Many believe that the most delicious beef and lamb are found in Azerbaijan. Not only in Europe and other continents, but even in neighboring countries, many who have tasted dishes made from beef and lamb consider that the meat nowhere else has the same taste as ours.
Is this simply the result of taste and eating habits in the country, or is it truly that the most delicious beef and lamb are in Azerbaijan? Why does meat and lamb not taste as good to Azerbaijanis when they eat abroad as it does in their homeland?
Speaking to Medianews.az on the subject, Honored Cultural Worker and culinary expert Tahir Amir Aslanov stated that cattle breeding has a history of millennia in Azerbaijan: "Excavations at Göytəpə in the Tovuz district show that we used meat from domestic animals 8,000 years ago. During the excavations, bones of domestic birds, large and small horned cattle were found. Over millennia and centuries, delicious breeds adapted to the local climate have been raised in Azerbaijan. In the Gobustan cliffs, there are depictions dating back at least 12,000 years that illustrate which parts of the animal were used to prepare which dishes. So, there was a culinary school in Gobustan at that time. This is a great tradition."
However, it should be noted that other countries also have tasty animal meat. For example, the breed of sheep in Mongolia is similar to that in Azerbaijan, and its taste is practically the same. They have many beautiful, delicious animals," he said.
According to T. Amir Aslanov, the meat of local animals in Azerbaijan has developed its unique taste over a long period, and we have adapted to it: "We cannot accept flavors outside this range. Therefore, of course, the meat of local animals is better for us. Also, meat coming from afar does not transmit proper information to our body. As a result, the body tends to become ill. The composition of local animals and plants and the information they provide are suitable for our organism. Everything grown within a radius of 400 kilometers is suitable for us. Once you go a little farther away, even the best product begins to harm us. This is the issue," he explained.
Eyyub Huseynov, chairman of the Free Consumers' Union, told Medianews.az that in developed countries, perhaps in 98 percent of cases, meat for cooking institutions arrives frozen: "For example, I searched for lamb in America to make kebab. After a long search, I found some, but it was frozen, and I paid about 100 dollars for one and a half kilograms. It had no taste or flavor."
"I am a fan of lamb. Abroad, I have eaten the tastiest lamb in New Zealand. They do not keep sheep indoors during winter; they are always on pastures. Also, the pastures are natural, not artificial. The animals are kept in open conditions," he added.
E. Huseynov noted that in Azerbaijan, the taste of beef and especially lamb varies depending on the region: "The meat of cattle and sheep grown on salty soils is tastier. For example, lamb from the Mughan zone and Beylagan is tastier than that raised in the mountains. Of course, the breed of the animal also plays an important role. We can definitively say that the meat of Merino sheep is tasteless and tough. The breed issue is relevant for cattle meat as well.
One of the main reasons local lamb tastes good when cooked is that it is delivered to production facilities without freezing. Of course, there is also the matter of people's taste preferences. I have had guests from different parts of the world. They have always liked the meat of sheep and cattle raised in Azerbaijan. However, I must mention that the sheep here are some of the dirtiest in the world. I have never seen wool as dirty as that of sheep and lambs in Azerbaijan. Sometimes that dirt’s odor passes to the meat, in which case you see that some people hesitate to eat that meat. The cattle kept in Azerbaijan also tend to be very dirty. This is not the case in Australia or New Zealand. There, the animals are very clean," he said.
Nailə Qasımova,
Medianews.az