Armenia

Country - Armenia

Cuisine Description - Armenia has been inhabited since antiquity. People believe that this country is the place of the biblical Garden of Eden. Its culture has survived for more than two millenniums, although it has been dominated by many nations, due to its strategic location. Among the greatest empires that once controlled Armenia, the most important were those of the Assyrians, Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Turks, Persians, Byzantines and Mongols. Also, Armenia has been a part of the Ottoman Empire and during the 20th century, part of the Transcaucasian Soviet Federated Socialist Republic. All the nations with which Armenia made contact affected its culture. The Armenian cuisine also has been influenced by these nations.
Due to the fact that Armenia is close to Georgia, and that both were included in the Transcaucasian Soviet Federated Socialist Republic, there are many cooking concepts, and even traditions that are shared by both of them.
Armenians use a great variety of ingredients in their traditional dishes. Fish, diverse types of meats and numerous sorts of fruits and vegetables, combined with also a great number of condiments, lead to the uniqueness of the Armenian cuisine, both in taste and in look. Some of the recipes, though, are typical to an entire region. For example, one of the Armenian desserts called baklava is also made in Turkey and in a great part of the Balkans.
People are proud of their national cuisine. The most important dishes are tolma, kololak, basturma, khaplama. As the Armenians eat almost everything with bread, the existence of two types of this essential item is good. Lavash and matnakash are the names of the Armenian bread varieties.
Also, Armenia is known for its beverages, that include wine, brandy, vodka and cognac. This country also features a multitude of mineral water springs. Copyright Recipes Wiki