Pasta-peril in Baku
Most of the time, I am a happy person during travel. I will be able to find food. For the biggest part, It will be quiet okay to eat. The only thing I can’t seem to find anywhere is pizza, lasagne and pasta, foods I miss very much.
To the Bravo
I am so very happy with the food I can find in Azerbaijan. I’m spoiled for choice really! I just haven’t eaten decent pasta for ages. And I did my very best, looking for the stuff. I almost choked on some very gross pasta dish in Varanasi. And, to be fair, without cheese, pasta is a little bit dull. ‘Tis not a big sacrifice to bring during travelling, not eating pasta. But in Baku there are stores selling Schär, giving me perspective!
A small walk to a big Bravo store, behold: gluten free products! Tears stream down my face when I see the magnificent shelves, filled with expansive yellow boxes! Well, maybe not, but you get the point. But they do have pasta from three different brands. There’s cookies, crackers, flour and breadsticks. I have not seen this kind of gluten free product quantities for months, so it really is quite shocking. The paste from Mafka Qlutensiz is the cheapest (3,65 AZN = 2USD). There is spaghetti and even happy coloured macaroni.
Like home
The groceries bill is no joke, with soy milk and cheese without lactose. It almost feels like shopping at home.
Actually buying the stuff is complicated. The cashier casually mentions he can’t sell me the pasta, because they don’t sell it anymore and proceeds to throw my pasta in a basket behind the counter. Naha, don’t think so! He tries to resist me, but does not stand a chance and I leave the store happily with my pasta.
In Baku there are a couple of stores where they sell gluten free products. It’s smart to check out the website of Schär, and search in the country you want to visit. Or at the very least go to a big store. Regular supermarkets might also sell something, but the list of ingredients could very well be illegible. Prepare yourself a little bit and you will be able to find some gluten free products!