What to Eat in Armenia: Typical Armenian Food and Specialties
Armenian cuisine is one of the oldest in the world. Even after thousands of years it still comes down to simple lavash bread, grilled meat, herbs and matsun yogurt. Armenia lies in the South Caucasus at the crossroads of ancient trade routes, so the local cooking brings together influences from Persia, Turkey, Georgia, the Arab world and Russia. Even so, Armenian dishes have a character all their own - many of them are still cooked in a tonir, a clay oven sunk into the ground, exactly as they were centuries ago.
The Armenian table is built on meat, grains, pulses, vegetables and huge amounts of fresh and dried herbs. Pork, lamb, beef and poultry are all popular, and there's a real love of aubergine, tomatoes and peppers. And above all, no meal in Armenia starts without bread. Unleavened lavash and leavened matnakash come as a side with practically everything.
Sitting down to eat is a social occasion here. An Armenian proverb says that a guest comes from God, and the hospitality lives up to it - the table groans with food, the host offers the very best they have, and the toasts at a festive table are led by a tamada, just as in Georgia.
The National Dish of Armenia
Armenia's national dish is harissa, a thick porridge of cracked wheat and meat. It simmers for hours and needs constant stirring until the meat falls apart completely and melts into the wheat to form a creamy, stretchy mass. Just before serving, harissa is topped with melted butter. This is a dish that has been with Armenians through their holidays and through the darkest moments of their history.
Harissa holds a firm place in the remembrance of the Armenian genocide. During the defence of Musa Dagh in 1915 it was practically the only food the besieged Armenians had - they cooked it from wheat and mutton. It helped them survive. To this day it is cooked in huge cauldrons at the Musa Dagh memorial every year.
Typical Armenian Food
The one dish no Armenian celebration would ever skip is khorovats - meat grilled over charcoal on a grill called a mangal. The meat is marinated for hours first, then slid off the skewers straight onto lavash bread.
Armenians consider dolma (tolma) the second great dish of their table - vine leaves stuffed with a mixture of minced meat and rice. They're said to make more than fifty kinds, from summer dolma in stuffed vegetables to the vegetarian pasuts dolma made with cabbage leaves, which belongs on the New Year's table. It's served with matsun yogurt and garlic.
Stuffed and baked dishes deserve a chapter of their own: the festive pumpkin ghapama stuffed with rice, dried fruit and honey, baked manti dumplings in chicken broth, or the flatbread zhengyalov hats filled with as many as twenty kinds of herbs. And because Armenians love soup, you'll also come across the yogurt soup spas, the hearty one-pot stew khashlama and the mutton soup putuk cooked in a clay pot.
What to Eat in Armenia
- Harissa. Slow-cooked porridge of cracked wheat and meat, topped with melted butter. Armenia's national dish and a symbol of the nation's resilience.
- Khorovats. Meat marinated with onion and grilled over charcoal on a mangal. No Armenian celebration happens without it.
- Vegetable khorovats. Grilled aubergine, pepper or tomato.
- Dolma (tolma). Vine leaves stuffed with minced meat and rice, served with matsun yogurt and garlic. Armenians make more than fifty versions.
- Ghapama. Baked pumpkin stuffed with rice, dried fruit, nuts and honey. A festive dish that Armenians even wrote a song about.
- Manti. Stuffed dumplings that, unlike in neighbouring countries, are baked in Armenia. The version in chicken broth with yogurt is called mantapour.
- Spas. Tangy yogurt soup with wheat grains. Served cold in summer and hot in winter. Armenians also prescribe it for a cold.
- Nraneh. A rare lamb soup with pomegranate juice. You won't find it in every restaurant.
- Putuk. Soup of mutton and chickpeas, traditionally cooked and served in a clay pot called a piti.
- Khashlama. Meat, potatoes and vegetables cooked whole in an aromatic broth. Armenia's answer to one-pot stew comes from the mountain regions.
- Gouvaj. Lamb slow-baked with vegetables, served in a bowl capped with a flatbread that soaks up all the flavours.
- Tjvjik. Fried liver with caramelised onion, often with tomatoes added. The name imitates the sound the liver makes in the pan.
- Voloran. Fried aubergine rolls stuffed with carrot, pepper and onion. A simple vegan dish that tastes wonderful.
- Arishta. Homemade pasta that is dried and then baked in the oven. Making it is considered an art in Armenia.
- Aveluk. Wild sorrel dried in long braids, the basis of salads and soups. The flavour only comes out as it ferments while drying.
