the most sweet and fragrant throughout Armenia (and perhaps beyond). It also makes pomegranate wine, which is sold on every street corner. Drink, frankly, for an amateur, but who knows, maybe this amateur - it is you?

9.Svan salt Mestia, Georgia Svan salt (large rock salt, peretёrtuyu with garlic and spices) are doing now, it seems, even in the suburbs, but even in the best shops in Tbilisi it is not as good as at home in Mestia, Svaneti's capital. Due to the excellent fresh garlic and herbs, it is moist and crumbly, like a little dried up adjika. And from the pervasive characteristic odor Georgian restaurant will not save any packaging - Svan salt reek all your belongings.

10.Tea, thyme, saffron Baku, Azerbaijan In the central square of this small town in the south of Azerbaijan is a monument to a gigantic samovar and Azerbaijani classical glass jars for tea - somehow poisonous burgundy. So the question of what the city is living, does not arise. Tea plantation in the area laid in the late XIX century, but fully grown it has become under the Soviet regime. Wait on the intricacies of Azerbaijani tea aroma and flavor as the Chinese, of course, is meaningless, but with the local mountain thyme it is perfectly matched. Especially if you brew it, fulfilling a long and beautiful local ritual: scalding tea, fill the soul of tea and thyme, let stand, wrapped in a towel, to fill up to half of boiling water, put a couple of minutes on the stove, fill to the end several times to pour tea from the kettle into the glass back and forth - and only then serve.