List of dishes from the Caucasus
The following dishes and beverages are part of the cuisine of the Caucasus, including Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia and the North Caucasus.
Traditional dishes
Cheese
- Ktor panir — is an Armenian traditional soft cheese made from sheep's, cow's milk, or a mixture of both.
- Ashvlagwan — Abkhaz smoked cheese, similar to sulguni.
- Chechil — String cheese, made in Armenia.
- Adyga kwae — Mild cheese, made in Circassia.
- Yeghegnadzor also known as horats panir — is a traditional Armenian semi-soft cheese originating from the town of Yeghegnadzor in the Vayots Dzor Province of Armenia.
- Chkinti — Salty cheese made originally in Imereti.
- Chanakh — Armenian brined cheese with a sharp, salty flavor and dense texture
- Dambalkhacho — "Rotten" cheese made in Pshavi and Mtiuleti.
- Motal — Armenian brined cheese made from sheep's or goat's milk, traditionally produced in the Syunik and Artsakh regions.
- Guda — Cheese made from sheep milk in Tusheti. Its preparation takes 20 days.
- Earon tsykht — Cheese made in Ossetia.
- Kanach panir — Mold-ripened Armenian cheese from Shirak, with a greenish look, crumbly texture, and sharp flavor.
- Lori — Armenian semi-soft cheese made from pasteurized cow's milk.
- Qatik — Fermented milk product popular among Turks.
- Sulguni — One of the best-known cheeses from Mingrelia, made from cow or buffalo milk.
- Tel panir — Armenian string cheese made from fermented milk, braided into fine threads and typically preserved in brine.
- To-beram — Cottage cheese mixed with sour cream, made traditionally in Chechnya and in Ingushetia.
Dough
- Zhingyalov hats ' — Armenian flatbread stuffed with diced herbs such as tarragon, mint, parsley, purple basil, vegetables such as spinach and spices, then baked.
- Achma ' — Fluffy pastry with cheese, traditionally made in Georgia, especially in Abkhazia.
- Afar ' — Lezgian flatbread stuffed with various fillings, mostly meat or cottage cheese.
- Semsek — is an Armenian dish made with a smooth dough that is topped with a mixture of minced meat, herbs, and spices, then baked.
- Chepalgash ' — Chechen and Ingush pie filled with cottage cheese and wild garlic.
- Chudu ' — Sort of pie, made in Dagestan with various fillings.
- Dalnash ' — Chechen and Ingush pie filled with lard and wild garlic.
- Lahmajun — Armenian baked flatbread topped with minced meat, spices, herbs, minced vegetables such as garlic, tomatoes, onions, and parsley, then baked. It is of Arabic origin and popular not only in Armenia, but also Arab countries, as well as Turkey.
- Haliva ' — Circassian triangular fried pie, often filled with Circassian cheese and potatoes.
- Hingalsh ' — Chechen and Ingush pie with a half-round shape, filled with pumpkin.
- Khachapuri ' — Georgian pie filled with cheese and egg. This dish has a lot of regional variation, the most famous being adjaruli khachapuri, shaped in a form of a boat.
- Kubdari ' — Svan pie filled with spicy meat.
- Khichin — Balkar and Karachay pie filled with various stuffings.
- Byoreks — are Armenian triangular pastries made with phyllo pastry and stuffed with either cheese, meat, spinach, herbs, potato, a cheese and spinach mixture,a cheese and herbs mixture, or a potato and cheese mixture.
- Ossetian pies — These are either filled with a mixture of Ossetian cheese and garlic, cabbage and cheese, potato and cheese, mashed pumpkin, only cheese, minced meat, kidney beans, or beetroot and cheese.
- Qutab — Azerbaijani and Turkmen cooked dough filled with meat or pumpkin.
Starters and snacks
- Ajapsandali — Cold starter containing aubergines, potatoes and spices. It is traditionally made in Georgia and Armenia.
- Basturma ' — Armenian air-dried cured beef coated in a paste made out of an Armenian spice blend chemen, tomato paste and garlic.
- Dolma / Tolma ' — Vegetable stuffed with minced meat and rice, in the Caucasus, it is mostly made in Armenia and Azerbaijan.
