Armenian cuisine is a bright mix of cultures, traditions, aromas, tastes and colors. At a traditional feast you will be treated with shish kebab, offered a plate of the freshest herbs, assortment of delicate homemade cheeses. All this is accompanied by numerous appetizers, salads, vegetable cuts, and, of course, bread.
Bread in Armenia is the head of everything. No meal is without it, most often Armenians buy the freshest scalding lavash baked in an underground oven. Follow their example – it is so delicious that UNESCO has included the technology of making this bread in the list of intangible cultural heritage of humanity.
Make sure to order hash to accompany the bread. Do not dare to call khash a soup – you will offend your hosts. This thick, very rich and nourishing dish is probably the main culinary favorite of all Armenians. It is usually eaten early in the morning – this broth is cooked overnight – and served with crispy pita bread and, don’t be surprised, vodka.
The next contender for the title of the face of Armenian cuisine is shashlik (grilled meat). In Armenia it is called khoravats, and it is prepared in a million ways. Each owner of a famous restaurant of national cuisine, or a simple shish kebab maker from a small diner, has his own recipe. Only one thing is known for sure – it will always be delicious! Shish kebab is usually served with a selection of fresh or baked vegetables, herbs, sauces and of course pita bread.
If you want something authentic, order Armenian adjika or white hot sauce based on sour milk products. They are perfectly prepared (and very beautifully served) in Lavash Restaurant Yerevan. This restaurant welcomes guests not only for dinner, but also for breakfast, guaranteeing excellent service and pleasant atmosphere.
The meat dishes are also very popular: kyufte, cutlets made of battered lamb. For a quick snack Yerevan residents themselves most often choose shawarma – here it is a worthy competitor to fast food of world chains. Look, for example, in “Shawarma on Tumanyan” – a cozy institution in the center of the capital. There is a huge choice of street food at reasonable prices.
If you don’t like meat, order fish or crayfish. In Yerevan the choice of seafood from the sea and Lake Sevan is impressive. Here you can try trout, sterlet, Sevan crayfish, whitefish.
The soul asks for something unusual – appreciate the local specialty, kebab made of tender crawfish necks. This delicacy is cooked only in Armenia!
Or try dolma – the true queen of the appetizer table. These grape leaf tubes filled with spicy rice and minced meat are juicy and very appetizing.
To taste all the national dishes at once, in a pleasant stop and to the accompaniment of live music, look into the restaurant “Taverna Yerevan”. The price here is higher than average, but perhaps the best combination of price and quality.
Armenia has not forgotten about the fans of sweets. Traditional round cake Gata, filled with grated nuts, is usually prepared on holidays. It symbolizes the sun on the Armenian table. It is usually served with hot tea, to which jam is usually served. Also on the “sweet table” you will find dried fruits, marshmallows, nuts and baklava, honey dessert with walnuts.
Traditional Armenian drinks are compotes, lemonades and coffee. The latter is drunk here almost round the clock and is preferred to all other hot drinks.
If you are interested not in hot drinks, but “hot stuff” – choose between wine, tinctures and legendary Armenian brandy.
Vines have been cultivated here for thousands of years, and wine has been produced for the same length of time. Taste the wines of Areni, Armenia Wine and Proshyan wineries. Here you can buy a bottle of not only traditional grape wine, but also fruit variations, wine made of berries, plums or pomegranate.
The history of Armenian cognacs began in 1887, when entrepreneur Nerses Tairyants founded the first cognac production in Yerevan. Later he sold the business to Russian millionaire Nikolai Shustov. His company brought Armenian cognacs to the world market with triumph – the Grand Prix at the exhibition in Paris in 1900 is considered the main victory.
You can also appreciate the quality of Armenian cognacs by taking a tour. Or go to one of the wine bars, for example, “In Vino”. Here you can spend a great evening with a glass of a pleasant drink and an interesting appetizer. And local bartenders are real wizards, they will always tell the guest what kind of wine of which country and variety he should appreciate today.