Cultural Memory of Azerbaijani Cuisine: Documentation of Forgotten Flavors
Chapter from the book: Yazıt, H. & Gençer, K. (eds.) 2026. Contemporary Research in Gastronomy and Culinary Arts- VII.

Khanım Aliyeva
Atatürk University
Neslihan Serçeoğlu
Atatürk University

Synopsis

Azerbaijan is a country with a rich cultural heritage, heavily reliant on tourism as a significant part of its economy. Despite being a well-known tourist destination in the 1980s, the tourism sector suffered due to the war, and it began to recover in the 2000s, becoming a popular tourist destination once again. However, for the country to transform into a more recognized and preferred tourist destination, it needs to focus on various types of alternative tourism. Among these alternatives, gastronomic tourism stands out due to the richness of Azerbaijani cuisine. The primary characteristic of Azerbaijani cuisine is its diversity, stemming from significant interaction with surrounding regional cuisines. Nevertheless, despite possessing such a variety, Azerbaijani cuisine is not fully recognized, as only the similarities with other cuisines are emphasized, leading to a lack of proper attention towards this cuisine. The absence of any research regarding forgotten dishes among the local population has necessitated this study. Thus, this research aims to identify the culinary culture of Azerbaijan, uncover forgotten dishes, and, depending on the methodology of the research, conduct interviews to establish and document recipes related to Azerbaijani cuisine. In this context, interviews were conducted with local residents in Azerbaijan, relevant literature was reviewed, and sources related to Azerbaijani cuisine were evaluated, paying detailed attention to it. Subsequently, recipes were identified from each category, prepared, recorded on video, and access to these videos was facilitated through QR codes.

How to cite this book

Aliyeva, K. & Serçeoğlu, N. (2026). Cultural Memory of Azerbaijani Cuisine: Documentation of Forgotten Flavors. In: Yazıt, H. & Gençer, K. (eds.), Contemporary Research in Gastronomy and Culinary Arts- VII. Özgür Publications. DOI: https://doi.org/10.58830/ozgur.pub1344.c5417

License

Published

June 29, 2026

DOI