- Ailazan — Armenian appetizer made from stewed vegetables. In some variations of the recipe, meat is also used. The dish is similar to ajapsandal.
- Topik is an Armenian dish, sometimes thought of as a vegetarian meatball, consisting of a chickpea-based paste, usually mixed with potatoes or flour, surrounding a filling of onions, nuts, currants, and flavored with herbs, spices, and tahini, It is a traditional lenten dish.
- Lobio ' — Cooked minced beans with addition of coriander, walnuts, garlic and onion.
- Kanachi — Is an Armenian appetizer consisting of any combination of a set of fresh herbs and raw vegetables. Basil or purple basil, mint, parsley, tarragon, coriander, leek and radishes are among the most common ones. Nowadays, It is not only popular in Armenia, but is also becoming popular in Azerbaijan.
- Nigvziani Badrijani ' — Fried aubergine with walnut sauce and pomegranate seeds.
- Eetch — is a traditional Armenian side dish, salad or spread, similar to tabbouleh. This bulgur salads red colour is derived from crushed or pureed tomatoes. Common additional ingredients include onion, parsley, olive oil, lemon, paprika, bell peppers and spices.
- Pkhali ' — Minced vegetables with pomegranate seeds.
- Chi kofta — A type of kofta, It is a raw bulgur-based dish mixed with tomato paste, pomegranate molasses, spices, and sometimes meat. It is served with lavash, kanachi, salad, and often pomegranate molasses or grape syrup. It is popular amongst Turks and Armenians.
- Sujuk ' — Dry and spicy sausage, mostly made in Armenia and Azerbaijan.
- — A type of wrap made by filling bread with Armenian cheeses, walnuts, herbs and condiments.
- Loligov dzvadzekh or Pamidorov dzvadzekh — A common appetizer and breakfast-dish in Armenia. Essentially a scramble with tomato as the base. This dish also includes onions, bell peppers, garlic and herbs. It is usually served with lavash bread. A variation of this dish adds Armenian cheeses to the dish.
Soups and stews
- Spas ' — Armenian soup made with matzoon. Flour, egg or egg yolk, herbs, such as coriander, thyme, parsley, and mint, are added as well. Butter and regular onions, or fried onions are often added to the soup for a richer taste. It can also be served with meatballs.
- Bugleme ' — Meat stew, served by the Mountain Jews.
- Mantapour — is an Armenian soup made by combining meat-filled manti, matzoon, sour cream, and broth.
- Chakapuli ' — Stew made of lamb or beef, tarragon and cherry plums in Eastern Georgia.
- Nraneh — Armenian soup made of slow‑cooked lamb in a broth that features pomegranate juice, or pomegranate molasses and herbs. It sometimes includes rice and is garnished with coriander and tarragon.
- Qovurma — Azerbaijani lamb stew.
- Aveluk soup — Armenian soup made of aveluk, onion, garlic, oil or butter, salt, black pepper, lemon juice or vinegar, dried herbs like thyme or mint and sometimes bulgur or rice.
- Chakhokhbili ' — Soup made of tomatoes and poultry meat which originated in Western Georgia.
- Arganak — Armenian soup consisting of meatballs, rice, onions, chicken broth, lemon juice, yolk, and parsley.
- Chikhirtma ' — Soup made of turkey or chicken meat and eggs which is traditionally made in Kakheti.
- Karshm — Armenian soup made in the town of Vaik in the Vayots Dzor Province. It is a walnut-based soup with red beans, green beans, chickpeas and spices. It is garnished with red pepper and garlic.
- Dovga ' — Soup made of yoghurt and fresh herbs, traditionally made in Azerbaijan.
- Vospapour — Armenian lentil soup made with brown lentils cooked in broth together with chickpeas, carrots, celery, coarse bulgur, ground walnuts and puréed dried fruits. It is flavoured with fried onions, mint, parsley, and cumin. Variations also include spices and ingredients like cayenne pepper, cinnamon, tomatoes, eggplants, spinach, and ground walnuts.
- Kharcho ' — Soup made of beef, rice, cherry plums and walnuts from Mingrelia.
- Krchik — soup made from pickled cabbage, onions, potatoes, tomato purée, cracked wheat, potatoes, coriander, parsley, butter, black pepper, and salt.
