Armenian cuisine is a reflection of the entire history and geography of the Armenian people. The cuisine reflects the crops grown in the areas inhabited by Armenians, as well as the local flora and fauna. In short, Armenian cuisine is based on the preparation of meat, fish and vegetable dishes, and the most popular products are eggplant, yogurt, lavash and mayonnaise. In addition, unlike their Caucasian neighbors, Armenians actively use corn and rice.

What makes traditional Armenian cuisine stand out? Firstly, Armenians pay very close attention to the quality and freshness of ingredients, and not to spices, which distinguishes Armenian dishes from dishes of Georgian or Azerbaijani cuisine. Secondly, Armenians, like no other, actively use fruits and nuts - dried apricots, fresh quinces and apples, pomegranate seeds, walnuts, almonds, pistachios, pine nuts. Thirdly, many recipes in Armenian cuisine require the use of salted or pickled vegetables. Fourthly, Armenians rarely use dried spices, preferring fresh herbs.

As in any southern cuisine, sauces and spices play an important role in Armenian cuisine. Armenian cuisine uses four main sauces - tomato, pepper, yogurt or tahini sauce, which is made from crushed sesame seeds. It is also noteworthy that sauces here are rarely served cold; they are much more often used in cooking - they are added to stews and soups. Armenians use spices sparingly, preferring fresh herbs - dill, parsley, tarragon, paprika, coriander, bay leaf.

A traditional Armenian meal usually begins with serving a snack - cheese or meatballs. Sometimes vegetable salads, small pies filled with cheese or spinach, or soups are served at the beginning of the meal. Among soups, due to the hot climate, cold or spicy hot ones predominate. Lavash is always served with soup (as, in fact, with most Armenian dishes).

Then the main course is served on the table. Perhaps the most popular in Armenia is grilled meat - these are all kinds of variations of kebabs, steaks and chops. As for the type of meat, lamb or beef is most often used, although poultry is also popular. Khorovats is also popular - pieces of fried meat wrapped in pita bread, like shawarma or kebab. They also prepare fish dishes - trout and carp. Other specialties that Armenian cuisine is famous for include khapams (stewed pumpkin), satsivi (pieces of fried chicken in a special sauce), khuch (vegetable casserole with pieces of meat) and tjvik (fried liver and kidneys with onions).

When choosing desserts, Armenians, again, prefer natural products - fresh or dried fruits, honey and nuts. On holidays, Armenian families bake sweet holiday pies filled with the same nuts or fruits. The food culture itself plays an important role in Armenian cuisine. In Armenia they believe that if you eat and drink in a good mood, it will benefit the body, and therefore large feasts are the most important part of the Armenian culinary culture.

Armenian cuisine is considered one of the most ancient in Asia. The rich cultural heritage of this Caucasian people is reflected in the national cooking traditions. Meat dishes, delicious pastries, soups and salads have become quite popular in the modern world. From our article you will learn why Armenian cuisine has won the hearts of thousands of people. The recipes with photos that we provide below will help you prepare your own dinner in an oriental style and delight your loved ones with new tastes.

Salad "Yerevan"

As you know, fresh vegetables and fruits are always present on the tables of the Caucasian peoples. However, the variety of independent vegetable dishes is not what Armenian cuisine can boast of. Salads are prepared from the simplest ingredients with a minimum of herbs and spices. For the Yerevan vegetable snack we will need:

  • One fresh cucumber.
  • Three tomatoes.
  • One large sweet pepper.
  • One medium onion.
  • A teaspoon of vinegar.
  • Ground black pepper.
  • Salt.
  • Fresh greens.

Wash and dry the vegetables. Remove the top and seeds from the pepper. Cut the vegetables into rings, place them on a flat dish in layers, salt, sprinkle with vinegar and sprinkle with chopped herbs.

