Meet the Female Chefs Blazing a New Trail in Armenian Cuisine

With Georgian cuisine being all the rage in recent years (cue a boat-shaped adjaruli khachapuri bread oozing with cheese and picturesquely topped with a raw egg), neighboring Armenia and its food culture are on the rise among gourmets worldwide. The tiny country in the southern Caucasus—roughly the size of Hawaii and surrounded by Georgia, Turkey, Iran, and Azerbaijan—has every right to be extra cautious, given its troubled past and lingering tensions with some of its neighbors. And yet, Armenians welcome travelers with open arms, eager to meet each and every visitor who makes their way to them.

Armenia is known for its great hospitality: walk into any bakery and they’ll happily toss three extra loaves of bread in your bag as a gift; go hiking and you can't possibly refuse a spontaneous invitation to a khorovats, Armenian barbecue—signaled only by hand gestures—as you pass one of the many picnic areas. Expect a few shots of homemade vodka to toast family, friendship, and a happy future. No language skills needed, except the universal language of food.

From freshly baked lavash bread the size of a small tablecloth, to succulent flatbreads stuffed with up to 40 different herbs called jingalov hats, to buttery gata coffee cake, Armenian cuisine is a celebration of its ancient culture, rich heritage, and natural beauty. In spring, the country comes alive with flowering apricot trees and people flocking to the mountains—which boast a rich biodiversity—to pick herbs. Add to that more than 300 days of sunshine a year and 20 percent of the country covered by Lake Sevan, one of the world’s highest freshwater lakes, and you have some of the tastiest fruits and vegetables in the world.