Govurga
Govurga is one of the small symbolic foods on the Novruz table in Baku and the Absheron villages: wheat grains roasted in a dry pan until they crack, mixed with roasted hemp seeds, chickpeas, hazelnuts and raisins, and eaten by the handful through the festival. Children fill their pockets with it. A common mistake is roasting everything together; each part browns at a different speed. Chef's tip: shake the pan constantly and stop each batch as soon as it smells toasty and starts to pop. Hulled hemp seeds sold for cooking are fine to use.



