The cornerstone of Azerbaijani cuisine lies in meat, grains and spices such as basil, saffron, and thyme. Pilaf holds a special place, with about 200 varieties like govurma-plov, syabzi govurma-plov, toyug-plov, shirin-plov, balig-plov, shuyud-plov, shashandaz-plov, giymya-plov and the signature shah-plov. Popular soups include dovga, piti, dushbara, umach, and kofta bozbash, along with main dishes like lula kebab, govurma, chyhyrtma, and fish dishes like tandyr carp, sturgeon kebab. Flour dishes such as gutab, chorek, surkhulyu are also favored. The East is renowned for sweets, including the famous halva and baklava from Ganja. Azerbaijani tea, traditionally brewed strong with added mint or thyme and spices like cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, and served hot in special cups known as armudis, is a local favorite.