Kaukasis: A Culinary Journey through Georgia, Azerbaijan & Beyond

I loved this book. It made me want to move to the area just to eat the food. I loved the personal info on each recipe. I especially appreciated the substitutions and how to make and/or use similar ingredients in other countries. I can't wait to start cooking out of it.

Olia's writing style is enjoyable. The recipes are interesting. I haven't made any, but I like to read cookbooks. This gives a personal view on the culture that really looks east rather than west in it's development. I'm surprised at the use of cilantro. I always related that to Mexican cuisine. It is used quite extensively in some recipes here. LOTS of herbs used in large quantities.

This is one of the best cookbooks for what is still I think an overlooked cuisine. I liked it well enough to go out and buy the Polish trranslation in paper form for my wife as a Christmas present, and we will enjoy not only trying some of the recipes at home, but also showing it to the owner of the local Georgian restaurant who is Georgian, and seeing if we can get him to make us off-menu some of the more challenging pieces in the book.The book takes you on a journey, and I don't think you can pay a cookbook a bigger compliment than that. It is nicely illustrated and contains plenty of background info about the rehgion and traditions related to the cuisine.

We should applaud Olia Hercules for the effort to highlight Caucasian recipes and cookery. She publishes a compelling group of recipes and travel stories. And the book’s photographer, Elena Heatherwick, captures a rugged and rustic beauty of the mountains and a humble lifestyle. It’s a gorgeous and heartfelt collection that I’m happy to have in my kitchen.But despite its striking beauty and romanticism, Kaukasis is flawed. Hercules chose her title from a Greek word resembling a Scythian word that many consider to be the origin of the region’s name. The Greek kaukasis means “snowy mountain top,” which is an apt description for Mount Elbrus and its surroundings. And the tagline, “a culinary journey through Georgia, Azerbaijan & beyond,” gives an impression that the snowy mountain top also includes Mount Aragats or Mount Ararat. But that is not the case.Kaukasis limits its scope to Georgia and Azerbaijan. In other words, it only represents two out of three of the Caucasian states (and none of the many stateless nations who inhabit the regional mountains and highlands). This absence is even more peculiar as Hercules' supports her credibility as an authority on the subject through her Armenian ancestry. In the introduction she writes of her Armenian family, “who are originally from Nagorno-Karabakh and have inspired me to write this book.” Despite this inspiration, any reference to Armenia is limited to a proper adjective in passing commentary, such as “anything stuffed with a bit of meat and rice can actually be called dolma, or tolma in Armenian.”While Hercules’ omission of Armenian cuisine is disappointing, perhaps it’s the result of her not traveling to Armenia. And this explanation makes sense if we consider the map at the beginning of the book. She shows Georgia and Azerbaijan in vivid color, lush with plants, qvevri, and foods. Turkey, Armenia, Iran, and Russia, however, have faded color and non-descript adoration. Accepting that plausible defense, though, it’s still puzzling to see Hercules’ writing for “Armenian ‘cognac’ profiteroles”— keeping in mind that “Armenian” here is a proper adjective for cognac, and not referring to the origin of the recipe— as it reads as ignorant of an entire culture and industry.Hercules writes, “There was something about Soviet-era Armenian ‘cognac.’ It was actually just a brandy and I’m not sure how good it really was, probably not very.” And later on in the recipe introduction, she also writes, “If you can’t find Armenian brandy, use a little dash of Armagnac. Or try a splash of Tia Maria - almost as classy as the Armenian stuff!”Hercules’ commentary is simply inaccurate. In the spring of 2018 Forbes published an article on the Armenian brandy industry. Joseph Micallef writes that while claims of brandy distilling in the 12th century cannot be conclusively verified, Armenia and the Caucasus region have long been known for cultivating grapes. Further, Armenia began a thriving brandy industry in the late 19th Century. Nikolay Shustov, an Armenian brandy producer behind Shustov & Sons, had an exclusive contract to supply the Tsar and his court. And Shustov & Son’s brandy won as best brandy in the 1900 Universal Expo of Paris in a blind judging “beating out stiff competition from Cognac’s leading producer and earning the reward to legally call their product Cognac.”Production continued during the Soviet era. Shustov & Sons became Yerevan Brandy Company, which was sold by the state shortly after the collapse of the Soviet Union to Pernod-Ricard. Pernod-Ricard’s appetite for a purchase would have been unlikely if Hercules’ assessment of “probably not very” good was accurate. Similarly, if the brandy was so lackluster, there wouldn’t be any economic justification of why Armenia would still produce “around 20 million liters” annually. And if it was both lackluster and lacked class, as Hercules’ claims, then it's further incongruous that a global demand would result in 90 percent of that yield being exported.It’s disappointing that a renowned chef such as Hercules— and one from Armenian ancestry, who took inspiration from it— would neglect to include any Armenian recipes (not even the simple Caucasian staple of lahmajun). And it’s a further disappointment for her to memorialize in writing an ignorance and disparagement towards a culture and industry that has been a staple of her ancestral lands for over 6,000 years.

love the cultural background provided with the recipes, and the care taken to describe preparation necesary in order to avoid problems in handling dough made with spelt.

I enjoy authentic cuisines from around the world, and this book appears to be a great compilation of delicious dishes from the Caucasus region (Georgia, Azerbaidjan and beyond). The book itself is good quality material, as well as beautiful photography with a sensibility for the local way of life, along with insightful and empathic travel journaling. I enjoy reading it, and so far I made the wonderful and simple khachapouri recipe. Which turned out great with the ingredients I had on hand.

I have bought her other book ( Mamushka) and absolutely love her recipes! I am unfamiliar with the regions that this cookbook covers. All I know is some Georgian dishes (Kachapouri/tarragon soda/Khinkali) and the addition of dried fruits etc. I am really excited about trying some of these dishes. I recommend this book if you want to try something different. I also recommend watching 'Parts Unknown' with Anthony Bourdain on Georgia. It will get you inspired!

Making fascinating meals.

I am enjoying this book, the recipes, photos and stories remind me of my grandparents and particularly my grandmother who was an amazing cook. I could easily see her in some of the photos. Thank you Olia.

Um livro maravilhoso. Ótimas estórias, lindas fotos e receitas que parecem ser muito especiais. Gostei muito.

Was really looking forward to this book but somehow, the pictures were so boring the book didn’t interest me at all

Has plenty of recipes from the Caucuses from which I have just returned. The classics are there, but there are some that I wish had been included. Some of the ingredients are not possible to find in stores, but substitutes are possible. The book is quite personal and sometimes doesn't feel like a recipe book, stories etc.But overall good if you want to try food from this region.

私にとって良い外国の料理の本とは、美味しい料理のレシピだけではなく、その背景にある文化や人々の日々の暮らしを垣間見ることが出来る本だ。KAUKASISはまさにそんな魅力に溢れた本だ。その地に暮らす人たちが作っている、そのままのレシピとその台所と食卓の写真。観光名所ではなく、人々が暮らす町や村の日常の風景。入手できない食材もあるが、作ってみた料理はどれもとても美味しかった。A good foreign cookbook for me is not just delicious recipes, but a glimpse into the culture and the daily life of the people behind it. KAUKASIS is a book full of such charm. The recipes by people living there and pictures of the dishes,the kitchens and dining tables which people there use . Not a tourist attraction, but a daily scene of towns or villages where people live. Some ingredients are not available, but all the dishes I cooked were very delicious.