Asian & Caucasas dishes application is collection of recipes for the most traditional dishes of Central Asia, the Caucasus and Afghanistan. This is a joint CELA endeavor aimed at sharing the diversity of culture, history and emotions reflected in the cuisines of such a vast region of the world, which often has stood at the crossroads of civilizations.
Cuisine develops as part of culture through the effort and love of real people. The CELA countries’ cuisine is diverse and versatile, just like the ancient history of this region. Some of the recipes will tell you the history in depth of the magnificent cities of Central Asia and the Caucasus during the periods when trade and culture was exchanged along the Silk Road, reflected in the sophistication of spices and ingredients. Yet you will find short entries here, too, with modest combinations of ingredients developed under a nomadic way of life that was responsible for numerous medieval conquests. Here is where you will find out how all these elements are connected, from the nomadic steppes to the fruit gardens of Ferghana valley, the Silk Road cities, and the beautiful songs of the Caucasus.
Nowadays, in virtually every city of the region we can go to a Georgian or an Uzbek restaurant, and we can hardly imagine modern life without the great diversity of tastes and emotions that make different cultures so understandable to one another. When we cook and eat we can delve into the origins and meaning of these foods, which help us to appreciate what a long history stretches behind them.
We hope that the CELA Cook Book will enhance your joy of cooking and, most of all, help you taste and enjoy the delicious cuisine of this unique region, and thereby to better understand the history of the real people that have made it what it is…their stories of drama, endurance, hope and love.