Travel Photo Report

Tandyr is a an oven on ground or dug into ground, usually built of clay. In different countries it is called – tundur, tunur, tanur, turn, Tandr, tendir, tandoori, tandyr, etc. This type of ovens is widespread in Turkey, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgystan, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, India, Iran, and China.

Tandyr in a cafe in the old town of Baku, Azerbaijan

Mostly it is used for baking bread and cooking meat, but generally any type of food can be cooked in tandyr ovens. The secret of tandyr oven is process of heating up the oven. Wood is put on the ground and ignited. It is necessary to wait till it becomes glowing charcoal. By this moment the oven will reach temperatures of around 400*C. The food is basically cooked from the heat of the walls. High temperature ensures very fast cooking.

This fast way of cooking preserves more minerals and vitamins compared to normal cooking. Besides cooked food does not get too dry.In Uzbekistan I was told that a whole lamb is put inside a heated tandyr and completely seal the lid, and leave it for up to 24 hours. The meat gets extraordinarily soft and tasty.

Many regional varieties of flatbread, such as tandyr naan, afghan bread, lavash, are baked in the tandyr oven.Tandyr bread is only one of the variety of breads prepared in Azerbaijan, ranging from the paper-thin sheets of “lavash” to the dark, round, whole-wheat Russian-style loaves. The bread pictured here is called “tandir chorayi” (oven-bread). the bread is very often decorated with sunflower or poppy seeds.

A special metal hook is used to hold the bread to the walls or take it out of the oven.

In Azerbaijan bread is a “must” with every meal and is served sliced beside each individual plate. When the process is over and the bread is taken out, it is served to customer still hot and aromatic. Time to enjoy our freshly baked tandyr bread and delicious Azerbaijani cuisine (about which i will write in my next post) .

About the Author: Alex