- Basturma. Air-dried beef coated in a spice paste called chaman. It's excellent in an egg omelette for breakfast, too.
- Lavash. Thin unleavened bread baked on the wall of a tonir oven. Making it has been on the UNESCO cultural heritage list since 2014.
- Matnakash. Fluffy leavened bread with grooves pulled into it by hand. The perfect companion to soup.
- Zhengyalov hats. Flatbread filled with a mix of around twenty kinds of wild herbs. A speciality of Artsakh and the south of the country, and great for breakfast.
- Lahmajun. A wafer-thin flatbread with minced meat and vegetables, nicknamed Armenian pizza. Wash it down with tan yogurt drink.
- Lake Sevan trout. The endemic ishkhan fish, which you won't find anywhere else in the world. Today it comes exclusively from fish farms, as fishing in the lake is banned.
- Gata. A sweet filled pastry. Every region bakes its own version, and at weddings it's broken over the newlyweds' heads.
- Gavar baklava. Baklava from the town of Gavar with roughly 25 layers, mountain honey and walnuts. It's on Armenia's national cultural heritage list.
- Sujukh. Walnuts threaded on a string and dipped in thickened fruit juice. A sweet that simply has to be on the New Year's table.
- Armenian apricots. A fruit with Armenia built right into its Latin name, Prunus armeniaca. In season, they're more or less compulsory.
- Khash. A winter broth of beef trotters simmered for 8 to 10 hours. It's eaten early in the morning with dried lavash and garlic.
- Matsun. Armenian yogurt, the basis of the drink tan, of spas soup and of the sauces served with dolma. Its tradition is part of Armenia's cultural heritage.
- Chechil cheese. A salty string cheese sold plaited into braids. A perfect souvenir and an even better snack.
- Horats panir. Sheep's or goat's milk cheese matured for six months in a clay vessel buried underground. A treat for the more adventurous.
- Armenian coffee (soorj). Strong coffee brewed in a cezve, and people still read the grounds to tell fortunes. Armenians drink it several times a day.
- Tan. A refreshing drink of matsun yogurt and sparkling water with salt. A thinner cousin of Turkish ayran.
- Jermuk. Mineral water from the spa town of Jermuk with a slightly salty taste. One of the best-known Armenian brands.
- Armenian wine. Wine from the native Areni and Voskehat grapes. The world's oldest winery was found right here in Armenia.
- Pomegranate wine. A semi-sweet fruit wine with an earthy taste. In Armenia the pomegranate is a symbol of fertility and abundance.
- Ararat brandy. Armenia's most famous spirit, from a Yerevan distillery founded in 1887. They call it the cognac of the Caucasus.
- Noy brandy. The rival brandy, aged in cellars on the site of the old Yerevan fortress. It's named after Noah, the forefather.
Typical Armenian Drinks
The most common soft drink is Armenian coffee, known as soorj - strong, brewed in a cezve from finely ground beans and lifted off the heat at the exact moment the foam starts to rise. Reading the coffee grounds is part of the ritual. Tea tends to be herbal, typically made from wild mountain mint.
With everyday meals Armenians drink tan - matsun yogurt and sparkling water mixed one to one and seasoned with salt. It's thinner than Turkish ayran, it quenches thirst beautifully, and locals swear it helps you digest fatty food and cures a hangover. Restaurants make it fresh; supermarkets sell it bottled with cucumber, mint or dill. As for water, the one to know is Jermuk mineral water from the spa town whose springs are compared to Karlovy Vary (Jermuk itself is worth a visit too).
Beer comes a distant third in Armenia, after wine and brandy, but it's still worth trying. The Greek historian Xenophon wrote about Armenian beer more than two thousand years ago.
Armenian wine draws on the oldest winemaking tradition in the world. In the Areni-1 cave archaeologists found a complete winery around 6,100 years old, and the native Areni and Voskehat grapes grow nowhere else. For something different, try pomegranate wine, usually semi-sweet.
The most famous Armenian drink of all, though, is brandy. Ararat brandy from the Yerevan distillery is nicknamed the cognac of the Caucasus, and Winston Churchill had it shipped to him. Its rival Noy brandy ages in cellars on the site of the old Yerevan fortress. Both distilleries offer tours with a tasting.
How to Get the Most Out of Armenian Food
- Start with the national dish, harissa. You'll find this thick wheat and meat porridge in restaurants serving traditional food. As you eat your harissa, remember that for Armenians it isn't just a meal but a symbol of the nation's survival.
