Azeri Food       In equal parts Georgian, Iranian, Turkish and Central Asian, the national cuisine of Azerbaijan is heavy on meat - especially lamb, beef, mutton and poultry - and richly spiced. Meat dishes are flavored with chestnuts, dried apricots, raisins, and green herbs. Common items are pilaff / plov (rice fried with meat, fish, vegetables or even fruit) and fish. There are about a hundred varieties of pilaff:Soup is a staple of Azerbaijani cuisine, often made with meat and sheep fat. Dolma is another common Azeri dish: minced lamb meat with rice is wrapped into grape leaves (Yarpag dolmasy) or occasionally in cabbage leaves (Kyalyam dolmasy). This dish is condimented with coriander, dill, mint, pepper, cinnamon and melted butter. Kebabs are a staple dish, try the liula-kebab grilled over an open fire. In the northwest khingal is a favorite dish - a flour dish with meat, fried onion and kurut (a dried cottage cheese). In the Lenkoran region chicken is stuffed with nuts, onion and jelly and fried. Fish is also stuffed and baked in a tandoori oven. The Absheron peninsula is famous for its dushpara - small meat dumplings and kutabs - meat patties made in very thin dough. Bread is served with most meals, the most common are the round loaves callled 'chorek'. Try also the wafer style 'lavash'. Caviar (kuru) is one of the Azeri luxuries, and you can taste it not only canned but also fresh. Beware that you are only allowed to take 600 g of caviar out of the country. Customs inspectors are skilled at checking for contraband in x-rayed luggage at the airport. In Azerbaijan besides some of the best caviar in the world, you will be able to taste the sturgeon itself (osetr). If you like new things, and enjoy a little culinary adventure, have a typical local breakfast dish: "hash" - boiled hoof served with garlic-vinegar and a shot of vodka. Tea ('çay') is the drink of hospitality; it is central to all social, family and even a lot of business occasions. Tea, mainly black, is served in small pear shaped glasses - the glasses are called armuds, literally meaning pear. Tea is sometimes sweetened with jam; it starts and ends a grand meal. In the traditional chaykhanas (tea houses), you can linger over a pot all day if you like.   Sherbet is one of the most popular drinks in Azerbaijan. It is a refreshing infusion that come in many varities: sugar, milk, lemon, saffron, seeds of mint and basil and several fruits. Restaurants, Pubs & Clubs Baku offers a varied choice of restaurants, for all tastes and purses, from the several sophisticated international cuisine places to the local equivalent of fast food, the kebab places. There's even a McDonald's on Fountain Square. We do not recommend their american junk food, but McDonald's is our favourite global 'toilet chain'.  Turkish fast food is also all over the city, specially Döner and Pide + Lahmacun places. A place that you should not miss is 'Baku Entertainment Center' on F. Bayramov Street, with a very good restaurant, swimming pool, bowling, health club and several shops. Below are a few places for you to indulge your appetite

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