Baku, April 9, AZERTAC It’s no secret that Azerbaijan’s national cuisine is popular in many countries of the world, especially in the East, however, the country has got something to surprise and delight all taste buds. Since the national cuisine changes from region to region in accordance with local history, culture and geography, we would like to invite you to taste one of the must-try delicious dishes of Azerbaijan’s Sheki region – piti, as well as Gabala’s dasharasi kebab. Sheki’s piti Located in north-western Azerbaijan at the foot of the Caucasus Mountains, Sheki boasts not only a UNESCO-listed old town but also several culinary specialties, notably excellent sweets like halva and bamiya, which the city is famous for and are sold at colorful sweetshops dotted around the city. However, the must-try one is piti, a traditional and delicious dish from the town of Sheki – a lamb stew served in a small clay pot. Piti, which is specialty of Sheki, an ancient city on the Silk Route, comprises ingredients such as lamb, saffron and local spices.Chickpeas, chestnuts, saffron and local spices pack it with flavor, but the most interesting feature is the way it’s consumed. This is actually two courses in one dish: first you pour the broth into a bawl as a soup starter and then mash up the rest in the pot before scooping it into a plate for a meaty main course. Gabala’s dasharasi kebab Azerbaijan’s north-western region of Gabala is another fantastic place where you one can enjoy the beauty of the Caucasus Mountains. The most famous culinary creation here is specific type of kebab. Kebabs are a staple of Azerbaijani cuisine and boasts a similar number of varieties as the rice-based dish plov. It’s made form meat, fish or vegetables rotated and sizzled over a barbecue (mangal). Gabala has a version called dasharasi kebab, which literally means ‘between stones’. It is exactly how the lamb is cooked – an ancient method devised long ago by shepherds. Moreover, the stones are a special sort that have been battered flat over centuries by the thunderstorms in the Caucasus Mountains. Although this kebab looks very simple, it leaves a magical impression in the stomach and the soul. So, come and enjoy the dasharasi kebab in its home territory, the foothills of the Caucasus!