Gastronomic Tourism in Armenia

Traditional Armenian Pastry Gata

Gastronomic or food tourism in Armenia could be the best way to savour your long-awaited vacation.

Local cuisine took all the best bits form its Eastern European and Middle Eastern neighbours. It is rich in vegetables, meat, fish and dairy products. Lavash (famous local flatbread), lamb, eggplant and fresh herbs are the primary components of many Armenian dishes. You can find Armenian restaurants in almost every big city in the world. Still, only by visiting the country can you get invaluable experience of eating fresh food, flavoured with the sounds of duduk, scents of flowers from the mountains, drops of rain and taste of cognac.

Try famous khurjin, a traditional mountainous dish. According to the local saying, the wives of shepherds used to make khurjin for their husbands as they went up the mountains for weeks and months at a time.

Meat lovers should not miss ordering famous dolma, grape leaves stuffed with rice and meat and served with a creamy garlic garnish, khorovats, delicious grilled lamb and basturma, dried and seasoned beef with spices.
Vegetarians will enjoy zhengyalov hats, a flat bread stuffed with butter and several types of greens and herbs and eetch, cooked bulgur with various vegetables and spices.

Feel like it is Christmas when tasting ghapama, a stuffed pumpkin filled with rice, raisins and dried fruit. It is one of the most traditional dishes in Armenia, served on special occasions. If you love sweets, sujuk, traditional local sweet, walnuts wrapped with a paste, made from dried fruits and gata, typical Armenian pastry, will leave you speechless.

Famous market GUM in Yerevan, full of nuts, dried fruit, vegetables, various local cheese and overwhelming hospitality will be a perfect guide to local food culture.

Sample local wine produced according to the ancient winemaking traditions in Areni, a beautiful region, filled with sweet wine and fruit aromas.

One of the best ways to feel like a local is by sampling delicious Armenian Cognac, the main beverage here. Locals believe that Noah planted the first grape vine on the territory of the country. Rich taste of the cognac will add a memorable twist to your mind-blowing trip to this beautiful country.