The Beauty of Cardamom

What a curious thing they were, these tiny paper-puff bundles that my father kept in the cupboard next to the long-handled pot that he used to make Armenian coffee. Dad always placed one cardamom pod [...]

Lahmajoun: The Carefully Crafted Centerpiece

How is it that all across America, you find all sorts of fast-food and drive-through restaurants — but none of them serve lahmajoun? Instead of Pizza Hut, why can’t a hungry traveler cruise up to [...]

Paklava and Boorma: Same Ingredients; Different Results

Armenians aren’t known for elaborate desserts. We do have something of a cultural sweet tooth, but fancy treats aren’t featured items on the traditional, rustic Armenian menu. Most Armenians of old favored simple sweets such as [...]

For the Armenian Love of Bread

This is how rich America is: doctors routinely tell patients who need to lose a few pounds to quit eating bread — and some of us actually try to follow this advice. Only very rich [...]

Chickpeas, an Armenian Staple

Is there a more nearly perfect food than the chickpea? (No fair if you answered “ice cream.” That’s just too easy!) Really, it’s hard to think of anything so nutritious that can be prepared in [...]

The Apricot

Who else is lucky enough to have two national fruits? The pomegranate may be hogging the spotlight these days with all the talk about its near-mystic health qualities, but Armenians adore apricots and place them at the center of both cuisine and culture. It’s not by accident that Yerevan’s international film festival is called Golden Apricot.

Ode to the Grape Leaf

Growing up an American-Armenian in the 1950s and ’60s had its ups and downs.

On one hand, I always felt special, having two sets of friends. American schoolmates and Armenian church friends. These two groups never mingled.