Thin lavash

Armenian cuisine, photos of dishes of which are included in the review, is famous for a special type of bread, which can be eaten as an independent dish or used as a basis for various snacks and rolls. There are many recipes for making pita bread at home, but we chose the simplest one:

  • Sift three cups of wheat flour into one large bowl.
  • Mix half a teaspoon of salt with one glass of hot water.
  • Combine the ingredients and knead into an elastic dough. To help it roll out better, cover it with a wet towel and leave it alone for a while.
  • Dust the table with flour, take a small piece of dough and roll it into a thin layer.
  • Heat a non-stick frying pan, place the resulting flatbread on it and fry on both sides.
  • The finished pita bread should be sprinkled with water, and the flatbreads should be stacked on top of each other, like pancakes.

Hot bread can be served immediately or you can prepare an original snack from it. For example, chips with cheese or envelopes with meat filling.

Armenian cuisine. Soup Recipes

To prepare first courses, oriental cooks use many technological techniques. The main goal of these complex operations is to create a noble product, the taste of which is significantly enriched by long-term processing. Let us give some striking examples for which Armenian cuisine is famous. You can find recipes with photos of first courses below.

Bozbash

This famous soup is made from fatty lamb breast, vegetables and fruits. There are several varieties of this dish, intended, for example, for different times of the year. It is also known that in each region of Armenia this soup is prepared in its own way. However, there is one general scheme that we will use:

  • Pour 500 grams of lamb, cut into pieces, with two liters of cold water and cook covered over low heat until half cooked.
  • Remove the meat from the pan and fry it in butter in a thick-bottomed cauldron along with the vegetables.
  • Scald the lamb with boiling water, pour in the strained broth and bring to readiness along with vegetables, fruits and spices.
  • At the end of cooking, acidify the soup with a spoon of wine vinegar or lemon juice, salt and sprinkle with herbs.

There are several options for a set of vegetables for bozbash, which Armenian cuisine recommends using. The recipes are slightly different, but always include chickpeas, potatoes, tomatoes and onions. Quince, dried apricots, apples and prunes are often used. But the set of spices in all types of bozbash remains unchanged. These are parsley, cilantro, basil (one tablespoon of each type), red and black pepper (five or six crushed peas).

Kolik

Like all dishes of Armenian cuisine, this meatball soup has several varieties. To begin with, we recommend that you try to prepare an ordinary kololik, since in terms of complexity it is at the lowest level. For this:


Armenian cuisine: meat dishes

Second courses of national cuisine can be divided into two large groups: those prepared from minced meat and those made from whole pieces. Various casseroles, meat balls, tolma and much more are prepared from mixed minced meat. The most famous dish made from chunks of meat in our country is, of course, Karski-style shashlik. Kchuch, tyal and pastners are not so popular, but it is thanks to them that the national Armenian cuisine has become famous all over the world. Recipes with photos of some meat dishes are presented below.

Karski style shashlik

Armenian cuisine has made its own changes in the preparation of the most popular dish of all Transcaucasian peoples.


Lamb kchuch

Armenian cuisine has become famous all over the world thanks to such simple but healthy dishes as kchuch. Meat baked in a clay pot with vegetables turns out very tasty and aromatic. To prepare it you will need:

  • 500 grams of lamb.
  • Four potatoes.
  • Five or six tomatoes.
  • Two large bell peppers.
  • One glass of chopped herbs (basil, dill, savory).
  • Salt, a little red and black pepper.

Cut the vegetables into small equal cubes, mix with salt and spices and place in a clay dish. Place pieces of meat on top of them and pour boiling water over everything. Place the dish in the preheated oven and cook the dish for about two hours.

We are glad that you are interested in such an interesting topic as Armenian cuisine. The photos of the dishes that we have posted in this article will help you properly serve and decorate your cooking. Do not forget that many soups, meat and fish dishes are prepared using a special technology, which involves many rather complex operations. To comply with all the rules and regulations, you will have to work hard. But the result will exceed all expectations, and you will be able to receive well-deserved compliments from guests or family members.

