Lavangi Balıq

Ləvəngi balıqaz

Also: Levengi, Stuffed fish lavangi, Lankaran lavangi

An Azerbaijani whole fish stuffed with a sweet-sour paste of ground walnuts, fried onions, and tart fruit leather (alycha), then baked or grilled — a signature dish of the Caspian Lankaran region.

Identity criteria

1A whole fish (traditionally Caspian kutum) stuffed, not filleted
2The lavangi filling — ground walnuts, fried onions, and sour fruit (alycha/plum leather) — is the defining element
3Sweet-sour walnut paste flavor profile, characteristic of the Lankaran-Talysh region
4Cooked whole by baking or grilling so the stuffing sets inside
5Belongs to the broader lavangi family (the same stuffing is also used for chicken)

Components

Protein

Whole fish (kutum or similar)essentialCaspian whitefish; stuffed whole

Aromatics

Fried onionsessentialCaramelized base of the stuffing

Acid

Alycha (sour plum) paste or fruit leatheressentialProvides the signature sour note

Binder

Ground walnutsessentialThe body of the lavangi filling

Seasoning

Salt, pepper, optional dried fruitsoptionalRaisins or barberries sometimes added

Technique

Whole-fish stuffing: Keeping the fish whole lets the walnut paste steam inside the cavity, flavoring the flesh from within
Baking or grilling: Dry heat sets the moist stuffing and crisps the skin without breaking the fish apart
Sour-fruit balancing: The alycha tartness offsets the rich oily fish and fatty walnuts — central to the flavor

Form & serving

Served: Whole on a platter, sliced crosswise to reveal the stuffing
Temperature: hot
Portion: Shared centerpiece for a meal
Pairs with: Rice (plov) · Fresh herbs · Pickles · Flatbread

Character

Flavour

sweet-sournuttysavoryrich

Texture

Flaky fish with a dense moist walnut stuffing

Eaten

A regional and festive centerpiece, especially associated with Lankaran and served at celebrations like Novruz.

When

spring · year-round

Variations & related

Regional variations

Lavangi toyuq (chicken lavangi) · Lankaran, Azerbaijan
Same walnut-onion-sour-fruit stuffing in a whole chicken
Novruz lavangi · Azerbaijan
Frequently served as a festive dish for the Novruz new-year holiday

Related dishes

sibling Lavangi toyuq (chicken lavangi)
The same stuffing applied to chicken
pairs-with Plov
Often served alongside Azerbaijani rice pilaf

Substitutions

Kutum → Other firm whole fish (carp, trout, sea bass)admissible
A whole oily/firm fish works as a stand-in
Alycha paste → Pomegranate molasses or sour plumadmissible
Another tart agent keeps the sweet-sour balance
Walnuts → Other nuts or omitting nutsinadmissible
Walnuts are the defining body of lavangi — without them it is no longer lavangi

Common mistakes

Filleting the fish instead of stuffing it whole
Omitting the sour fruit, leaving the stuffing flat and overly rich
Using a fish too small or too flaky to hold the stuffing
Overbaking until the fish dries out

Provenance

A signature dish of Azerbaijan's southern Lankaran-Talysh Caspian region, built on the regional lavangi walnut-and-sour-fruit stuffing.

References

1.Azerbaijani Lankaran-Talysh foodways
2.Caspian fish cookery

Confidence: medium