Armenian food guide: dishes, ingredients and names

Learn what lavash, khorovats, tolma, manti and other Armenian dishes contain before ordering. Explore ingredients, allergen notes and cooking recipes.

• Khorovats

  Armenian barbecue is a family of grilled foods rather than a fixed recipe. Pork, lamb, beef, chicken, or vegetables may be grilled; cuts, marinades, and accompaniments vary.

• Lavash

  A thin Armenian flatbread that can be soft and pliable or dry and brittle. It accompanies meals, wraps fillings, and can be softened in other dishes. Thickness and storage affect its texture.

• Dolma

  A varied family of stuffed grape leaves, cabbage, peppers, tomatoes, and other vegetables. Fillings may combine rice, meat, herbs, legumes, or grains; a vegetable wrapper does not imply a meat-free filling.

• Lahmajun

  A thin round of dough with a finely spread savory topping, often minced meat, tomato, pepper, and herbs. Armenian diaspora bakeries have distinct approaches within this wider regional food family.

• Manti

  Small dumplings found in several culinary traditions. Some Armenian versions are open-topped, baked until their edges color, then served with broth or yogurt. Shape, filling, and preparation differ.

• Harissa

  A thick, slow-cooked wheat-and-meat dish, often made with chicken. Long cooking produces a cohesive, porridge-like texture. Armenian harissa is not the North African chili paste of the same name.

• Spas

  A tangy yogurt soup with grain and herbs, served warm or cool according to the recipe and season. Egg, flour, butter, and other additions may give it body.

• Jingalov Hats

  A thin filled flatbread closely associated with Artsakh. A mixture of leafy greens and aromatic herbs forms the filling; plant availability and family practice influence the balance.

• Eetch

  A tomato-rich fine bulgur dish served as a salad, side, or part of a shared spread. Recipes vary in acidity, spice, and richness; herbs and crisp vegetables make useful contrasts.

• Gata

  A family of Armenian pastries often filled with sweet, buttery khoriz. Gata may be a decorated round, sliced roll, or individual pastry, with layered or more bread-like dough.

• Pakhlava

  A layered sweet pastry from a broad regional family of foods. Armenian bakers may use different dough thicknesses, nuts, spices, and sweeteners; sweetness and texture are not uniform.

• Sweet Sujukh

  A sweet made with nuts threaded on a string and coated in thickened fruit juice. It is different from savory sujuk sausage, even though similar spellings appear on labels.

• Savory Sujuk

  A seasoned sausage found across a wider region, with recipes and preparation varying by producer. Do not confuse this savory food with the similarly named fruit-and-nut sweet.

• Armenian Coffee

  Finely ground coffee prepared in a small pot and served in a small cup, typically with grounds left to settle. Ask about sweetness before preparation; the drink is usually unfiltered.

• Tan

  A savory yogurt drink diluted with water and often lightly salted. Thickness, carbonation, and herbs can vary; it is not a sweet yogurt smoothie.