Bozbash

Bozbash (Armenian: բոզբաշ [bozˈbɑʃ] ^ⓘ; Azerbaijani: bozbaş [bozˈbɑʃ] ^ⓘ; Persian: آبگوشت بزباش) is a traditional meat stew (also described as a soup) that is popular in Armenia, Azerbaijan and Iran.^[1][2]

Küftə (meatball) Bozbash

Tikə (chunky) Bozbash

In Azerbaijan, there are varieties of bozbash, such as küftə (medium- to large-sized meatball) and tikə (medium to large-size meat cubes) bozbash.

History and etymology

Bozbash is a word of Azerbaijani origin.^[1] It may be derived from Azerbaijani boz ("light gray") and bash ("head"), which in turn may point to the light color of the dish when its cooked.^[1] The küftə (meatball) version of the dish resembles a gray head when cooked.^[3]

Bozbash is the Azerbaijani name of the Iranian dish abgoosht-e sabzi.^[1] Ghanoonparvar notes that bozbash was introduced "relatively late" into Iranian cuisine; Mirza Ali-Akbar Khan, the chef of Naser al-Din Shah Qajar (r. 1848–1896), was reportedly the first to mention it.^[1] He classified it as part of a group of meat stews and soups, often eaten cold.^[1]

According William Pokhlyobkin Bozbash is the most popular Armenian soup^[4]

Ingredients and preparation

In Azerbaijan, there are varieties of bozbash, such as küftə and tikə (or parcha) bozbash, which is made from lamb or beef meat.^[5][6]

Alan Davidson describes bozbash in the Azerbaijani cuisine as:^[7]

Meatballs can be incorporated in the famous soup/stew called bozbash (see also Armenia), which exemplifies the tendency in the whole region [Caucasus] to create dishes which are on the frontier between soups and stews.

Ghanoonparvar notes in relation to bozbash:^[1]

It is made with meat (usually lamb), red or white beans, green vegetables, herbs (e.g., parsley, fenugreek, mint), onions and leeks, dried limes (līmū-ye ʿomānī), and spices (mainly salt, pepper, and turmeric). These ingredients are simmered together in water over low heat for several hours. As with most ābgūšts, when the ingredients are thoroughly cooked, the solids are usually removed and mashed to a pulp, known as gūšt-e kūbīde. The broth and the pulp are then served separately with flat bread and a pickled green-vegetable relish.

In Armenian cuisine, there is a special kind of bozbash not commonly seen, Shoushin bozbash, made from lamb, quince, apple, and mint.^[8] This variation of bozbash is "practically unknown outside the Caucasus".^[8]