Between mezzes and zakouskis

From Greece to Armenia and from Turkey to Lebanon, no meal worthy of the name in the region begins without a mezze. These little mezzes come in all forms, both hot and cold. Examples include djadjik (yogurt with cucumber and garlic), patlatchan (eggplant caviar) or hummus (chickpea purée with tahini or sesame cream). The Russian influence is noticeable withikra

, a broad term covering all types of fish eggs, including the famous sturgeon caviar that is sometimes eaten in Armenia.

Among the most popular mezzes, there is of course sarma

or stuffed vine leaf. Armenia, Turkey and Azerbaijan are waging a fierce war to claim ownership of this dish and have it included on UNESCO's list of intangible heritage. Traditionally, each Armenian household had to maintain a vine whose leaves are picked and carefully preserved for this highly appreciated dish. Served cold and sprinkled with lemon, the vine leaves, stuffed with a mixture of rice, onion, raisins and herbs, enrich the range of appetizers.

The appetizers are also an opportunity to discover the local charcuterie such as yeghtchik (Turkish for "soudjouk "), a very spicy black sausage, and pasterma, a type of Bündnerfleisch that is strongly winged and spicy. Also not to be forgotten are the salads as tabbouleh with bulgur, tomato, cucumber, onion and a large amount of parsley and mint. Theeetch is quite close, but the bulgur is cooked in a spicy tomato broth which gives it a nice orange colour. We also find the fatouche a lettuce, cucumber and tomato salad topped with toasted lavash bread broken into pieces. Lavash

is a thin, vaguely rectangular wheat cake baked in a tandor oven. Originally from Armenia, it can now be found all over the Middle East, to the point where its manufacture has been listed as a UNESCO intangible heritage site. In addition to bread, you will enjoy many savoury pastries such as beureks, small rolls or triangles of puff pastry filled with cheese, meat or spinach, not forgetting semseks, tarts of fried meat. Finally, an emblematic snack from the local street food, lahmaǰun or Armenian pizza with a very thin dough covered with a mixture of fried onions, pieces of minced meat and tomato sauce. After cooking it, it is topped with tomato, cucumber and onion, then a drizzle of lemon juice, then rolled up and eaten like a pancake. Zhingyalov hats are also a type of pancake filled with a mixture of herbs (spinach, wild garlic, chervil, sorrel, etc.) before being fried. It is a common speciality for Lent.

Classics of Armenian cuisine

Minced, roasted or grilled, lamb, beef or pork - less often chicken - is an essential component of the main course in Armenia. There are succulent meat and rice fillings that can be used to garnish dolma (eggplant, pepper, potato, tomato) or sarma (vine or cabbage leaves). Another speciality of minced meat, kuftah or kololak

are small spicy croquettes that are grilled or simmered according to the recipes.

The khorovadz (literally " grilled ") is a local version of the shish kebab in the form of long skewers alternating onions and pieces of lamb meat, all accompanied by rice pilaf or French fries. Another variant of the kebab is the loulé kebab, a roll of minced meat with small onions served on lavash

bread as it should be. Pork meat, which is cheaper, is gaining ground. It is considered to be of good quality, especially in forest areas, where pigs live in semi-liberty.

The rusticity of some Armenian local dishes reminds us of the mountain origins of the inhabitants who could not bear the long harsh winters of the mountain pastures without a consistent diet. Thus the Armenians have, to keep up, harissa, a puree of crushed durum wheat, beaten with chicken or mutton meat. After simmering for long hours, this dish, which will satisfy the most demanding stomachs, is served sprinkled with cumin and drizzled with melted butter. You can also enjoy khashlama, a finely spiced lamb and potato stew. Bozbash, quite similar, contains chickpeas and peppers instead of potatoes. Soups are common in Armenian cuisine. One can mention spas, soups bound with fermented milk (matzoon), such as tanabour, a hard wheat soup truffled with herbs and particularly tasty. Vospapour is a lentil and chickpea soup, while kṙčik is made of sauerkraut, potato and tomato that is simmered for a long time. Reserved for the more adventurous, khash is a stew where the head, feet and giblets of a sheep are cooked for hours. It is flavoured with a dash of lemon juice and accompanied by lavash

