Azerbaijan is our last A country! The meal consisted of Spicy Meatballs in Pomegranate Sauce (Fesinjan Kyufta), Azeri Saffron Pilaf with Potato Kazmag, Beans with Azeri Tomato Sauce and Sweet Saffron Custard with Rose Water (Zerde).
We liked the sweet spiciness of the Fesinjan Kyufta. I would like the sauce a little thicker but it was still good. The Kazmag recipe used 2 sticks of butter! I love butter. My parents used to tell me they could not leave butter on the table when I was a kid because I would eat it. So needless to say I liked the Kazmag.
The Beans were delicious and different with the tomato sauce on top. Finally, the Custard with Rose Water (Zerde). We made Firnee for our Afghanistan meal which was a custard with cardamon and rose water the had a very strong perfume taste. The rose water was a lot more subtle in this meal’s Zerde and we loved it! I only ate half of mine for dinner and the rest for breakfast.
Crude oil baths are popular but controversial in Naftalan, Azerbaijan. They are used to treat health issues such as joint pain and skin conditions. Naftalan Resort says the treatments are harmless and have been scientifically proven, citing that there are around 1,500 scientific research projects and 270 dissertations on the subject. The baths are in crude oil that is too thick for commercial use. People sit in oil heated to just above body temperature for 10 minutes, after which an attendant scrapes the brown oil off their skin and they shower.
The Bottle House, in Ganja, Azerbaijan was built from glass bottles of different shapes and sizes and colorful stones. It was built by Ibrahim Jafarov’s who dedicated it to his brother who went missing during World War II.
Baku – Azerbaijan’s capital 
Oil Bath 
Oil Bath 
Glass House 
Glass House 