- Khash ' — beef or lamb feet in its broth with garlic. It originated in Armenia and is eaten throughout the Caucasus.
- Chanakhi ' — Georgian tomato-based stew with spiced lamb, potatoes, aubergines.
- Piti / Putuk — Azerbaijani and Armenian soup made with mutton, tail fat, chickpeas, potato, onions, dried alycha and sumac.
- Khashlama — Armenian stew made with large chunks of meat, usually lamb, beef, or veal that are simmered slowly with vegetables in a pot. The meat is not browned or fried; instead, it is cut into pieces and layered raw in a pot with slices of onions, tomatoes, bell peppers, and sometimes potatoes or carrots. Garlic, bay leaves, salt, and whole black peppercorns are added for flavor.
- Bozbash – a mutton and lamb soup that exists in Azerbaijan and Armenia with the addition of different vegetables. There is a special kind of bozbash served in Armenia. It is mamed Shoushin bozbash, and is made from lamb, quince, apple, and mint. This variation of bozbash is "practically unknown outside of Armenia".
- Gomgush — is an Armenian banquet stew consisting of summer squash, tomato sauce, prunes, garlic, mint, chickpeas, sevan trout, pumpkin, matzoon, pepper paste, and dill. It is usually cooked inside a tonir.
- Chorba — Types of soup usually made with lamb and beef, fried vegetables and herbs which is made in every country in Caucasus, especially in Dagestan and Azerbaijan.
- Tarhana ' — Soup made with matzoon and flour.
Main courses
- Ghapama – Armenian baked pumpkin filled with either rice, dried fruits, honey and spices, or in the savory version, with rice, meat, onions, herbs and spices.
- Apkhazura ' — Fried meat enrolled in caul fat, traditionally made in Abkhazia.
- Stuffed intestines — Armenian dish consisting of intestines stuffed with minced meat, bulgur, dried mint, onion, chickpeas, salt, black pepper, allspice, and cinnamon.
- Amcheg ' — Lezgin roasted turkey.
- Dolma / Tolma ' — Vegetable, or fruit stuffed with minced meat, rice, spices and herbs, of Armenian origin that is popular in Armenia and Azerbaijan.
- Barsh ' — Chechen and Ingush dish, consisting of a mutton stomach stuffed with minced meat.
- Khurjin — Armenian dish named after a traditional saddlebag, reflecting its distinctive pouch-like shape. Resembling an oversized khinkali when only focusing on Its looks, it is made by filling a round sheet of thin dough with grilled meat, vegetables, herbs and spices, then gathering and twisting the edges at the top to seal it like a bundle. The khurjin is then baked until golden, holding in all the juices. When served, it is often sliced open to reveal the steaming filling inside.
- Tabaka Qatami ' — Georgian roasted chicken with adjika, traditionally made in Mingrelia.
- Plov ' — Rice dish, mostly cooked with meat and vegetables.
- Karmir pilaf — Armenian red rice dish made with butter, rice, onions, herbs, spices, tomato paste and sometimes meat. The word karmir means “red” in Armenian, referring to the red colour of the dish.
- Dzhed ' — Circassian chicken in a sauce, similar to satsivi.
- — Armenian dish made with poultry, typically turkey or chicken, stuffed with rice, herbs, spices and dried fruits. Historically, it was prepared with pheasant. The dish is mentioned in the 5th-century works of Armenian historians Faustus of Byzantium and Yeghishe.
- Jijig-Galnash — Chechen and Ingush dish consisting of Galnash with meat and its broth.
- Khokhob — Armenian poultry dish made with either duck, pheasant, chicken, or turkey. The meat is cooked with tart fruits like barberries, apricots, or raisins, kanachi herbs, nuts, and warm spices. Khokhob is often served with vegetables, potatoes, or bread. Itis often served in a garlic, walnut and pomegranate sauce.
- Satsivi ' — Georgian poultry meat based dish with walnut sauce.
- Panrkhash — Armenian dish that consists of lavash bread, cheese, onions, and boiled water. The dish is prepared by layering the chechil and lavash in a ramekin or clay bowl, then adding sautéed onions and hot water before baking the mixture until golden brown.
- Khoyagusht — Meat pie from the cuisine of Mountain Jews, Made of eggs, turmeric, slow cooked meat and its broth.
