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A dish worthy of a king - or perhaps simply the main course of a wedding ceremony - shah pilaf (translated as crown pilaf) is a traditional meal infused with a medley of local aromas. It goes through several stages of preparation before reaching its distinctive final shape.
First, basmati rice is cooked, then placed inside a bowl lined with lavash (a thin and soft wheat-based flatbread). Layers of dried apricots, plums, chestnuts, and raisins are added on top of the rice to create a unique blend of textures and flavors.
MOST ICONIC Shah pilaf
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Dolma is Türkiye's national dish, and it signifies any sort of vegetable stuffed with a mixture based on rice. For traditional dolma, grape leaves are stuffed with rice and ground meat. Stuffed leaves were first made at the court of King Khusrow II in the early 7th century.
The popularity of dolma spread throughout the Muslim world, so there are numerous variations of the dish. Dolma is divided into two groups: dolma without meat and dolma with olive oil. Those without meat and cooked with olive oil are called yalanci, meaning imitation.
MOST ICONIC Tolma
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Shila plavi is a traditional rice dish originating from Georgia. The dish has two versions – with meat and with mushrooms. During fasting, the meat in the dish is replaced with mushrooms. The dish is made with a combination of meat or mushrooms, rice, onions, oil, salt, black pepper, and cumin, while saffron and white wine can be added to enrich the flavors.
Once done, the dish should have a consistency that’s similar to a risotto. Shila plavi is traditionally served at funerals.
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Azerbaijan is a country with a rich tapestry of culture, with many different influences - and no dish does more justice to its history than the sweet rice dish shirin plov. Believed to have been created in the capital of Baku, the dish is a nuanced and fragrant main course, often reserved for special occasions.
It is a pilaf made with several layers of basmati rice (infused with saffron and melted butter) that is combined with seasonal dried fruit. The most common toppings are apricots and raisins, but it can also be made with chestnuts during the fall season, or black plums during winter.
Ghapama is an Armenian dish typically prepared by stuffing a pumpkin with rice, various nuts and dried fruits, butter, honey, and cinnamon, but there are also some recipes calling for meat. The dish is traditionally prepared between New Year and Armenian Christmas, or on other similar festive occasions, but especially during autumn and winter, when pumpkins are in season.
Once cooled, ghapama is served whole or sliced up in wedges, each appropriately sized as an individual portion. The popularity of the dish is so great it even has its own song titled Hey Jan Ghapama.
Sheshryanch plov (also known as six color plov) is an Azerbaijani dish made with sunny-side-up eggs that are placed over a bed of rice mixed with fried green and white onions. As is common in most plov recipes, the cooked rice is infused with saffron and can be served with either lamb or chicken meat.
This nourishing dish is typically served for breakfast or as a side dish accompanying kebabs at lunchtime.
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