Armenian cuisine is the oldest of all Asian cuisines. Her recipes are passed down unchanged from generation to generation. Armenian pastries occupy a special place of honor in it. The best recipes are presented below.

Armenian lavash

It is impossible to imagine Armenian cuisine without real lavash. There are a huge number of them on store shelves. But it will be much tastier if you make lavash yourself.

To do this you will need:

  • flour – 500 g;
  • water – 250 ml;
  • salt to taste;
  • butter or margarine – 30 g.

Cooking method:

  1. Melt the butter.
  2. Mix all ingredients thoroughly. Important: the water must be hot. Then the dough will be more tender.
  3. If you have time, let the dough rest for 30 minutes. But you can start baking right away.
  4. The secret of perfect lavash is its thickness: roll out the dough as thin as possible.
  5. Each layer is fried over low heat in a frying pan.

Homemade pita bread can be used as a base for making rolls with many different fillings. For example: mix eggs, herbs, cheese, garlic and mayonnaise, wrap in homemade pita bread - an excellent snack is ready.

Matnakash

“Bread is the head of everything!” In Armenia this saying is as relevant as in the rest of the world. Homemade Matnakash bread is always on the table.

To prepare it you will need:

  • a glass of flour;
  • dry yeast – packaging;
  • vegetable oil – 20 ml;
  • an incomplete glass of water;
  • salt and sugar as desired.

Cooking algorithm:

  1. Mix the ingredients into a dough and let it sit for 60 minutes.
  2. Gently roll out the risen dough into an oval or circle shape. Let it brew again for 40 minutes.
  3. We make furrows in the dough, and then bake at 200 degrees for half an hour.

Fragrant homemade bread is ready to eat.

Gata (Kyata) Armenian

No Caucasian cuisine is complete without delicious sweets that will please both children and adults. In Armenia, this is the Gata pie.

To prepare it, the following ingredients are required:

Dough:

  • butter – 100 g;
  • flour – 500 g;
  • yeast – 6 g;
  • water – 250 ml.

Filling:

  • flour – 600 g;
  • powdered sugar – 300 g;
  • butter – 300 g;
  • vanillin – 1 packet.

Cooking process:

  1. First, prepare the dough: mix all the ingredients and leave in a warm place.
  2. Make the filling: grind the butter and flour until smooth, add powder and vanillin. The filling should be crumbly, without lumps.
  3. Divide the ripe dough into several equal parts. Roll out into layers no more than 2 mm thick. Then grease each one with oil. Place them on top of each other and roll them out again. We do this procedure 5 times.
  4. Divide the resulting dough into 3 equal parts. From each we make a flat cake. Place the filling evenly in the center. We connect the edges of the cake. It is necessary to give the cake a round shape.
  5. Grease with yolk. We pierce in several places.
  6. Gata should be baked for 30 minutes at 190 degrees.

Add walnuts to the filling for flavor. This will give the pie a special piquancy.

Gata can also be made in the form of cookies. To do this, the resulting dough is rolled into rectangular layers, the filling is added in a thin layer and rolled into a roll. The roll is cut into equal small pieces. You can also bake it, reducing the cooking time to 20 minutes.

Baklava

The most popular sweet in Armenian cuisine is, of course, baklava. She is loved all over the world. Preparing the dessert is quite simple at home.

Required Products:

  • flour – 600 g;
  • sugar – 200 g;
  • butter – 1 pack;
  • sour cream - 1 jar;
  • honey – 350 g;
  • soda on the tip of a knife;
  • egg – 2 pcs.;
  • ground cinnamon – 1 tsp;
  • cardamom to taste;
  • vanillin – 1 packet;
  • walnuts – 2 cups.

