Zoğal mürəbbəsiCornelian cherry preserve
In Azerbaijan tea is never served alone, and in Quba and Shamakhi the jar of zoğal mürəbbəsi comes out with the armudu glasses as soon as a guest sits down. The cornelian cherry bushes on those mountain slopes ripen in late August and September, and the small, oblong, glossy-red fruit is far too sour to eat raw. Cooked whole in sugar syrup in the traditional way — three short boils with long rests in between — it becomes a jewel-like preserve: firm, tart-sweet cherries with a stone in each, floating in clear crimson syrup. It is eaten from tiny glass dishes with a spoon between sips of tea, especially in the long winter evenings and at Novruz tables. Common mistake: one long boil, which splits the skins and leaves dull, wrinkled fruit; the rest periods let the syrup soak in slowly so the cherries stay plump. It is ready when the syrup has thickened to the texture of runny honey and the cherries look glassy. Chef's tip: frozen cornelian cherries from Eastern European shops work well; failing those, firm sour cherries are the closest substitute.
























