Bozbash

Bozbash is a traditional meat stew that is popular in Armenia, Azerbaijan and Iran.

History and etymology

Bozbash is a word of Azerbaijani origin. It may be derived from Azerbaijani boz and bash, which in turn may point to the light color of the dish when it's cooked. The küftə version of the dish resembles a gray head when cooked.
Bozbash is also the Azerbaijani name of the Iranian dish abgoosht-e sabzi. Ghanoonparvar notes that bozbash was introduced "relatively late" into Iranian cuisine; Mirza Ali-Akbar Khan, the chef of Naser al-Din Shah Qajar, was reportedly the first to mention it. He classified it as part of a group of meat stews and soups, often eaten cold.
According to William Pokhlyobkin, bozbash is the most popular Armenian soup.

Ingredients and preparation

In Azerbaijan, there are varieties of bozbash, such as küftə and tikə bozbash, which is made from lamb or beef meat.
Alan Davidson describes bozbash in the Azerbaijani cuisine as:
Ghanoonparvar notes in relation to bozbash:
In Armenian cuisine, there is a special kind of bozbash not commonly seen, shoushin bozbash, made from lamb, quince, apple, and mint. This variation of bozbash is "practically unknown outside the Caucasus". Other Armenian varieties include Sisian bozbash, Yerevan bozbash, Etchmiadzin bozbash, and winter bozbash.