A taste of tradition at "Terra Madre" food festival in Azerbaijan's ancient Shaki city PHOTO

Azerbaijan's northwestern city of Shaki hosted the "Terra Madre" gastronomic festival this weekend in cooperation with the European "Slow Food International" NGO.

The event took place at the “Yukhari Bash” National Reserve complex and marked the first festival of the NGO in the country, Caliber.Az reports, citing Azertac.

It was organised by the State Tourism Agency of Azerbaijan, together with its subordinate Azerbaijan Tourism Bureau and the Azerbaijan National Culinary Center.

The festival’s opening ceremony featured speeches by Fuad Naghiyev, the Chairman of the State Tourism Agency, Elkhan Usubov, the Head of the city's Executive Power and Edward Mukibi, the President of Slow Food International. They all highlighted the significance of hosting the Terra Madre in the historic city, which is situated on the ancient Silk Road and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

According to the organisers, the festival is part of the wider cycle of international Terra Madre events and is the result of an intense networking effort that is already creating tangible benefits for local communities.

Bringing together people, knowledge, and flavours, the event aims to shine a light on the cultural and gastronomic richness of the region and to strengthen its role within the global Terra Madre network. Visitors will discover Caucasian food products through tastings, meetings with producers and experts, and hands-on masterclasses on local culinary traditions.

It also aims to promote sustainable food systems, local culinary traditions, and cultural heritage, support balanced development in rural communities, and encourage efficient production and consumption of agrobiodiversity resources.

Speakers emphasised that Slow Food promotes healthier eating based on principles of good, clean, and fair food, while preserving national and regional culinary traditions. Overall, Terra Madre Shaki represents a new phase of the Slow Food project, implemented in the Shaki-Zagatala and Guba-Khachmaz economic regions.

The festival featured a wide range of activities, including a forum of agricultural and gastronomy experts, roundtables on biodiversity and winemaking with participation from government officials and industry experts, a local product fair, tastings, and workshops.

An estimated 30 local farmers and food producers participated in the event, where they presented their goods on multiple stands. The foods ranged across a wide variety of sections:

• Hazelnuts from Gabala and Ismayili

• Black halva from mountain villages

• Jams and sweets from Absheron region

• Mahara (flour dumpling), traditional food of the Gakh-Zagatala region

• Various teas from Lankaran

• Organic fruits, vegetables, and berries from Bio Garden farm in Shaki

• Shaki pakhlava, wines, Shamakhi Madras grape varieties

• Cheeses from the Caucasus mountain regions

• Dairy products

• Goods from the agricultural Ivanovka village

Festival attendees could also enjoy a multitude of performances by musicians, folk groups, and artists , which added a vibrant cultural dimension to the gastronomic event.

By Nazrin Sadigova