bread. A popular family dish, the mantis is an Armenian version of ravioli, Russian pilmeni or Georgian khngali , which are also in competition with it, and requires very long preparation. The dough has to be made, rolled into sheets and cut into small squares which are then filled with minced meat, before closing them and placing them in a rosette in a large dish. Grilled at first, these Armenian ravioli will then go to the oven where they will simmer on a very low heat in a chicken stock previously prepared. They will be served in this juice with yogurt, sprinkled with sumac and sprinkled with lemon. This is not an everyday dish.

Lake Sevan trout, a royal dish

All the more appreciated because it is rare, the fish is considered here as a king's dish, or more exactly as a prince's dish, since it is essentially theichkhan (prince), a variety of trout which is only found in the Sevan lake. Endangered, this protected species must be consumed with moderation. As there is no sea, the Armenian lake is currently the only natural breeding ground for fresh fish, but breeding ponds are used to meet the demand of consumers, who hold the princely fish, which can be up to a metre long, in high esteem. Fried, grilled or broiled,ichkhan is a dish that is served to distinguished guests. In the lower range, the much more common siga, or whitefish, from the salmon family, completes the fish menu, and as for crustaceans, the prolific crayfish from Lake Sevan are also popular.

Dessert and coffee

After this profusion of dishes, there is little room left for dessert. Of oriental inspiration, the pastries are generally very sweet, filled with almonds, pistachios and walnuts and bathed in a thick syrup of sugar or honey. The latter is produced in a traditional way by Armenian beekeepers who have even dedicated a festival to it in Odzoun, in the north of the country.

Only differing in shape, baklava, khadaïf and bourma

are three pastries made of filo pastry in sheets or angel hair, which surrounds a filling of dried fruit soaked in rose water syrup. Of Turkish origin, the tulumba is a doughnut similar to a churro, also bathed in syrup. Very nourishing, these sweets are more enjoyable with afternoon tea than at the end of a meal. To conclude the feast, one can be satisfied with an "Armenian" coffee, better known under the name of "Turkish", even if the historical rivalry between the two countries makes this last designation rather rare.

Some specialities may have a religious connotation, such as anoushabour, a barley pudding with dried fruit, usually eaten at Christmas, or choreg, a braided bun eaten at Easter. This pastry is also found in Greece under the name of tsoureki

. In addition to the cheese platter - chabakh and kachkaval - there is a variety of fresh and dried fruit from the Armenian orchard: apples, pears, grapes, watermelons, melons, pomegranates and, above all, the apricots that the Romans knew as Prunus armeniaca (Armenian plum).

Alcohols and soft drinks

Armenian meals are usually well-watered and Armenia produces a large number of alcoholic beverages, from wine and beer to fruit and grain brandies. Archaeologists are certain that wine production in the region began more than 7,000 years ago in the vicinity of Areni, in the Vayots Dzor region, where viticulture is still important. It is even said that Noah planted vines at the foot of Ararat and produced wine which he even abused. The Armenian grape varieties are mostly local (Areni, Lalvari, Kakhet, etc.) and produce all types of wines: red, white, rosé, dry, sweet or syrupy. Pomegranate, apricot or quince wine is also produced.

Like wine, beer has been produced in the country since time immemorial. Among the best known brands are Kotayk, Kilikia and Gyumri. The picture would not be complete without mentioning Armenian brandies(konyak). They are often given as gifts on special occasions and can be enjoyed as an aperitif or a digestive drink. Rather with an ice cube for those who prefer aperitifs, or with tea or coffee at the end of the meal. Otherwise, you can also bring backoghi, a fruit liqueur, the best known of which, with blackberry, is calledartsakh. Among the non-alcoholic drinks, there is kefir (fermented milk), tahn (liquid yoghurt) or the surprising tarkhun (a soda flavoured with tarragon).