Lush landscapes and high-quality honey: Taking in the sights and flavours of Azerbaijan

euronews (in English)

In this episode of Explore, we go on a walking adventure in the beautiful countryside to uncover one of Azerbaijan’s finest local products: Caucasian mountain honey.

Transcript

00:00 [MUSIC PLAYING]

00:04 The greater Caucasus, with its mix of mountains and plains,

00:07 lies along the ancient Silk Road, where Europe meets Asia.

00:11 The remote mountain villages and immaculate countryside

00:14 make it the perfect destination for lovers

00:17 of the great outdoors.

00:20 I need something to start my day before I can uncover

00:24 the secrets of these mountains.

00:26 I usually have honey on my bread for breakfast,

00:29 so I decided to go straight to the source to get it.

00:33 [MUSIC PLAYING]

00:39 We are in the village of Lekit, northwestern Azerbaijan.

00:42 Here, for centuries, locals have been

00:44 producing the nectar of the gods,

00:46 Caucasian mountain honey.

00:49 [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]

00:50 [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]

01:18 The mild climate here is perfect for developing

01:21 a wild beekeeping tradition known as tekne.

01:24 By using a hollowed log carved from soft trees,

01:27 tekne hives replicate the natural habitat

01:30 of tree-dwelling bees.

01:32 The absence of human interference

01:34 is what distinguishes it from normal beekeeping.

01:37 However, in the 19th century, Azerbaijan's traditional tekne

01:41 hives were increasingly replaced by frame hives.

01:45 Only a few producers continue to use them for raising bees.

01:50 What's this?

01:51 [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]

02:06 Bees here are from a particular species,

02:08 the rare Caucasian mountain gray honey bee.

02:11 Its special attributes enable it to fly better

02:14 in cooler conditions and survive the winter.

02:17 I was allowed to observe them close up.

02:19 Not too close, though.

02:22 No, thank you.

02:23 Every Azerbaijani breakfast table

02:28 traditionally serves honey with homemade butter.

02:31 Let's see how we can eat it here.

02:34 Rengis, what are we preparing today?

02:37 [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]

02:50 The mahara butter is made with eggs, milk, flour, and salt.

02:54 The salt is what gives it a unique taste.

02:58 [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]

03:11 The preparation of a perfect mahara

03:13 requires a particular technique and significant manual

03:16 dexterity.

03:18 OK, it's like doing a cracker.

03:22 Maharas, which are traditionally

03:24 made on the eve of the Novruz holiday in spring,

03:27 represent a rebirth and rejuvenation

03:29 after a long winter.

03:31 [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]

03:53 That's so tasty.

03:54 It's amazing.

03:55 I've never tried honey so fresh before.

03:57 Now that I have all the energy I need,

04:07 I'm ready for a hike in this beautiful landscape.

04:10 Let's go.

04:13 Just outside the village of Lekit,

04:15 there are several hiking trails that

04:17 go deep into the forest of the Greater Caucasus.

04:20 And it isn't a very difficult hike

04:22 before you come across a fairy tale, the Mamerle

04:25 waterfall and its surrounding moss

04:27 suddenly appear from nowhere.

04:29 This green carpet is a result of hundreds of years of water

04:33 flowing amongst the rocks and the sunlight not

04:35 penetrating the thick forest.

04:36 I need to end my trip in the Caucasus Mountains

04:42 here with a breath of fresh air and surrounded

04:45 by this magnificent nature, a peaceful place

04:49 to regenerate my soul.

04:51 [MUSIC PLAYING]

04:54 [MUSIC ENDS]

04:57 (upbeat music)

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