Armenian Recipes! 10 Gourmet & Dishes of Armenian Introduced!

Armenian recipes and Armenian cuisine is the first thing you should try in Armenia. Cuisine is the sphere where Armenia has a lot to offer. Here are 10 recipes of 10 Armenian gourmet and dishes.

It’s not a secret that cuisine is considered to be the key element of culture.

National cuisine somehow defines the cultural values of a certain country. We all know these huge fights over a yummy dish between two nations and countries. Each of them tries to prove that the dish originally belongs to them.

Sometimes, roots of those dishes go back to such ancient times, that it’s almost impossible to understand who is right, or wrong. This is the reason why many chiefs find cuisine as a regional element, not national.

Best Armenian Recipes for Real Gourmets

Armenians also have many tasty and ancient recipes. Just like everywhere else, in this case again you can find other nations making these dishes. Delicious traditional Armenian dishes will make an impression even on the most scrupulous gourmets.

Here are 10 of the most mouthwatering dishes, which definitely won’t leave you indifferent! We tried to pick for you only those ones that have typical Armenian recipes.

Armenian Recipe #1: Dolma

Dolma is the treasure dish of Armenian cuisine. It belongs to those Armenian recipes which you can meet most frequently during different celebrations. Dolma is made of mince meat, rice, onion and of course, the most important ingredient of Armenian cuisine, various spices.

All these ingredients are mixed together and wrapped in grape leaves. Dolma is also made with cabbage leaves, but the one with grape leaves is considered to be more respectable dish.  Dolma is quite common Armenian recipe, so you can try it in all traditional restaurants of Armenia. However, it is widely accepted that the tastiest dolma is served in the restaurant “Dolmama”. Dolma is the main dish of this restaurant from which it has derived its name.

Armenian Recipe #2: Ghapama

Ghapama is one of the most peculiar dishes included in traditional Armenian recipes. It is a unique combination of rice and various dried fruits cooked in pumpkin. Ghapama is especially loved dish among Armenians. Even the cooking process of Ghapama has traditionally been a special ritual.

Armenians love this dish so much that even have a song about it. “Hey dzhan Ghapama, hamov hotov Ghapama”: these are the lyrics of the song which translated into English means “hey dear Ghapama, tasty and aromatic Ghapama”. Ghapama is also a perfect dish for a vegetarian diet.

Armenian Recipe #3: Chee Kofta

This delicious Armenian recipe is one of those you should not miss! The dish is made of specially grind kofta meat. You can buy kofta meat in almost all supermarkets of Armenia, however making kofta meat by yourself is also an option.

Your task would get a bit difficult in this case. You should grind in till it gets a silky texture. Don’t forget to add flavors! It’s preferable to add them before grinding. After making the kofta meat, shape it into chunks and cook it.

Add greens and onion at the end. You can serve kofta with various vegetables and souses. The most common and tastiest way to serve kofta is to serve it with lemon.  The gourmets will appreciate this tastiest dish.

Armenian Recipe #4: Arishta

You’ll probably be surprised, but arishta is a unique kind of traditional Armenian pasta!  Arishta is a home-made dish made in Armenian households. This Armenian recipe is made of wheat flour.

The egg pasta is rolled from stiff dough, cut into noodles, which was later dried in the sun. The home-made arishta is much tastier than factory-made one.  You can recognize the home-made arishta with its irregular cuts.

Armenian Recipe #5: Harissa

Another ethnic Armenian recipe: Harissa is made from korkot and fat-rich meat. You can use either chicken or lamb. If you’re not much fond of meat, substituting meat with herbs is also an option.  Harissa is one of the oldest and most favorite dishes in Armenia.

Trying this brilliant Armenian recipe is recommended. However, the cooking process lasts extremely long. You will have to spend several hours patiently stirring it, until it’s ready. Though harissa requires much patience and efforts, it’s definitely worth it!

Armenian Recipe #6: Manti

If you try this finger licking dish once, it will become one of you favorites immediately. Manti is a traditional Armenian recipe, which used to be more common in Western Armenia and later has been spread in Eastern as well.

Manti is made of ground meat wrapped in dough, which have boat shapes. After making the dumplings place them close to each other, add tomato stock to them and put into the oven. Other nations have this recipe as well; however, we shouldn’t confuse them with the Armenian one. The Armenian manti is rather different and is often served with Armenian yogurt (matzoon) or sour cream.

Armenian Recipe #7: Khash

Khash is a perfect cold weather dish. The history of this unique Armenian recipe comes from ancient times. Khash is also called “Armenian Winter Soup”. Armenians especially adore this dish. This dish is not only known for its peculiar preparation process, but also for its way of eating.

Every Khash eating process becomes a special ritual for Armenian gourmets. What is most important about khash is that it is eaten at mornings. The reason is that kash is a rather heavy digestible dish. Fresh cows’ feet are boiled for several hours until the soup is ready. The inseparable part of khash “ceremony” is Armenian national bread lavash and garlic. Don’t miss this dish while being in Armenia. Bon appetite!

Armenian Recipe #8: Spas

Spas or Armenian yogurt soup can be enjoyed in both hot and cold weather. This dish is chilled during summer season.  Chilled spas is as tasty as warmed up. Spas is made of Armenian yogurt (matzoon) and wheat grain. In other words, spas is a nice and tasty belly warming dish for winters and a perfect cooling dish for summers.

Armenian Recipe #9: Khorovats

There is not much to talk about Khorovats. It’s the most famous dish among Armenians. Every nation has its way of making BBQ. Armenian version of BBQ is called Khorovats.

Khorovats is the queen dish during most Armenian celebrations. The most important part of making a delicious Khorovats is flavoring it beforehand.

Armenian Recipe #10: Tabbouleh

Tabbouleh is a tastiest Armenian salad made of bulgur and various greens mixed together. The right choice of bulgur is the most important point of making a perfect tabbouleh.

So, while buying bulgur pay attention to size of the bulgur. Ask the sellers the exact tabbouleh size bulgur. You can serve this salad with different meat dishes.

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