- Order khorovats and ask for the vegetable version alongside it. Grilled pork ribs are an Armenian classic, and the local grilled aubergine with its gentle smoky taste is the best I've ever eaten.
- Go to the GUM market in the morning. Yerevan's biggest market smells of dried fruit, spices and herbs, and the sellers are happy to let you taste. Bring cash, since cards often aren't accepted. With anything sold by weight, ask the price first.
- Plan a brandy tasting. The Ararat and Noy distilleries stand close to each other in Yerevan, so you can fit both tours and tastings into one day. The two feel completely different.
- In Yerevan, make dinner an evening out. At the Tavern Yerevan chain your traditional dishes come with live duduk music, dancing and even a fire show. There's a small cover charge for the show, and it's worth it.
- Drink tan and eat lavash with it. Yogurt tan and fresh lavash are part of the deal with Armenian food. Restaurants often make tan fresh - that's the one to try.
- Don't miss fresh apricots in season. Fresh Armenian apricots are sweet and juicy. Dried, they make the ideal souvenir to take home.
The Best Armenian Food
If I had to pick three personal favourites, the best Armenian food for me is:
- Tjvjik. I love liver, and I adore this way of cooking it. Perfectly tender beef liver with onion and tomato sauce is one of the tastiest things I ate in Armenia.
- Nraneh. A rare lamb soup with an unusual splash of pomegranate juice. The meat fell apart, the broth was perfect - one of the most interesting dishes I came across in Armenia.
- Manti. I fell in love with the baked mantapour version in Armenia and ordered it whenever I could. Crisp dumplings, broth and tangy yogurt make a perfect combination.
How to Say Thank You for Armenian Food
The formal Armenian for thank you is "shnorhakalutyun" (Շնորհակալություն). It's a proper tongue twister even for Armenians, so in everyday conversation you'll much more often hear the short "mersi" (մերսի), borrowed from French, or the stronger "shat mersi" - thanks a lot. Nobody will mind if that's the one you reach for.
If you want to compliment the cook directly, use the lovely Armenian idiom "dzerkerd dalar" (Ձեռքերդ դալար) - literally "may your hands blossom". You say it to someone who's just done something skilful, and a good meal definitely counts. And before eating it's good form to wish everyone "bari akhorzhak" (Բարի ախորժակ) - bon appétit; ախ is pronounced like the ch in the Scottish loch.
Regional Armenian Cuisines and Specialities
Gegharkunik (Lake Sevan and Gavar)
The region around Lake Sevan is home to the endemic ishkhan trout, which today comes from fish farms - fishing in the lake is banned to protect the species. The town of Gavar on the western shore is famous for Gavar baklava with roughly 25 layers, a recipe brought here by Armenians resettled from Bayazet.
Vayots Dzor (Areni and Jermuk)
The winemaking heart of Armenia. Near the village of Areni lies the Areni-1 cave with the oldest known winery in the world, and every October a wine festival with hundreds of wines is held here. The spa town of Jermuk gives its name to the mineral water - the colonnade with springs at different temperatures is free to visit.
Shirak (Gyumri)
Armenia's second largest city has a cuisine of its own, built on pilafs and stews. Gyumri beer is brewed here. Local confectioners are proud of their jallin - a sheet of dough layered with oil and dusted with icing sugar.
Syunik and Artsakh
The south of the country is the homeland of zhengyalov hats, a flatbread wrapped around some twenty kinds of seasonal herbs. The recipe passes from mother to daughter and the filling changes with the seasons.
Aragatsotn (Ashtarak)
The town of Ashtarak is known for a sweet sujukh called sharots - walnut halves threaded on a string and dipped in thickened grape juice. It's made in late summer and is a must on the New Year's table.
Facts About Armenian Food
- Making lavash bread has been on the UNESCO list of intangible cultural heritage since 2014. Women bake it in groups - they stretch the dough over a cushion stuffed with hay and slap it onto the oven wall, where it bakes in half a minute. Dried, it keeps for up to six months.
- The tonir oven is sunk into the ground, which is an Armenian speciality. In pagan times it was seen as the sun's reflection on earth, and families who couldn't afford to sacrifice an animal sacrificed bread instead. The tonir also heated the house.
- The world's oldest known winery was found in the Areni-1 cave. The grape press, fermentation vessels and remains of vines are around 6,100 years old - more than a thousand years older than comparable Egyptian finds.