How to cook:

  1. Mix sour cream, butter (pre-softened), egg and soda. Stirring constantly, add flour in small portions. The result will be a soft, fluffy dough. It should sit for about 30 minutes.
  2. Let's make the filling. Most walnuts are ground together with spices and sugar. A small part of the unchopped nuts remains to decorate the sweets.
  3. Divide the dough into 4 equal parts. From each we make a thin crust. Take a baking dish with high edges. Lubricate generously with oil. Lay out layers of dough. Place the filling between them in even layers. Lubricate the top layer with yolk to get a beautiful color when baking.
  4. Cut into diamonds or squares. We decorate each of them with walnuts.
  5. Place the dessert in the oven for 15 minutes at 200 degrees.
  6. After 15 minutes, take out the mold, repeat the cuts and pour in 100 g of melted butter. Place in the oven for another 40 minutes.
  7. During this time we prepare the second filling. To do this, melt the honey, mix with a glass of water and half a glass of sugar.
  8. After 40 minutes, remove the pan from the oven, cover with the second filling and let the delicacy cool and soak well.

Delicious aromatic baklava is ready. Enjoy yourself and make your loved ones happy!

Cake "Mikado"

Is it someone close to you who has a birthday, and the birthday person is a connoisseur of Armenian cuisine? Then this recipe will definitely come in handy for you!

Ingredients:

  • flour – 0.5 kg;
  • condensed milk – 1 can;
  • butter – 2 packs;
  • baking powder – 1 pack;
  • sour cream - 1 jar;
  • egg - 1 piece;
  • chocolate (preferably dark) – 1 bar;
  • cocoa powder – 4 tbsp. l.;
  • a glass of sugar.

Cooking process:

  1. First, mix a stick of butter with half a glass of sugar and an egg until smooth.
  2. Add baking powder and sour cream to the resulting mass.
  3. Stirring constantly, add flour in small portions. Place the resulting dough in the refrigerator for half an hour.
  4. Preparing the cream. To do this, add sugar and 1 spoon of cocoa to half a stick of butter. Place on low heat. Place the remaining butter, cocoa and condensed milk in another bowl. Mix the contents of the two plates thoroughly. Place the resulting mixture in the refrigerator.
  5. Divide the dough into 10 parts. Roll out a thin crust from each one. Bake in the oven at 190 degrees for 2-3 minutes.
  6. Grease the cakes with cream. The cakes should be warm.
  7. Decorate with grated dark chocolate.
  8. The cake should be allowed to brew at room temperature for 2 hours, and then it should be refrigerated for several hours. Then we trim the edges and cut the cake into diamond shapes, which are laid out on a plate in the shape of a star.

For those who like it sweeter, you can use boiled condensed milk for baking.

Armenian baklava at home (video)

Baked goods from Armenian cuisine are distinguished by their taste, aroma and tenderness. If a holiday is coming up, then by choosing these dishes as a treat, you will never go wrong and will definitely delight your guests with your amazing table.

Immersing yourself in a new culture without trying the local dishes is like visiting the Louvre and not seeing the Mona Lisa. Local cuisine in any country is an inseparable part of the culture and history of the nation and this land. It can tell a lot about the specific characteristics of the people living in this country, about their traditions and customs. The nearly 2,000-year-old Armenian cuisine is no exception, as it includes dishes for every color and taste - from a variety of meats to strictly vegetarian dishes.

If you are in Armenia on a short visit, you definitely won’t have time to get acquainted with all the culinary traditions of Armenian cuisine. Especially for you, we have prepared a list of dishes that you must try during your stay in the country.

Tolma

Armenians are big fans of meat, and often like to carry out various “manipulations” with it in the kitchen. They have long been known as masters of making minced meat dishes and all kinds of stuffed dishes in general. Perhaps this is why “tolma” (often pronounced “dolma”) is the queen of Armenian cuisine. Tolma has two versions - meat, rice, seasoned with spices, wrapped in grape leaves (served with matsoni - fermented milk yogurt in which garlic is mixed), and the second version is “summer tolma”, made according to a similar recipe, but wrapped in cabbage leaves and placed in tomatoes, eggplants, apples. Sounds tempting, doesn't it? If you've already been tempted by the delicious tolma, we have good news for you: Tolma is held in Armenia every May, so don't hesitate to visit it during your visit at this time of year.