- Tjvjik — Armenian dish made from offal, fried with onions and optionally tomato purée. It is simmered until tender and served with parsley.
- Kofta — Spiced meatballs, made in Transcaucasia.
- Kchuch — Armenian dish made of vegetables, spices, herbs, tail fat, meat and/or fish. It is served with lavash and turshi.
- Kuchmachi — Fried chicken livers with pomegranate seeds.
- Kyalla — Armenian dish from Gyumri, made by slow-cooking a cleaned sheep or cow head, often in a tonir, until the meat becomes tender. The cooked meat and skin are chopped, seasoned with spices, as well as herbs and placed in the head. The dish is then served with garlic, torshi and lavash.
- Khali-Nukun — Dargin dish consisting of a fat-tailed lards with oatmeal.
- Khinkali — Georgian dumpling stuffed with meat, vegetables or cottage cheese.
- Boraki — Armenian dumplings typically filled with spiced ground meat and onions, wrapped in thin dough, and often baked, or fried. Boraki are formed as small cylinders with an open top, the cylinders are lightly boiled in broth and then baked, or fried. Thed usually sit in an Armenian sauce called lecho, which consists of bell peppers, tomatoes, onions, garlic, oil, salt, hot peppers and sometimes vinegar. Boraki are served garnished with matzoon and chopped garlic.
- Joshpara ' - Small Iranian, Turkic and Azerbaijani dumplings served with mutton and vegetables in its broth.
- Manti ' — Dumplings popular in Armenia that are usually served with herbs and spoces infused matzoon or sour cream, garlic and lecho, or another tomato based sauce.
- Holtmash — Chechen and Ingush dumplings made from cornmeal stuffed with nettles.
- Gürzə — Azerbaijani dumplings.
- Kurze — Long shaped dumplings stuffed with meat, popular among Dagestanis.
- Mataz — Circassian dumplings stuffed with various fillings.
- Lavangi — Azerbaijani and Talysh baked chicken or fish stuffed with walnuts and spices.
- Stuffed mussels — Armenian dish consisting of mussels stuffed with rice or bulgur, herbs and spices.
- Ishkan and Koghak — Two fish native to the Armenian lake of Sevan. They are prepared in various ways. One of them is cooking them in oil, another way is cooking them in wine. It also can be barbecued like khorovats, used in stews, used to make fish balls, used to be fried, used to be baked and used to be grilled.
- Sig kebab — Armenian kebab made out of the minced meat of the sig fish, herbs and spices. It is often served with lavash, vegetables and herbs like onions, parsley, purple basil and tarragon.
- Stuffed ishkan / Stuffed mackerel — Armenian dish consisting of either sevan trout, or mackerel stuffed with apricots, almonds, hazelnuts, pine nuts, walnuts, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, ginger, fresh herbs, and lemon juice.
- Balıq — Turkic grilled fish.
- Khorovats — Armenian barbecue can be made with lamb, pork, beef, chicken, fish, or veal. A typical khorovats is made of marinaded chunks of meat grilled on a shampoor inside of a tonir. When finished, It is served alongside Armenian side-dishes, like lavash, kanachi, herbs, vegetables and more.
- Lula kebab ' — Azerbaijani and Armenian kebab made from minced meat, onion, sheep tail fat, salt, pepper, and sumac. It is often enrolled kn lavash with kanachi herbs, onions and condiments.
- Msho kebab — Armenian kebab from the historical mush region, that is made from minced lamb or beef mixed with onion, garlic, black pepper, paprika, allspice and cumin. Parsley and mint are also used in its preparation. It is grilled and served with lavash, condiments, as well as grilled vegetables and kanachi herbs.
- Shashlik/Mtsvadi — Cooked meat on fire, made in all of the Caucasus.
- Losh kebab — Armenian-style grilled meat patty made from ground beef or lamb, grated onion, parsley, salt, black pepper, and sometimes paprika, as well as aleppo pepper. It is shaped into round patties and grilled, often served with lavash, grilled vegetables, fresh herbs, and matzoon.
- Yokh ' — Chechen and Ingush spicy sausage from mutton and flour.