- The apricot has Armenia built right into its scientific name, Prunus armeniaca. Armenians call the orange on their flag nothing but apricot, and apricot wood is used to make the duduk, the national musical instrument.
- Winston Churchill was a devotee of Armenian brandy. He liked the fifty percent Dvin brandy so much that the Soviet Union kept sending it to him for the rest of his life.
- The festive pumpkin dish ghapama has its own song. "Hey jan ghapama" is sung as it's cut open. When the pumpkin is served and its "hat" is lifted, a cloud of fragrant steam billows out. It's a little piece of theatre.
- Armenia and Azerbaijan both lay claim to dolma. When UNESCO listed dolma as an Azerbaijani tradition in 2017, it caused an uproar in Armenia - Armenians hold their own tolma festival and point back to the ancient kingdom of Urartu.
- Only 14 families are allowed to cook the harissa at the Musa Dagh memorial. The right to prepare the national dish at the September commemoration passes from father to son. It goes back to the heroic defence of the mountain in 1915.
- Khash is the morning ritual of the cold months. The broth of beef trotters simmers for 8 to 10 hours and is eaten early in the morning, ideally in company - the season starts with the first autumn chill.
- The pomegranate is a symbol of fertility. By an old custom the bride would smash a pomegranate against the door - however many seeds spilled out was how many children she'd have.
- Gata is baked with a coin inside on New Year's Eve. Whoever finds it in their slice will have luck all year. The sweet pastry is also broken over the newlyweds' heads as a blessing.
- Xenophon wrote about Armenian beer more than two thousand years ago. The Greek historian tasted it during his march through Armenia and even recorded how it was made.
Enjoy Armenia and the very best of Armenian food!
Khorovats: Armenian Grilled Meat
Khorovats is the Armenian way of grilling meat over charcoal: chunks of beef, lamb, pork or chicken mixed with onion, threaded onto skewers and served on lavash bread with fresh herbs. The word simply means "grilled", so there's a vegetable khorovats too, and no celebration in Armenia happens without something off the mangal.
Tjvjik: Armenian Fried Liver with Onions
Tjvjik is Armenian liver fried with onions, these days usually stewed in tomato as well, and it takes its name from the noise it makes in the pan; Armenians use the same word for a fidgety child. In 1961 it got its own comedy film, with a plot that turns on one piece of beef liver. Where else liver is fried like this, how tjvjik is eaten and what it cost me in Yerevan.
Tolma: Armenian Stuffed Grape Leaves
Grape leaves wrapped around minced meat and rice, braised and served with garlic matsun yogurt - tolma is one of the main dishes on the Armenian table and a dish the whole region lays claim to. I'll explain why the tolma festival is named after a word linguists reject, how the Armenian version differs from the Turkish one, and I'll describe the tolma made with beef tenderloin at Lavash in Yerevan.
Mantapur: Baked Manti Dumplings in Armenian Broth
Mantapur is an Armenian soup made from manti - small dumplings filled with beef and onion, known across half of Asia, but only Armenian cuisine bakes to a golden brown and tops with chicken broth and yogurt. I traced the baked version from a 1914 cookbook in Merzifon all the way to the menu of Anteb Restaurant in Yerevan.
Trout from Lake Sevan
Voloran: Stuffed Eggplant Rolls
Zhengyalov Hats: The Armenian Flatbread Filled With Raw Herbs
Zhengyalov hats is an Armenian flatbread of thinly rolled unleavened dough with a mound of raw chopped herbs baked inside - everything from nettle and sorrel to cilantro and violet leaves. It comes from Artsakh and the south of the Syunik province, and today it's sold all over Armenia. No meat, no cheese, no eggs, and just one secret: knowing what to pick in the meadow.
Khashlama: Armenian One-Pot Braised Meat
Armenian khashlama comes together in a single pot with almost no water: over three hours on a low flame the bone-in meat gives up its own juices, and tomatoes and onions supply the rest. The name means "boiled" - a leftover from the days of the cauldron. Georgia and Azerbaijan serve quite different dishes under the very same name.
Ghapama: Stuffed Pumpkin
Gouvaj: Lamb Baked Under a Bread Lid
Gouvaj is lamb and vegetables baked in a ceramic dish that is sealed with a round of bread dough instead of a lid. It takes its name from the Turkish pot güveç, and Western Armenian cooking from around Gaziantep brought it to Yerevan. I ate gouvaj at Anteb Restaurant in Yerevan, where you break the charred lid with a spoon and eat it instead of bread, while the meat underneath falls into soft threads.