Transcaucasia is rich in agricultural crops: grapes, lemons, mandarins, tea, pomegranates, figs, walnuts, dozens of varieties of apricots, peaches, plums, mulberries, almonds, corn, chumise, flask, beans, spicy herbs, vegetables and melons.Sheep, poultry, beef and dairy cattle, beekeeping, and cheese making are also well developed. In all regions of Transcaucasia, a hot summer, abundant sun, mild winter is characteristic. That is why we can assume that Georgians, Armenians and Azerbaijanis live in general in similar natural conditions, their agriculture has many similarities, and therefore it is quite natural that in nutrition many similar and even identical vegetable and animal raw materials are used. This explains the similarity of their national cuisines.Long-standing wars in Transcaucasia led to the disengagement of the kitchens into national ones, but it is not easy to determine the true nationality of a dish.Some dishes are common throughout the Caucasus. For example, a shish kebab. In Russia, shish kebab is considered a Caucasian dish, although no one in the Caucasus can explain its etymology. In Georgia, shish kebab is called "muvady", in Armenia - "khorovats", and in Azerbaijan - "kebak".The use of open fire and spit is typical for all the peoples of Transcaucasia.In the Transcaucasus, each people have a shish-kebab - a national dish, and the fact that it is prepared in different ways, gives grounds to refer this dish to all three cuisines.However, despite a number of dishes common to all the peoples of Transcaucasia, some common types of raw materials, spices, kitchen appliances, finally, despite the similarity of table practices that bring together the cooking of Georgians, Armenians and Azerbaijanis, one can not speak of the existence of a single Transcaucasian cuisine. On the contrary, it can be definitely stated that the peoples of Transcaucasia have their own national cuisine, they preserve each their own special culinary flavor.
