Tastes Like History

With a lineage spanning millennia, Armenian cuisine is an alchemist's dream. Veidehi Gite samples iconic dishes that evoke memories of home.

- Veidehi Gite

IN ARMENIA, where the air is perfumed with wild thyme, I discovered a culinary culture as refreshing as the mountain springs that bubble forth from its ubiquitous pulpulaks (water fountains). There's a cheese for every palate here, from the crumbly chanakh, a close cousin of feta, to the creamy rich lori, reminiscent of mozzarella. The locals love to wrap these cheeses in a lavash flatbread, along with some refreshing salads for a scrumptious feast. But this is just a prelude to the symphony of flavours that awaits you.

Armenian cuisine has been gracing tables for over two millennia, solidifying its position as the Caucasus region's oldest heritage. As I embarked on a culinary odyssey across Armenia, savouring the legacy of its oldest and most celebrated dishes, I couldn't help but be struck by its uncanny resemblance with Indian cuisine. In Armenia, I was welcomed into homes where families gathered around tables laden with dishes, a communal spirit that resonated deeply with my experiences in India. The delicate balance of spices in dolma, and the velvety smoothness of Armenian coffee, all tell tales of a proud heritage, and with every bite, I felt a profound connection to the past, as if I were sharing a meal with the ancestors.

GORIS LOBY