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Int’l Dolma festival coming back!

30 May 2017 10:00 (UTC+04:00)
Int’l Dolma festival coming back!

By Laman Ismayilova

Those who love to travel become an inheritable part of the world cuisine and a visit to Azerbaijan cannot be completed without tasting dolma!

This stuffed meal is widely prepared in kitchens across the Middle East, the Balkans, the Caucasus, Russia and Central Asia. However, in Azerbaijan this dish is iconic, no Azerbaijani table is complete without dolma.

The name of this ancient national dish originates with the pure Azerbaijani verb doldurmag (to stuff) as it means various leaves, vegetables and fruits stuffed with minced meat. There are currently more than 25 varieties of dolma. In spring it is made of vine leaves, in summer of aubergines (egg-plants), tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers, in autumn it is made of cabbage leaves, apple and quince, in winter it is made of preserved vine leaves. Dolmas are traditionally stuffed with ground lamb and/or beef, rice, onions, and herbs.

Stuffed vine leaves ( yarpag dolmasi) are one of the most popular types of dolma. Using vine leaves in spring time is very healthy because they contain 70-80mg per 100g of vitamin C, while at this time of a year potatoes contain only 6-8mg per 100g of the vitamin.

If you are a genuine gourmet, why not visit the country this June to relish in the abundance of culinary provisions?

The 2nd International Dolma Festival will be held in Azerbaijan's picturesque region Khachmaz this June.

A number of dolma recipes will be presented to food lovers in Chenlibel Park, Azertac reported. The festival will feature several tables with different kinds of dolma, such as aubergines, tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers as well as made of cabbage leaves, apple and quince and more.

Furthermore, various competitions will be held as part of the festival.

The first International Dolma Festival was organized in Baku in 2016. Co-organized by the Azerbaijani Culture and Tourism Ministry, National Culinary Center, Azerbaijani National Culinary Association and Absheron District Executive Power, the event brought together about 400 representatives from Azerbaijan’s 24 regions, as well as from Turkey, Ukraine and Jordan.

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Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Lam_Ismayilova

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz

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