Azerbaijani men prepare lavash, a thin, soft flatbread very popular in Azerbaijan, Georgia, Armenia, as well as Turkey, Iran, Syria, in Central Asia, Tatarstan in Russia, and among Crimean Tatars in Ukraine. Like several Azerbaijani dishes, the culinary tradition is shared with neighbors but given a distinctive local twist. Most Russian sources declare the etymology of lavash as Turkic, whereas most Armenian and Iranian sources say it is of Persian origin. Other sources say it is of Armenian, Georgian, Arabic, or Hebrew origin, resulting in most common reference to lavash as Middle Eastern flatbread (albeit very different from tandir [tandoori] or from naan).
Photo courtesy Azerbaijan International, http://AZER.com