Simple pleasures in Gabala: From 2000-year-old kebabs to mountain quad bike rides
A playground for outdoor adventure, Azerbaijan’s Gabala region has more to offer than simply beautiful nature. We dive into its rich history and culinary traditions – while taking in the views.
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00Welcome to Gabala. I'm in the foothills of the Caucasus Mountains, an outdoor playground
00:07for adventure junkies. I'll be getting my adrenaline fix this trip, but first I want
00:11to learn more about the fascinating history of this region.
00:19My first stop is the village of Chukur Gabala. It's the site of the ancient capital of Caucasian
00:26One of the oldest cities in Azerbaijan.
00:28These towers was built in the 10th century. It was the main entrance of this ancient town.
00:34The fortified city was built on top of a hill, protected by rivers in the east and west.
00:41This southern entrance's lookout towers were a crucial safeguard from potential attackers.
00:46The place we're standing is the most important and valuable site in our history. So this
00:52is where our ancestors lived, the Caucasian Albanians. These people are supposed to be
00:58our great-grandfathers, and they lived here 2,500 years ago.
01:04Archaeologists have been excavating the ruins here for nearly 100 years. The artifacts they've
01:09found show just how advanced Caucasian Albanian civilization really was.
01:15In different parts of this territory, we took archaeological excavations and found
01:21these tubes, pipelines, actually. It takes back nearly 8th century. These pipelines might
01:29have used for two different purposes, a canalization or an irrigation system.
01:37You can still see remnants of this ancient culture in present-day Gabala. For example,
01:42many of the region's culinary traditions date back to antiquity. To learn more, I'm
01:47visiting a local restaurant where they make Gabala's famous dashirasi kebab, which literally
01:52translates to kebab cooked between stones. This unique technique is said to be 2,000
01:58years old, and not just any stone will do.
02:06The lightning makes the stone especially heat-resistant.
02:09Wow, it's super heavy.
02:24Chef Elnur walked me through the ancient recipe. First, we cut some lamb tail fat, or guyruk,
02:31and placed it on the griddle to render. Then we prepared our local vegetables and seasoned
02:36our meat, which is a mix of lamb and beef.
02:39A lot? Is that enough?
02:41So he's saying the fat has rendered, and so now we're going to be able to cook the meat
02:45and the vegetables in the fat, which is going to make them really, really flavorful.
02:54Finally, the moment of truth.
02:56You were going to let me do it?
02:58Alright, do I put it here?
03:00Setting this very heavy stone on top of the meat and vegetables.
03:06To soak up all the flavor, we added some slices of bread to the grill.
03:09Wow, it smells incredible. It smells so good.
03:15Chef Elnur says people come from around the world to try his dashirasi kebab. It's a technique
03:21that only exists in Kabbalah.
03:23I think my work here is done. I've gotten enough in his way. Thank you so much, chef,
03:27for letting me cook with you.
03:28Sure.
03:29I'm going to go wait for my food.
03:31Soyuk Bulag is one of the few restaurants in the world that cooks dashirasi kebab.
03:40So tender.
03:41Before leaving the region, I had to take in its incredible views.
03:45The Caucasus Mountains are a natural border between Asia and Europe, formed by the violent
03:51collision of tectonic plates 200 million years ago.
03:54Look at that view!
03:57I want to cover a lot of ground to see as much of the mountain as possible.
04:01That's why I'm opting for some faster transportation.
04:04Seymour, why is quad biking a great way to see the mountain?
04:21We geared up and hit the trails in our off-road buggy.
04:24Heading up the mountain at Tufandag Mountain Resort.
04:27In the winter, these slopes are used for skiing.
04:30I let Seymour take the wheel for the more technical bits.
04:33What a cool way to see the mountain. It really feels like you're in the middle of nature.
04:37You can feel the air. You can see the views. It's an incredible experience.
04:42Kabbalah has been a breath of fresh air.
04:45With its spectacular views, rich culture, and even richer cuisine.
04:49This cradle of Caucasian history will stay with me long after I've returned back home.