- Bumbar — Armenian sausage made out of intestines filled with minced meat, onions, spices and in some variations chickpeas, or even rice. It is often seasoned with allspice, cinnamon, black pepper and salt.
- Kupati — Sausage made in Western Georgia.
- Matagh —'' is a lamb or a rooster slated for slaughter as thanksgiving to God. The meat is to be prepared in a simple way stove top with minimal spices.
Condiments and sauces
- Ajika ' — Spicy paste made from peppers, garlic, herbs, spices, walnuts and salt. It originated in Western Georgia, in the regions of Mingrelia and Abkhazia, but it is used in almost all regions of the Caucasus.
- Grape syrup — Syrup/molasses made from grapes that is popular in Armenia and by extension Azerbaijan. This syrup is used in multiple foods, like stuffed apples, matzoon, or desserts such as gata and as a medicine.
- Matzoon ' — Fermented milk, similar to yoghurt. It is of Armenian origin and consumed in Armenia and Georgia. In Armenia, It is combined with spices and herbs to use it as a standalone condiment.
- Pomegranade molasses — Pomegranade-based condiment, made and used in Armenia, Azerbaijan and Iran.
- Ashtarak sauce — Armenian walnut and garlic sauce from Ashtarak. It is made with walnuts, garlic, vinegar or lemon juice, and salt.
- Bazhe ' — Georgian walnut sauce with spices.
- Mulberry syrup — Armenian syrup/molasses made from mulberries and used in multiple dishes.
- Tkemali ' — Georgian cherry plum-based sauce.
- Lecho — is a popular Armenian sauce made from bell peppers, tomatoes, onions, garlic, oil, salt, and sometimes sugar or vinegar.
- Urbech — Urbech is a dagestani paste made of ground seeds or nuts.
- Kaymak — Creamy dairy food similar to clotted cream, made from the milk of water buffalo, cows, sheep, or goats. Often used for desserts, It is popular in Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia.
Breads
- Katnahunts ' — Sweet and soft braided bread made for Easter. Sometimes filled with chocolate or fruits.
- Matnakash ' — Armenian bread made of wheat flour with yeast or sourdough starter. The characteristic golden-brown color of its crust is achieved by coating the surface of the loaves with sweetened tea essence before baking.
- Lavash ' — Flatbread made in a tonir which is popular in almost every region of the South Caucasus. It is a bread of Armenian origin.
- Mchadi ' — Fried bread made from cornmeal.
- Bokon — Armenian bread with a rhombus shape that has a soft crumb and a hole in the center. Made from leavened dough and brushed with egg white, it is served warm with cheese or herbs.
- Shotis puri ' — Bread shaped like a canoe.
- Bagharj ' — Armenian baked bread product with both ritual and everyday uses. It is sprinkled with sesame, black nigella seeds, or poppy seeds.
- Siskal ' — Fried bread made from polenta in Ingushetia and Chechnya.
- Nshkhar ' — Armenian communion bread used during the liturgy in the Armenian Church. It always has a religious image printed on top of it.
- Tonis puri ' — Popular Georgian bread baked in a tone.
- ' — Armenian round bread baked for New Year or Christmas. Made with wheat flour, milk, and butter, it has a hole in the center and is decorated with seeds or fruits. A coin or bean is hidden inside for luck during the holiday cutting.
Desserts
- Sharots — a confection in Armenian cuisine, consisting of halved walnut kernels threaded onto a string and coated with a spiced fruit-based mixture.
- Churchkhela ' — Georgian sweet made from mixed grape juice and flour with chopped walnuts or hazelnuts.
- Alani ' — Armenian sweet made from dried apricot, or fig stuffed with ground walnut and sometimes sugar.
- Baldzhin ' — Ossetian sweet pie filled with cherries.
- Gata ' — Armenian pastry / sweet bread filled with khoritz a sweet mix made out of sugar, butter and flour. There are many variations to gata. Walnuts, dried fruits and fresh fruits like prunes, apricots, lemons, berries, or apples can also be added to the filling.
- Gozinaki ' — Sweet made by Georgians for New Year consisting of chopped walnuts and honey.
- Nazook — Rolled Armenian pastry filled with khoritz and optionally walnuts, lemons, cranberries, prunes and apricots can be added to the filling.
- Gvaymakkhsh ' — Chechen / Ingush pancakes with honey.
