Azerbaijan

Azerbaijani cuisine sits on the old Silk Road, famous for saffron plov, herb-stuffed kutab, and an abundance of fresh herbs eaten by the handful. Pomegranate, quince, and tea served in pear-shaped glasses define the table.

The prize in a pot of plov is qazmaq, the crisp golden layer at the bottom, formed from a dough of flour, egg, butter and yoghurt, or from lavash, or from sliced potato, and turned out in pieces at the end. Dushbara are pinched so small that several fit on one spoon, and a cook's reputation partly rests on how many go into one bowl.

Pomegranate does double duty as fruit and as narsharab, the syrup boiled down from the juice and spooned over grilled fish and meat. Herbs come to the table by the handful rather than chopped into a dish, and tea arrives in an armudu, the pear-shaped glass whose narrow waist keeps the top cool enough to hold. Plov is shared across the region, so this is a version rather than an invention.

Thin, half-moon griddle breads stuffed with greens and herbs, folded and cooked until charred.