What Is Traditional Armenian Food?

Armenian food is one of the most unique and traditional cuisines in the world. It has a wide range of dishes rich in flavor, prepared using techniques dating back thousands of years.

Located at the crossroads of Asia and Europe, Armenia's cuisine has been influenced by traders and conquerors from the Mediterranean, Middle East, and Eastern Europe. As a result, it uses the freshest ingredients – Armenian fruit and vegetables are legendary throughout the region – and all kinds of spices, herbs, meat, and fish.

Lavash (Armenian Flatbread)

Lavash bread is a traditional thin, unleavened, Armenian bread. Lavash bread is often compared with conventional flatbread. However, the two are dissimilar in many ways. Flatbread is crispbread, while lavash is a soft, thin flatbread made with flour, water, yeast, and salt, baked in a tandoor oven with toasted sesame seeds and poppy seeds sometimes sprinkled on it before baking.

We stock a range of Lavash bread, shop here.

Cheese

Lori Cheese

Lori is a brined Armenian cheese with a white-yellow color, and it has an elastic texture and holes dispersed throughout. The cheese has a much firmer texture than another Armenian cheese we stock called Chanakh, and the main difference is how they are made - Lori's curd is heated twice. In terms of flavor, Lori Cheese is salty, creamy, and sharp, and it is regularly used as a table cheese in Armenia.

Chanakh Cheese

Chanakh, similarly to Lori, is soaked in brine. The flavor is typically salty, fresh, mild, and slightly spicy, while the texture is brittle. Like Lori, Chanakh is regularly used as a table cheese and is often paired with fruits, vegetables, and white or red wines.

Chechil Cheese

Chechil is a unique, low-fat cheese made from cow's milk. It's produced by heating the curd to high temperatures, which allows the cheese to be pulled into thin strings. The cheese strings are then placed in brine, sometimes smoked, and hand braided. Chechil cheese is often served as an accompaniment to beer.

Cured Meat

Basturma

Basturma is a cured beef, a slice of traditional meat in Armenia's Yerevan. Basturma is a lean, air-dried beef flavored with garlic and chemen.

Sujuk (Soujouk, Ground Cured Beef) 

Sujuk or sucuk is a dry, spicy, and fermented sausage from the Balkans to the Middle East and Central Asia. Sujuk consists of ground meat (usually beef or lamb).

Eggplant Caviar

Eggplant is a popular food in Armenia, and many Armenian dishes would be used as part of a Charcuterie spread. For example, our range of caviar is made from a delicious medley of eggplant, bell peppers, and caramelized onions. This eggplant spread is best served atop sliced bread, with pita chips, as a side salad to grilled meats or an appetizer.

Everyone has their twist on the traditional Armenian foods, so don't be surprised if you come across many different variations in the flavors, ingredients, and spices used in Armenian food. 

If you're interested in more traditional Armenian foods, then browse our Imported From Armenia page.