Armenian cuisine

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Kibeh with yogurt soup

The Armenian cuisine is the national cuisine of Armenia . It is similar to the cuisines of the other countries of the Caucasus , but there are some differences. While in Georgia corn the most important grain and in Azerbaijan rice , it is in Armenia consisting of wheat produced bulgur . The dishes prepared from it are called plov and resemble a pilaf . Typical is the use of flour mixtures made from wheat, corn and potatoes . Other important staple foods are lamb , eggplant , yogurt and bread . The main features of the Armenian cuisine are one of the oldest in Asia and the oldest in Transcaucasia .

Mezze

As in Arab countries and Turkey, small snacks are called mezze . The most common ingredients for this are eggplant, lentils , beans and chickpeas , roasted pumpkin seeds, roasted and salted pistachios . Börek and Dolma are also known in other countries . A strongly seasoned type of meat is reminiscent of pastrami . The bread served with the mezze is called lavash and is a thin, crispy wheat bread.

A salad made from pickled vegetables and lemons can be a starter or a side dish to the main course. The most important food fish is the trout from Lake Sevan ; it is prepared in many ways. One variant is to fill them with fruits such as dried plums , apricots or plums before baking . In general, fruit is often used in the kitchen, also as a filler for soups and stews .

Soups and main courses

Typical Armenian soups are based on tomatoes , a mixture of eggs and lemon or yogurt and are seasoned with onions , garlic and herbs. A soup made from cucumber and yogurt ( jajik ) is widely used . Several soups are prepared with apricots. The best known soup is Bosbasch and consists of lamb breast, vegetables and fruits.

A popular meat dish are kofte ( kiufta ). As edible fat the fat of the will in the kitchen mostly fat-tailed sheep used for special occasions also prepared from sheep's milk butter . Herbal cheeses are numerous, and cheese is a part of most meals. While special spices are used sparingly in the kitchen, around 300 herbs are used. Desserts are often flavored with rose water , orange blossom water or honey . Baklava is also eaten in Armenia, but it goes back to the influence of other cuisines.

Traditional dishes

Baking lavash in tandoor in Armenia
  • A traditional food in Armenia, the preparation of which was subject to certain ceremonies in earlier times, is the harissa consisting of wheat grains and chicken meat . It is still cooked today for celebrations by Armenians around the world.
  • Chasch is a traditional dish made from cow legs.
  • The bread most used in Armenia and very simple to make is lavash . Originally, it was baked as a flatbread on hot stones in the clay oven .
  • Boraki , which are cylindrical and filled with fried minced meat, are prepared as dumplings .

literature

  • Kay Shaw Nelson: Cuisines of the Caucasus Mountains. Recipes, Drinks, and Lore from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Russia. New York 2002. ISBN 0-7818-0928-2
  • WW Pochljobkin: National cuisines. The culinary art of the Soviet peoples. Moscow, Leipzig 1988. ISBN 3-7304-0053-3
  • Marion Trutter: Culinaria Russia: Russia, Ukraine, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan. Hamburg 2007. ISBN 3-8331-2183-1
  • Victoria Jenanyan Wise: The Armenian Table , 2004, ISBN 0-312-32531-2

Web links

Commons : Armenian Cuisine  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ WWPochljobkin: National Kitchen . MIR Publishing House, Moscow 1984. ISBN 3-7304-0053-3 . P. 133
  • Alan Davidson: The Oxford Companion to Food , 2nd. ed. Oxford 2006, article Armenia , p. 35 f.