Life is sweet in Azerbaijan, especially around the holiday of Novruz, the Persian New Year. Azerbaijan is famous for its sticky, syrup-saturated pastries, many containing chopped nuts and exotic spices. These delicious delights are enjoyed year round, but during the Novruz celebrations the baking reaches a new intensity.
Preparation for Novruz last a full month, with each of the four weeks preceding the festival being devoted to one of the four elements - water, fire, earth and wind. During this time, people celebrate the waning year and get ready for the upcoming one, cleaning their homes, tending the graves of relatives, planting trees, sewing new dresses, and making all types of sweet dishes, from havla to shakarbura to the famous pakhlava. On the last Tuesday prior to Novruz, children go door to door acquiring candy and pastries. Novruz concludes with festive public dancing, music, and sport.
Consuming endless quantities of pakhlava is certainly one of the highlight of celebrating Novruz. Every city in Azerbaijan makes its own style of pakhlava (which is much like the well-known dessert baklava) with the Baku and Sheki varieties being the most common. Made from layers of yeasty pastry, the pakhlava is a stuffed with milled hazelnuts, pistachios, or Circassian walnuts. The filling is spiced in a number of ways using ground carnation or crocus flowers and cardamom and coriander. The pastry is then glazed with the yolk of an egg mixed with saffron and more nuts are sprinkled over the top. It is then baked and once ready it is coated with syrup (surar and citric acid) or honey.
If you want to celebrate an alternative New Year this year, look into the hotels in Baku, book a plane ticket, and head to Azerbaijan for Novruz. Once settled into your hotel Baku will keep you entertained and satiated with sweets during the festivities. In this country, celebration and confectioneries go hand in hand.
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