FOOD

LAVASH

One of the staple foods of Armenians is lavash bread, which is baked in a tonir (oven). To make lavash, the dough is kneaded from flour, warm water, khash (sourdough), and salt and placed in a warm place to ferment. After the dough is finished, it is divided into 300-400 gram balls and rolled out with a rolling pin into long, wide sheets 3-4 mm thick.

KHASH

Khash, a hot liquid soup. One of the oldest Armenian dishes, which spread throughout the Caucasus and the South Caucasus and probably had a ceremonial nature. It was originally a food for the poor. Khash was originally popular in the Syunik region. Beef legs (as well as pork, lamb or even chicken), tripe, garlic, salt, and herbs are used in the preparation of khash. After cleaning and washing the parts (traditionally in Armenia they are placed under running water for 10-12 hours), it is boiled for 6-8 hours. Garlic, salt, and herbs are served at the table to season the food.

KHASHLAMA

Khashlama, a traditional Armenian dish made from lamb. It is prepared with mutton (lamb), beef, and rarely pork and chicken. In a deep pot with thick walls, layers of chopped onions, chili peppers, tomatoes, carrots, and other vegetables are arranged according to preference, then the chopped meat is arranged, followed by another layer of vegetables. Spices, various greens, and bay leaves can be added. After pouring a small amount of water, salt and pepper are added to taste, after which the pot is closed with a lid and placed on a low heat. In order to give khashlama a special aroma, it is often cooked with beer or wine.

DOLMA

Dolma (dalma), a dish with a filling placed in vegetables or leaves (usually grapes). The filling is usually made from rice, but can also contain a lump of cooked meat. It is usually served with yogurt and crushed garlic.

GHAPAMA

Ghapama (khapama), Armenian dish. Most often prepared for New Year and Easter. It is made with pumpkin: the skin is peeled, the top is cut off like a lid, the seeds are removed, boiled rice, raisins, oil, honey and spices are poured inside. It is cooked in a clay pot, in a tonrum, and baked. Ghapama is also cooked with meat: the meat mixed with buckwheat, onion and basil in the stomach of a lamb or goat is cooked for about 5-6 hours in a pot covered with a lid and covered with dough (to prevent steam from escaping) in a tonrum.

HARISSA

Harissa, an Armenian national dish. Wheat groats and chicken, lamb, or beef are cooked in water, mixed with a wooden spoon until they form a paste. When eaten, melted butter (sometimes also spices) is poured over it.

BASTURMA

Basturma, Chormis, Apukht, specially processed and dried meat. Basturma is also called meat previously seasoned with vinegar, salt, onion and pepper for barbecue. Caraway seeds are selected, washed and pounded, mixed with crushed garlic, ground red pepper, and enough water is added to obtain a mass of thin sour cream. The beef brisket and soft pieces of meat from the loin are coated with the resulting mixture.

BARBECUE

Barbecue, a dish made mainly of meat. The meat for barbecue is cut into small pieces and seasoned. The meat used to make barbecue is sheep (lamb), goat (goat), pork, chicken, rabbit, bear, as well as other domestic and wild animals, birds, and fish. The meat is grilled by stringing it on metal or wooden skewers, then the skewers are placed over hot charcoal, often using a brazier, tonir, fireplace, etc. as a fire pit.

MSHOSH

The dish mshosh is one of the recipes of the rich cuisine of Van. The word is derived from the abbreviation of the word mshmosh (apricot). There are different types of mshosh, the main ingredient is lentils, to which pumpkin, green beans or beets are added. However, the classic mshosh is made with lentils, dried apricots and walnuts.

LENTEN DOLMA

Lenten dolma is a type of dolma made without meat, which is especially popular during Lent or New Year's.

BORAKI

Tatar boraki, boraki or alboraki, is an Armenian dish, which is mainly made with meat and dough. To make meat boraki, each dough is rolled out in the shape of a lavash, cut into squares or rounds, and a minced meat roll seasoned with onion, pepper, herbs, and salt is placed on top. The dough is folded so that the meat remains in the center, then cooked in beef broth. In the second case, the boraki dough is cut into small pieces, cooked in boiling salted water. It is eaten with garlic-flavored yogurt, adding melted butter on top.

BORANI

According to Persian legend, the Borani dish originated from the name of Burandukht, the daughter of the Sasanian king Khosrov. She loved yogurt very much and when she ascended the throne, dishes with yogurt were named Borani in her honor. In traditional Armenian cuisine, there are various Boranis: meat, vegetable, and cereal, the similarity of which is the presence of yogurt.

