PRAYER BEFORE MEALS... Hayr mer... Jashagestsook khaghaghootyamp ezgeragoores, vor badrasdyal eh mez ee Dyarneh. Orhnyal eh Der ee barkeves yoor.Amen (Our Father... In peace let us eat this Food which the Lord has provided for us. Blessed be the Lord in His gifts. Amen.)
A little history of Armenian food
Armenia in general is a harsh, cold and mountainous land. Russia, the Ukraine and Georgia to the North, Azerbajian on the East, Iran, Syria and Iraq on the South and Turkey on the West surround it. Armenia has been occupied and divided by Russia, Greece, Turkey and Persia and thus has a cuisine which is complicated by name and ingredients. The fact that Armenia was the first Christian nation on earth and completely surrounded by Moslems and nomadic tribes affected the diet of its people not only as related to farming methods but also as to religious belief. An agrarian civilization spanning 2600 years, Armenia was the crossroads of the world between East and West, "The silk road". Its food reflects that fact by similarities in recipes from Europe to India.
Thank you to: Dr.H.H."Buzz" Baxter and Dining at Noah's Table (Cuisine of Ancient Armenia)for his recipe collection and his history lessons.
