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Lusine: True Taste Of Armenian Cuisine

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  • Lusine: True Taste Of Armenian Cuisine

    LUSINE: TRUE TASTE OF ARMENIAN CUISINE

    Arab News, Saudi Arabia
    March 12 2014

    What a good idea to serve Armenian cuisine! One cannot fail to be
    impressed by the way Armenians have preserved their language and
    traditions despite overwhelming odds. Although Armenian cuisine
    shares many characteristics with that of its neighbors it has been
    overshadowed by Lebanon's cooking, which thanks to its enterprising
    citizens has been exported to the four corners of the world. Lusine
    gives us an opportunity to discover the distinctive specialties of
    a country whose frontiers have changed considerably through history.

    This explains why many Armenian dishes featured on the menu are similar
    to those found in Lebanon and Syria, countries where Armenians had
    found a new home.

    Appetizers come in two kinds, hot and cold. They are so good that one
    might be tempted to order too many so keep in mind that there are some
    excellent main dishes. It is customary to start with a selection of
    "basturma", "sujuk" and "makanek". Basturma is undoubtedly the most
    popular Armenian deli meat, available in Middle Eastern specialty
    shops. It is served thinly sliced and can be eaten with a salad but
    it also delicious when it is fried along with eggs. "Sujuk" is a dry,
    cured sausage, which is generally served sliced and fried with eggs
    for breakfast. Not to be mistaken with the "Fruit Sujukh" made from
    strings of shelled walnuts dipped in grape syrup until a thick and
    tender coat covers them. And "makanek" are mini sausages which are
    awfully good when they are served in a pomegranate sauce giving the
    dish a delightful sweet and sour tang. A small bite and the sausage
    skins loosen up, oozing out crumbly beef and the gory looking black
    sauce that gives this dish its wonderful sweet and sour taste!

    But, you must not omit to order "muhammarah": a delicious dip with an
    awesome combination of flavors: nutty, spicy and sweet and sour. It
    is made with roasted red bell peppers, crushed walnuts, pomegranate
    molasses, garlic, toasted breadcrumbs and flavored with lemon juice,
    paprika, salt, pepper and sometimes cumin is even added. You can savor
    "muhammarah" with the traditional Armenian bread "Lavash " or as an
    accompaniment to grilled chicken and meats. Lavash is a very large
    paper thin, chewy bread that can only be made by hand. And last but not
    least, you must try some "borek", a variety of baked or fried pastries
    stuffed with cheese or minced meat made with a thin flaky dough. They
    are often served as an appetizer but they are also a popular snack. The
    "Soborak" is a lasagna-style dish. It is made with sheets of pastry
    briefly boiled before being spread with a cheese or a meat filling.

    Incidentally, the "Tatar Borek" similar to tortellini or ravioli,
    is an alternative name for Manti, a typical dish also featured on
    Lusine's menu. The dough is cut into little circles and a spoonful of
    a mixture of beef, finely chopped flat parsley, pine nuts and onion,
    is placed in the center. Then the manti is folded into a semicircle,
    boiled in salted water for a few minutes and finally served in a
    yogurt sauce or with melted butter

    If you are looking for something very special then I recommend the
    "Kabab Bil Karaz" a delicious dish made with minced lamb and "wishna",
    a small and sour black cherry that grows on the outskirts of the city
    of Aleppo. "Kabab Bil Karaz" or "Cherry Kabab" is a great specialty
    of the Syrian town of Aleppo whose cuisine is inspired by a mosaic of
    cultures including the most recent ones, the Ottomans and Armenians. A
    similar dish is "Ras Alasfour", diced beef grilled and served with
    a cherry sauce flavored with cinnamon and a pinch of cumin.

    Another typical Armenian dish is Harissa, a dish which is found not
    only in the Middle East but even in Pakistan. The Armenians use a
    special kind of wheat for Harissa which is unavailable outside the
    Middle East. Therefore, Harissa is sometimes prepared with pearl
    barley instead.

    To make "Harissa", chuck steak is boiled until the meat is very
    tender and falls apart. It is then mixed with the wheat or barley,
    flavored with cinnamon and cumin and sprinkled with hot butter just
    before it is served. Harissa is eaten with bread and salads.

    Speaking of salads, the Armenian Bulgur salad, known as "Itch" is a
    welcome change from the ubiquitous "Tabboulah", made with bulgur,
    parsley and tomatoes. Itch is a tasty salad prepared with chopped
    yellow onions, diced peppers, parsley, mint, tomatoes and dressed
    with olive oil, and pomegranate molasses which give this salad its
    sweet and sour tang.

    I personally enjoy savoring a nice selection of cheese at the end
    of a meal. But very few restaurants, apart from French and Italian
    restaurants, feature cheeses on their menu so I was surprised but
    delighted to find a variety of traditional Armenian cheese served with
    honey and fruit. Armenians have produced cheese in ancient times and it
    has become an inseparable part of the Armenian diet. The most common
    types of Armenian cheeses are Lori and Chanakh. They are both salty
    white cheeses aged in brine water. Another famous Armenian cheese is
    the string cheese made from goat milk which is ripened and stored in
    special ceramic jars. The strings are formed because of the special
    technology of pulling the cheese during processing. This delicious
    cheese has a white texture soft and brittle, it is distinctively salty,
    savory and flavored with aromatic herbs.

    If you are wondering what drink to order with your food, you might
    like to order "tan" which accompanies every Armenian meal. This
    yogurt beverage ( yoghurt is blended with water until smooth) is
    also popular in the region. In Lebanon, Syria , Turkey, and Jordan,
    this refreshing drink is called "Ayran" and it is seasoned with salt.

    It has often been said that the best food in Armenia is found at home.

    For most of us who have limited opportunities to enjoy Armenian home
    cooking in Riyadh, Lusine gives us the possibility to taste Armenian
    food at its best.

    http://www.arabnews.com/news/538766


    From: Baghdasarian
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