TAREHATS

The Armenian New Year's table must have Tarehats, also known as tar, sahnehats, krkene, dovlat, mid-year bread, talauzi, upurnika, ghalachi, etc. Tarehats are made round or oval. Seeds or dried fruits are sprinkled on the surface, which symbolize the abundance of the current agricultural year's harvest. A mid-year seed or coin is placed inside, which symbolizes wealth and good luck. On the night of the feast, the tarehats are cut and distributed to the members of the household and animals. The one from whose share the mid-year seed comes out is expected to bring success to the household.

KELEKYOS

Kelekyos is a springtime festive dish from the cuisine of the Van-Vaspur province. It is prepared in a large pot and served like khash at a crowded table. Everyone pours dry lavash into their plate, then plenty of boiled lentils, then hot chortan, and finally, onion stew with mountain greens (garlic, thyme, mint). The rich prepared onion stew with thalli (ghavurma) oil and meat.

GHAVURMA

Ghavurma or Thal, Volgorma, homemade canned meat. In ancient times, our ancestors prepared ghavurma in late autumn, which they used until spring. After washing the beef or mutton, they leave it in a perforated container until it is well drained (there is also the option of keeping it in brine). Then they cook it, drain it again, then, removing the large bones, fry the meat and brown it in the oil collected from the surface of the meat juice, pour it into a clay (pot, jar) or enameled dish, squeeze it well and pour hot melted oil (old - melted butter) on top.

BAZERANI

Bezerani, the word is probably of Iranian origin and means "merchant". In Musaler, it was the name of a shepherd's meal. There are different types of bezerani. In the dish there was surki (Musaleran cheese) or olives. The mountains are full of olive and walnut trees, so a few olives, an onion, tomato paste, walnuts and olive oil. Here is the delicious shepherd's meal.

ANUSHAPUR

Anushapur, a sweet soup prepared for Easter (Little and Great Easter). It has a festive character. Dried fruits are cooked with buckwheat, nuts are added. It is cooked in all Armenian homes and taken with them when visiting guests, as an offering. There is also another version of anushapur, called mariamapur (named after the Mother of God), which, unlike anushapur, is prepared with doshab instead of honey.

PANRAKHASH

Panrakhash, a simple and everyday rural dish. It is prepared in all Armenian regions, therefore it has many variations. There are panrakhash made with fried onions, or red hot peppers, or garlic, or eggs; with string cheese or grated cheese; with dry lavash or stale bread. It is simply cheese cooked in plenty of water, with lavash on top.

TTVEPAS

Ttvepas is a special dish for Maundy Thursday, from the cuisine of Persian-Armenians. Such sour dishes are common throughout Armenian cuisine, in memory of the episode of Jesus Christ being given vinegar to drink instead of water during his crucifixion. It is a soup with various herbs, vegetables, and dried fruits, without any oil. It is served with vinegar.

MEATBALLS

Meatballs, there is a hypothesis that meatballs were the most respected dish of the Cilician kingdom. The word comes from the round shape of the dish. There are different names in the dialects: klulik, korundchik, klur, kleior, etc. There are both meat and vegetable meatballs. Round, oval, oblong and small balls. Served fried, boiled, grilled, in soups or with yogurt and garlic.

SUJUKH

Sujukh, Khjugh, raw meatballs that have not been subjected to heat treatment. Beef and mutton (first-class) are used as raw materials for preparation, as well as various spices.

HONEY PIE

Honey pie, a sweet speciality of the people of Zeytun, made especially in the highlands, where virgin olive oil was abundant. They collected walnuts from the mountains, crushed them, and mixed them with honey. They baked lavash on the sach. The lavash was filled with the filling, then fried in oil. It reminds me of the taste of baklava.

ARSHTA

Arshta (rshta, erishta, ddmach), a dish. It is made from unleavened, firm dough. The dough is rolled out thinly like lavash and, after folding it several times, cut into strips with a knife, then dried in the sun and roasted in a tonri or oven. It is considered a preserved food for the winter. It is used in the preparation of various dishes: pilaf, soup, etc. In addition to Armenians, some peoples of the East also prepare arshta.

TATKHAN

Tatkhan, that is, a bowl for dipping bread in. A unique food made from seeds, grains, nuts, and various spices, which was especially popular in many regions of Western Armenia. After the harvest, the vegetables were dried, then roasted: pumpkin, sunflower, melon, and watermelon, then ground. When using, oil was poured over it and bread was dipped in it to taste.

OMELETTE

Omelettes, fried eggs are very popular dishes. They are delicious, nutritious and quick to prepare. The word comes from the words "egg" and "egh", meaning to pour oil on an egg. In dialects, there are also often "eghdzu" or "eghadzu", as well as the variants "tsapatak" = fried egg. In ancient times, "omelettes" topped with honey were served to distinguished guests, as well as to the godfather and groom.

AND MANY OTHER DELICIOUS FOOD ...