Goychay
The city of Goychay that literally means “Blue River” is located in the central part of Azerbaijan and in the northern part of the Shirvan plains, 233 km from the country’s capital. This region is blessed with remarkable climate and with number of historical sites but Goychay is mostly famous for its pomegranate. We must say that pomegranates are historically cultivated in almost all the regions of Azerbaijan, but the region of Shirvan is considered the best place for the production of best quality pomegranate.
It was the Goychay pomegranates that won world recognition and created the image of real Azerbaijani pomegranates. The secret of the great taste and stable quality of these pomegranates is the unique microclimate and composition of the soils of the region – the context that cannot be found anywhere else in the world. The Goychay locals invented the methodology of cooking the well-known Azerbaijani ‘narsharab’ sauce that is used to eat with fish dishes.
Pomegranate Festivity
It is interesting to know that every autumn in late October- early November, Goychay hosts its traditional “pomegranate Festival” that is dedicated to the harvest of this fruit as” king of fruits”. The local authorities organize performances of tightrope walkers, athletes, dance groups and folk performers to celebrate the harvest of pomegranate. There is big variety of pomegranate available to taste in the shape of different dishes to taste for the visitors.