Goychay Pomegranate Festival celebrates its anniversary

The 10th Festival of the Pomegranate has come to an end in the Azerbaijani city of Goychay, which received guests both from Azerbaijan and from abroad this year for the tenth time. The Pomegranate Festival was organized by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Azerbaijan and the executive authority of the Goychay Region. It is not only notable for great and original dishes from different varieties of pomegranate, but also for the extraordinary spirit of this national holiday.

The Pomegranate Festival is one of the most anticipated and enjoyable events in Azerbaijan. Goychay is the pomegranate capital of Azerbaijan. Every autumn there is blooming and ‘preening’ in order to receive guests. People from all over the country and foreign guests attend the festival. Azerbaijanis love guests. They will certainly allow you to taste something different and unique in order to persuade you that you won’t find more delicious pomegranate juice or pomegranate roasted segments than in Azerbaijan, Trend reports. 

The pomegranate ('nar' in the Azerbaijani language) is a unique fruit, and Azerbaijan is the only country in the world where all varieties of pomegranates are grown. The bright juicy fruit became a symbol of Azerbaijan a long time ago. Poems, songs and hymns have been dedicated to it. The pomegranate is called the king of fruits in Azerbaijan.

Every year about 40 tonnes of the sweet fruit are gathered in the gardens of the country and then supplied to other countries. But the most delicious, fresh pomegranates and various dishes can be tasted here at the Pomegranate Festival in Goychay. The most famous sorts of pomegranate are Veles, Shirin, Gyuleysha and Shihbaba. The differences between these varieties are in the thickness of the peels and the size of the seeds.

Local housewives know how to cook narsharab. It is a traditional sauce for meat and fish dishes, which consists of pomegranates. It is one of the secrets of Azerbaijani cuisine.

Guests remember the craftsmen, master craftsmen, potters, millers, blacksmiths, artists and dancers, athletes and performances of folklore groups, as well children's drawings, paintings, music, songs and dances for a long period of time. 

A festive procession with the participation of music and dance groups opened the festival. The presenter of the event was actor Elnur Karimov and the Pomegranate Princess of the festival was actress Gunel Mammadova. In the evening, guests of the festival were presented with a colorful show. The popular duеt Nuri & Jane (Nuri Serinlendiridzhi and Eugene Shirokov)  arrived in Goychay from Moscow specially in order to present a ninety-minute program, accompanied by a dance orchestra. The presenters of the evening were also the presenters of Lider TV, Lamia Alekpergyzy and Mehman Mehdiyev. 

There were many competitions at the festival. For example, the fastest eating of pomegranates and the ability to squeeze pomegranate juice. By the way, pomegranates are used to predict destiny and love relations. Pomegranates are also used in folk medicine. They are recommended for a variety of ailments, including poor appetite.