Azerbaijani Food - Khash Soup

I've now had the pleasure of eating cow foot.  Khash is a traditional soup made from boiled cow feet, eaten in Azerbaijan and neighboring countries.  It is rumored to have medicinal properties, and some claim it cures hangovers.  Although not part of the daily diet, Azerbaijanis will eat it for breakfast when they are feeling under the weather (if they believe in the medicinal properties), after a big night out (if trying to cure a hangover), or as an excuse for a feast (because who doesn't get a hankering for cow foot every now and then?). 

Erica biting into some cow foot

Khash is prepared by boiling the cow feet for many, many hours until the broth becomes thick and gelatinous.  It is served with salt, garlic, vinegar, and croutons which diners add to their own liking.  The soup itself consists of only the broth and chucks of cow foot, from which you suck off all the fat until you clean the bone.

My bowl of khash

Thankfully a khash meal also comes with side dishes, including bread, cheese, herbs, tomatoes, cucumbers, and pickles - food items common to any typical Azerbaijani meal.  A "true" khash feast also involves lots of vodka and toasts - a real man's meal, literally, because it's often only men who partake in Azerbaijani khash gatherings.

Yummy bread, salty cheese, and other side dishes

While I am glad to have had a khash experience, I must say it will be my first and last.  I had a tough time with the fatty, oily taste and the thick, slimy texture.  I made an effort, but only ate about one-third of my soup and was "chasing" the last few bites immediately with bread or whatever else I could eat quickly.  Jeremy fared better and may return for a men-only, vodka-soaked throw-down!