- Ponchik — Armenian deep-fried piece of dough shaped into a flattened sphere, that turns into a puffed up sphere upon frying, and then becomes a flattened sphere after it is opened. Ponchiks are filled with custard and known as Armenian doughnuts.
- Halva ' — Sweet made from flour.
- Cigarette cookies ' — Soft Armenian cookies that are rolled into the form of a cigarette. They are filled with either lokhum, a mixture of sugar, cardamom, and walnuts, or a combination of both. The dough mainly consists of matzoon, butter, eggs, and flour. When finished the pastry gets dusted with powdered sugar.
- Harbiz Fo ' — Circassian watermelon honey.
- Mikado cake ' — Armenian layer cake made by stacking up layers of baked dough and a buttercream that mainly consists of butter, chocolate, brandy and condensed milk on top of each other. When finished the cake gets covered in the aforementioned buttercream, and shreds of chocolate.
- Murabba ' — Jam made in Transcaucasia with local fruits. It is also made from walnuts in Georgia and Armenia. The most popular fruits and other ingredients turned into murabba in Armenia/Armenian cuisine are watermelon, watermelon rind, quince, pumpkin, apricot, mulberry, raspberry, pear, cherry, cornelian cherry, plum, pomegranate, and walnut.
- Anoushabur ' — Sweet Armenian porridge made from wheat or barley, dried fruits, sugar, spices and nuts.
- Natyoukh ' — Lak candy made with a mixture of honey and sugar with apricot kernels and walnuts.
- Marlenka ' — Armenian layered honey cake composed of multiple thin layers of honey-sweetened sponge cake and a filling made from caramel cream. It is typically topped with a dusting of crushed nuts or cocoa-based icing.
- Pakhlava ' — Sweet pastry made with filo layers, nuts and a syrup. It is made in the Transcaucasian countries, but mostly Armenia and Azerbaijan.
- Rachal ' — Armenian pumpkin dessert. It is essentially candied pumpkin topped with either walnuts, sar, or tahini and powdered sugar.
- Pastegh ' — Armenian dried fruit leather. Can be served with regular, or sour taste.
- Pelamushi ' — Kakhetian traditional pudding made from grape juice and flour.
- Mrjnabuyn ' — Armenian sweet made from crushed nuts and honey or condensed milk mixed with crumbs and shaped into small clusters resembling an ant's nest. It is often covered in chocolate.
- Shekerbura ' — Azerbaijani sweet pastry filled with almonds, walnuts or hazelnuts. It is consumed during Nowruz, the Zoroastrian New Year.
- Shpot — Armenian pudding made by boiling fruit juice with flour and spices until thickened. It is topped with nuts.
Beverages
Alcoholic
- Ararat ' — Famous Armenian brandy made from white grapes and spring water.
- Armenian wines ' — Most famous include : Voski, Karasi, Yeraz Areni, Khndoghni, Haghtanak, Milagh, Aghavnadzor, Voskehat, Kangun, Garan Dmak, Mskhali, Nazeli, Chilar.
- Bagany ' — Ossetian beer made from wheat, barley and maize.
- Pomegranate wine ' — Armenian wine made from pomegranates.
- Makhsima ' — Circassian alcohol made from corn flour and wheat. Similar to boza but has higher alcohol content.
- Arak ' — Ossetian vodka made from cereals such as wheat or barley. However, some are made with fruits especially by the South Ossetians.
- Oghi ' — Armenian distilled spirit made from fermented fruits. Mulberries are mostly used, but grapes, apricots, plums, cherries and peaches are also sometimes used to make it.
- Chacha ' — Georgian vodka made from pomace or other fruits which is often homemade.
- Noy ' — Armenian brandy produced by the Yerevan Brandy Company. It is made using Armenian grapes and spring water, aged in oak barrels.
- Georgian wines ' — Most famous include : Saperavi, Tsinandali, Akasheni, Kindzmarauli, Kvanchkara, Lykhny, etc. Most of the wines are made in the region of Kakheti.
- Armenian beers ' — Brewed from spring water, malted barley, hops, and yeast using traditional fermentation methods. Popular brands include Կիլիկիա, Դիլիջան, Լվիվ, and Արարատ.
- Kompot '