Glossary D
Dushbarra or Dushbara is one of the typical dishes from Azerbaijan. It is a broth with small raviolis filled with lamb and herbs.
Dushbara is a soup made with tiny dumplings stuffed with lamb. They look like tiny or small Raviolis which is flavored with fried onion, cilantro, mint and dried sour cherry-plums. Dushbara may be served with Gutabs as a first course. Vinegar mixed with finely chopped garlic may be added also when the soup is already served at the table if desired. Garlic and vinegar are believed to be two (2) two basic ingredients that assist in the recovery from colds in Azerbaijan.
Dushbarra dumplings are made manually in Azerbaijan, they are carefully shaped by hand by placing a pinch of minced lamb into a small square of dough, folding the dough in half to make a triangle and then pinching the two ends of the dough together. Although it is a tedious job to make the small dumplings, those who make them are careful not to make the dumplings thick which change the consistency of the Dushbarra soup and sometimes, the middle of the dumplings are not cooked at all.
Dushbarra is very similar to the making of the dumplings used in Pancit Molo of Iloilo, Philippines, although Pancit Molo filling is made of ground pork. Our old reliable cook, was also very careful not to make the Molo dumpling too big and too think. She just put the right amount of filling and see to it that the dumplings are shaped properly. Reading about Dushbarra made to look into the past when I was still living with my Ilonggo family. Somehow, I miss their food and the way they make them.
Dzhonzholi refers to Georgia's pickles made from the unblown inflorescence of Dzhonzholi tree pickled in barrel seasoned with special spices. Dzhonzholi is considered as the king of pickles in Georgia and a very tasty appetizer.
Dzhondzholi or Colchis Bladdernut (Staphylea Colchica) is an edible ornamental plant with long stems of tightly furled, bead-like tendrils redolent of garlic.
Georgia is found in southwestern Asia, bordering the Black Sea, between Turkey and Russia.
Diltar refers to the yoghurt drink from Hunza Valley. Hunza people pople call it buttermilk, lassi or simply a yogurt drink. Diltar is traditionally prepared in a goat- or sheep skin which is shaken or rolled on the ground until butter forms. An alternate method uses a tall, narrow wooden cylinder and a long, thick pole in a process much like churning butter. However, nowadays, the simplest way to make Diltar is to mix yogurt with an equal amount of water and blend at high speed for a few minutes with added salt, sugar or fruits, like bananas or mangos depending on the preference of the consumer.