slow food travelAzerbaijan
Tourists can now more sustainably enjoy the tastes and sights of the Great Caucasus Slow Food Travel route, created in 2021 thanks to cooperation between the COVCHEG (Community-based Value Chain Enhancement in the Greater Caucasus Mountains) project, Slow Food International and financial support from the European Union. The overwhelming focus of the work has been on developing local communities and protecting the nature of the region.
Visitors to the North West of Azerbaijan can enjoy 15 new sustainable experiences that have been integrated into the dedicated Slow Food Travel map of the area, which also indicates local producers to visit, products to taste and places to see along a route through the cities of Shamakhi, Ismayilli, Gabala, Sheki and Gakh, and the surrounding regions. The project grew out of putting the local population first, with a specialised team from ATB holding extensive meetings with farmers, cheesemakers, herders, butchers, bakers, winegrowers, other participants of the supply chain, and collaborating with over 100 smallholder farms. There are now 60 local partners who provide a wide range of services, from gastronomic experiences to accommodation. Naturally, when local products are used, supply chains are also reduced, further reducing the area’s carbon footprint.
Gastronomy tourists will find mind-blowing flavours that can only be tasted in this area. The project investigated the individual nature of the region and mapped 80 local varieties of vegetables, fruit, traditional home-made sweets, animal breeds, wild plants and other specialties linked to the villages and climatic zones of the Greater Caucasus Mountains of Azerbaijan. 31 out of the overall registered items are already on board the Ark of Taste (see below). Another significant step was the creation of the first five Slow Food Presidia in Azerbaijan, highlighting some special products of the region: the Ata-Baba hazelnut, Caucasian buffalo, Caucasian mountain honey, the Madrasa grape and wild Caucasian rosehip.
Work with local chefs and the new Slow Food Azerbaijan Cooks’ Alliance led to the Slow Food Ark of Taste Menu, which emphasises ‘Taste without Waste’ and ‘From Soil to Table.’ Buffalo yoghurt, Madrasa wine reduction and hot smoked river eel tartar are just a few examples of local produce that are used as ingredients in irresistible local dishes. More and more restaurants of the region are incorporating these ingredients into new innovative recipes that mark an exciting new movement in the North West of Azerbaijan.
