A presentation of Garabagh cuisine dishes have taken place at the Baku restaurant Shusha Qalasi for the participants and judges of the international championship Pastry & Bakery Chefs Baku Cup 2025 in the atmosphere of Azerbaijani hospitality and culinary mastery, Azernews reports.
The championship was organized in the country for the first time by the Azerbaijan Chefs Guild, Baku Chefs Association and the DIYAR.AZ project "Gastronomic Map of Azerbaijan."
Guests from Turkiye, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, and other countries were treated not just to dinner but to a real journey into the taste palette of Garabagh: dishes whose recipes are passed down from generation to generation, a demonstration of culinary techniques, and the history of each treat—all this created a deep and multi-layered picture of the culinary tradition of the region.
A special moment of the evening was the presentation of honorary titles: masters of culinary art Gabil Guliyev and Etibar Karimli were accepted into the Association of Chefs of Turkiye.
"Garabagh cuisine is a reflection of the cultural memory of Azerbaijan. It has absorbed everything: geography, history, and national character. Preserving and popularizing this cuisine means preserving our identity," said Karimli.
The guests included the chairman of the Denizli Chefs Association (Turkiye), Suleyman Kursak, who expressed his admiration.
"Garabagh dishes are a real art. I am pleased to be part of this event and present my signature gastronomic program. At the master class, I will show how to combine traditions and modern technologies of Turkish cuisine," he said.
The chairman of the Azerbaijan Chefs Guild and the Baku Chefs Association, international master Ilkin Akbarzade, noted that the Pastry & Bakery Chefs Baku Cup 2025 championship itself, which brought together professional chefs, confectioners, and students of specialized universities, has become an international arena for the exchange of experience and creative inspiration.
"We are creating a platform where talents can make a name for themselves. Domestic and foreign masters demonstrate not only the technique but also the philosophy of their cuisine," he added.
The participants will compete in the following categories: "National Sweets Table," "Art Class (Sweets and Chocolate Products)," "Wedding Cake," "The Art of Baking," and "Compositions of Fruit and Vegetable Carvings."
The panel of judges will be represented by leading experts from different countries, including Suleyman Kursak (Turkiye), Metin Ayhan (Turkiye), Shahid Miyan (Pakistan), Hussein Shipal (Turkiye), Camil Fernando (Qatar), Hoshan Desilva (UAE), Don David (Azerbaijan), and Bahruz Galbinur (Azerbaijan).
Media partners of the event are Azernews.Az,Trend.Az, Day.Az and Milli.Az.
