Small, proud and ancient Armenia surprises with charm and originality, which attracts many tourists. Ancient temples and stunning views will not leave anyone indifferent. Monasteries built high in the mountains, keep the legends of antiquity. Armenians were the first to adopt Christianity as the state religion, and this was in 301 AD.
And Armenia is full of smiling, sociable people who love and know how to receive guests. And they cook perfectly! In each national dish the generous soul of this Caucasian people was manifested. Recipes have been honed for centuries, in every sun of this stunning land. They must be tasted, taste Armenia, and you can even try to cook yourself under the supervision of local chefs.
Hot dishes: meat, vegetables, dzavar
Armenian markets smell delicious of spices and fragrant herbs, which are treated with special love in this country. Those who want not only to try the local cuisine, but to learn how to cook Armenian dishes, can buy ready-made mixtures: sellers willingly explain how and in what quantity to use them. It is worth bringing home bags with spices, dried fruits. This is a wonderful emotional souvenir, which will remind you of your vacation in Transcaucasia more than once.
The basis of Armenian cuisine is meat and vegetables, this is the most favorite combination.
Favorite hot dishes:
- Arisa (harisa)
- Dolma (tolma)
- Kyufta
- Tanapur
- Khash
- Horovac.
Arisa,or harisa is an Armenian porridge made of chicken and dzavar. Zavar is a wheat groats made from lightly boiled and dried wheat grains. Put a little butter in the plate. Arisa is eaten in winter: a pleasant and tender dish in consistency will warm and give strength.
Tolma,or dolma,is loved not only by Armenians, but here they consider it their invention. These are small local "cabbage rolls": minced meat or minced meat with rice and fragrant herbs are wrapped in grape leaves, which give a spicy taste to each roll. There is also a legume, vegetarian version of the dish – pasuc-dolma. In grape leaves wrap beans, chickpeas or lentils with rice or zavar, also flavored with spices and herbs.
Kyufta is a common food in South Asia and the Middle East: these are meatballs made from lamb. In Armenia, kyufta is prepared from beef with the addition of wine. Meat and spices for them are carefully selected, onions are added. Invariable companions of Armenian kyufta are ghee and tsitsak,green hot pepper.
In cuisine with fermented milk products, only cold soups are prepared - a variant of okroshka. Armenian tanapur soup can be eaten both chilled and hot, depending on the weather. Dzavar is boiled, and then dried to a crispy crust. Add matsun to it (yogurt with cilancas and garlic aged in it), heat. Raw eggs are added to the boiling soup. The soup is thick and saty. In summer, it is cooled and diluted with ayran,another fermented milk drink, more liquid.
The famous khash soup in the summer is not worth it. It is cooked for about 8 hours, it has only meat and water, it tastes like a heated jelly. Suitable for lovers of meat, many people like its taste, in culinary blogs it is often recommended as a remedy for a hangover. Serve it with lots of greens and thin pita bread.
Horovac is everything that is cooked on an open fire. The main thing is, again, meat, barbecue. Meat khorovats is prepared from lamb or pork, cut into large, marinade is made from local wine or cognac. Vegetables are also cooked on the fire: eggplant, tomatoes. In season, in every yard, even in the courtyard of high-rise buildings, the hostesses bake vegetables on the fire to prepare khorovats for the winter. And of course, baked vegetables are served with kebabs.
Sweet taste of Armenia
Lovers of sweets here also have something to taste: fresh fruits, dried fruits, original desserts. First of all, it is worth finding and trying in Armenia:
- Alani
- Ashure
- Kapamu.
Alani is sold in the market. These are dried peaches or apricots, stuffed with nuts, with the addition of sugar or honey, as well as spices: cinnamon, cardamom. Like churchkhela, it is sold in such long "braids", it is convenient to try on the spot and bring home. Such a souvenir will appeal to loved ones more than magnets.
Ashure is a Christmas, festive Armenian dish. But in the tourist area you can try it at any time. It is unusual, delicious, very much liked by the guests. Ashura is prepared from cereals and legumes, boiling for a long time, then mixing. Then add nuts, dried fruits (dried apricots, raisins, dried figs), honey, lemon or orange peel, spices (cinnamon, nutmeg).
The famous Armenian kapama is a baked pumpkin with fruit. The top part of the pumpkin is cut off, the "lid", the seeds and almost all the pulp are removed, leaving thin walls. Pieces of pumpkin are fried in butter, combined with rice and dried fruits, add almonds, honey, cinnamon and put back into the pumpkin. Close the "lid" and bake in the oven. It turns out a delicate, fragrant and natural dessert.
Tourists who are particularly interested in local cooking are offered various forms of acquaintance with Armenian cuisine:
- Attending professional master classes
- Gastronomic tours to individual regions of the country
- Excursions combined with culinary tastings.
- Visiting an Armenian family, getting acquainted "from the inside" with everyday life, culinary traditions, with the joint preparation of local dishes.
After visiting wonderful places and tasting local dishes, it is worth bringing home:
- Wonderful memories
- Good mood
- Recipes of Armenian cuisine
- Dried fruits and alani
- Spices and dried herbs
- Pepper tsitsak
- A package of dzavara.
