Bozbash ( ; ; ) is a traditional meat stew (also described as a soup) that is popular in

Armenia Armenia, officially the Republic of Armenia, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of West Asia. It is a part of the Caucasus region and is bordered by Turkey to the west, Georgia (country), Georgia to the north and Azerbaijan to ...

Azerbaijan Azerbaijan, officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, is a Boundaries between the continents, transcontinental and landlocked country at the boundary of West Asia and Eastern Europe. It is a part of the South Caucasus region and is bounded by ...

and

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...

. 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. 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. The küftə (meatball) version of the dish resembles a gray head when cooked. Bozbash is the Azerbaijani name of the Iranian dish '' abgoosht-e sabzi''. Ghanoonparvar notes that bozbash was introduced "relatively late" into

Iranian cuisine Iranian cuisine comprises the culinary traditions of Iran. Due to the historically common usage of the term "Name of Iran, Persia" to refer to Iran in the Western world,Yarshater, EhsaPersia or Iran, Persian or Farsi, ''Iranian Studies'', vol. ...

; Mirza Ali-Akbar Khan, the chef of Naser al-Din Shah Qajar (1848–1896), was reportedly the first to mention it. He classified it as part of a group of meat stews and soups, often eaten cold. According William Pokhlyobkin Bozbash is the most popular Armenian soup

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. Alan Davidson describes bozbash in the Azerbaijani cuisine as: Ghanoonparvar notes in relation to bozbash: In Armenian cuisine, there is a special kind of bozbash not commonly seen, ''Shoushin bozbash'', made from lamb, quince, apple, and mint. This variation of bozbash is "practically unknown outside the

Caucasus The Caucasus () or Caucasia (), is a region spanning Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It is situated between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, comprising parts of Southern Russia, Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan. The Caucasus Mountains, i ...

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* * * Lamb dishes Armenian soups Azerbaijani soups Iranian soups Azerbaijani stews Iranian stews {{Iran-cuisine-stub