Khorovats

Trying juicy pork barbecue, or khorovats, with an alluring aroma, will be tempting even for those who do not have time, because it is the “king” of Armenian cuisine. Classic khorovats is made from meat fried on skewers. In the best traditions of Armenian cuisine, khorovats is often prepared with a bone in the meat. Armenian kebab is mainly served with crispy potatoes, sliced ​​onions and Armenian traditional bread - lavash. Tempting? Still would! But it will be even more attractive when you find yourself on Proshyan Street, often called “Barbecue Street” of Yerevan, as it is generously lined with specialty restaurants specializing specifically in Khorovats!

Saved

An Armenian proverb says: “Lentil soups are for fasting days, yogurt soups are for holidays.” To lighten up your meat-filled lunches, try something a little lighter, namely sals. This is a classic Armenian soup made from matsoni, greens and herbs. Sometimes it is served with mint or cilantro. It will be a real pleasure to try hot spas on cold winter evenings, and cold ones in the summer heat. Spas is served both cold and hot: whether you try it on an October morning or a hot July day, spas are a great choice for a light lunch, lunch or dinner.

Arisa

If you are planning your visit to Armenia during the colder months (March or November), then you should definitely treat yourself to harisa. This is a puree soup made from roasted wheat and chicken or lamb. While your table is being served in the restaurant, you will definitely be told a heroic story associated with arisa. During the 53-day defense of Musa Dagh in 1915, it was this hearty dish that kept the Armenians alive. Today, hundreds of descendants of survivors of these events gather in the village of Musaler in mid-September and perform the ritual of preparing arisa to honor the memory of their heroic ancestors.

Gata

Gastronomic paradise, of course, cannot be complete without a delicious dessert that melts in your mouth. Are you ready to try delicious Armenian pastries? Then choose gata. This is a traditional Armenian dessert consisting of khoriz - a filling made from flour, butter and sugar. Gata, of course, is not uniform, and may include other fillings, such as walnuts. There are different varieties of this pastry: rounded and decorated (usually made in Garni and Geghard), and triangular without choriza, denser and sweeter (these are more popular in the areas around Lake Sevan). If you are interested in how this dessert of Armenian cuisine is prepared, you can visit the Ghats in October.

All the secrets of Armenian cuisine - dishes and drinks, step-by-step recipes for home use, a selection of gastronomic tours in Yerevan and the surrounding area, for those who are already packing their bags. A list of traditional dishes and products that you should not only order at local establishments, but also bring home - friends and family will thank you more than once!

1. Gastronomic excursions in Armenia

There is so much to try in this country and what recipes to take home with you. Gastronomic tours in Armenia include tastings at the Ararat Brandy Factory, lunches with barbecue, vegetable snacks, lavash and other hits of local cuisine.

3. Matsun, shish kebab and others

Let's briefly talk about the features of Armenian cuisine. What dishes and drinks are popular and loved in Armenia.

The cuisine of sunny and hospitable Armenia is one of the most ancient in the world. For example, these Caucasian people learned the secrets of baking about two and a half years ago! Most traditional Armenian dishes have a significant “age”, i.e. they have been prepared in the same way for several centuries. The culture and geographical features of the country also determined the menu of the nation, which includes a lot of meat, vegetables and herbs, and dairy products. The special taste and aroma of fresh products is added not only by unique local spices, but also by the methods of their preparation.

Throughout Armenia today you can see traditional ovens (tandoors), in which meat is baked, lavash is baked, and soups are cooked. Here are the most delicious dishes that have made Armenian cuisine so popular all over the world.

Meat

Dishes made from beef, lamb, pork, and poultry are very popular in Armenia. Local kebab (khorovats), kyufta (large meatballs), (dried beef in spices) are the “calling cards” of the national cuisine. The meat is prepared either in whole pieces or used as minced meat. For example, with chopped beef they make rolls from grape leaves - and with chopped lamb they make delicious lahmajun - a national version of pizza.

