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Armenian meals are local and fresh

Armenian food stresses on the use of local ingredients and includes the traditional crops that grow in the region and the livestock that is raised.

Armenians love to gather around their huge dining tables and share food, as a sign to show love. If you are invited by an Armenian for a meal, never say no. Because it is not just the sumptuous meal, but the hospitality that you will take away from the meal.
Armenian food stresses on the use of local ingredients and includes the traditional crops that grow in the region and the livestock that is raised. If you have savoured an Armenian meal in the region, you would know that the cuisine derives its taste from the fresh ingredients rather than spices, like in other cuisines. Fresh herbs are extensively used in the preparation of meals.
As with daily life in Armenia, the cuisine has a varied influence owing to the borders they share with many countries and the strong ties they have. So, glimpses of Turkish, Georgian, Persian and Levantine cuisines can be seen in their dishes.
If you stop over at any Armenian restaurant, you will be offered grilled or barbecued meat and vegetables tossed in spices along with lavash, the traditional bread. Apricots, melons, quinces, and pomegranate are grown locally and extensively used in the food preparation.
If you are walking down the pathway of Geghard, you must stop to buy the sweet bread called Gata, and dried fruits, at the footsteps of the medieval monastery. A common dessert, baked in every corner of Armenia, Gata can be enjoyed with a cup of coffee, after a meal or as a breakfast item too.
If you want to try Armenian cuisine in Dubai, head to Mayrig in Downtown Dubai - they serve authentic Armenian food. Try the Mante and kebabs; you won't be disappointed.
anita@khaleejtimes.com