In the traditional cuisine of Armenia there are dishes made from several types of meat. For example, chicken and venison, cooked together, represent one of the oldest dishes of Armenian cuisine - arganak.

Each region has its own recipes and methods for preparing this or that type of meat, most of which have not changed for several hundred years and have been brought to perfection. There are more than twenty kebabs alone in the country!

Fish

The legendary Lake Sevan is not only a natural landmark of Armenia, but also a habitat for trout and. Of course, in the largest and most beautiful reservoir of the country there are many other fish, too, but it is precisely for the sake of ishkhan (royal fish) and its kebab that gourmets from all over the world come to the shores of the mountain lake. Other rivers and lakes of the country can also offer a rich catch, but trout (and river trout too) confidently leads among others.

The most unusual fish dish in the country is considered to be kutap - baked trout stuffed with rice and raisins.

Soups

People in Armenia love soups and prepare them with great skill. Here you can try both hearty and rich first courses, as well as light, refreshing ones.

Armenian “soup No. 1”, the most famous and popular. It is cooked all night from beef or pork legs, hardly salted and served fiery hot. Vegetarian soups are tasty and varied. Local housewives prepare wonderful spas with matsun. In the spring, stews are made from aveluk or mallow - wild herbs. Only in Armenia can you try first courses made from dogwood or rose hips; dried berries are used to make healthy soups in winter.

Snacks

A feast in any corner of Armenia begins with a variety of snacks. These can be eggplant rolls with nuts and herbs, a variety of salted vegetables, pies with meat or legumes. Salads are prepared from vegetables and herbs, and cereals are often added to ingredients from the garden. It could be lentils, bulgur, rice.

One of the most popular snacks in Armenia is made from spelled, a lot of greens and pickled cheese. An assortment of local cheeses is always present on the table as an independent snack.

Cheeses

It is believed that bread and cheese have been the basis of the diet of local residents for a long time. Matsun (sour milk) and various cheeses are served daily, on their own or as part of dishes. Traditional varieties of cheese are Chanakh, Chechil, Motal. Each of them has a special recipe and method of preparation, which has been preserved for centuries. For some, special clay containers are used, for others, goat skins are used.

Armenian cheeses with herbs are very popular. For example, wild thyme is added to the famous motal.

Dessert

Desserts of Armenian cuisine deserve special attention. The “queen” of the sweet table is considered to be gata - a pie-cookie stuffed with flour, sugar, and butter. Simple ingredients are prepared so skillfully that they turn into a gastronomic masterpiece. Interestingly, each region of the country makes this sweet dish differently. Armenia offers sweet tooth lovers unique desserts made from fresh fruits. A popular option is alani. These are sun-dried peaches stuffed with a mixture of sugar, nuts, and spices.

Fruit pita breads are delicious - dried layers of pureed plums, apricots, peaches. Another delicacy is sujukh, nuts in fruit syrup. Armenia is famous for its preserves and jams; here they are made from fruits, berries, nuts and flowers.

Pita

Armenia is considered the birthplace of lavash - thin unleavened bread baked in a special oven. It comes in white and black, the color being determined by the type of flour used. The Armenian traditional one is a large but very thin flatbread. It is not only present on the table at every meal, but is also a symbol of wealth and prosperity. At an Armenian wedding, lavash is even placed on the newlyweds’ shoulders. Many families maintain the tradition of baking this bread; the oldest woman in the family must knead the dough and send it to the oven.

Fresh pita bread goes well with any dish. Sometimes it is used as a basis for all kinds of rolls, filled with filling, and some national dishes are supposed to be eaten using a piece of dry pita bread as a spoon.

Vegetables and fruits

The gifts of the generous Armenian land are served fresh, baked, or stewed. Eggplants, tomatoes, sweet and hot peppers, onions, and garlic are always present on the table. Vegetables served with nuts