RESTAURANTS
NATIONAL CUISINE
Must-Try
Harissa
Considered the national dish of Armenia, harissa is a thick porridge made by slowly simmering korkot (dried or roasted cracked wheat) together with fatty pieces of lamb or chicken meat.
When Armenian holy days involved fasting and penance, herbs were substituted for meat in harissa.
Said to have been invented in the Ararat plains, the origins of the dish can be traced back to ancient times. According to the Armenian legend Gregory the Illuminator, the patron saint of Armenia, gave a meal of love and charity to the poor.
NATIONAL DRINKS
Must-Try
Armenian Herbal Tea
Herbal teas can be made with fresh or dried flowers, fruit, leaves, seeds or roots. The most consumed infusions are thyme tincture, wild and domestic mint, linden leaves, pomegranate flowers, dried pomegranate peel, etc. Leaves and flowers harvested in the season, washed, dried in the sun and kept throughout the year. One of the most popular teas among the locals is an infusion of mint or thyme, or both mixed together. It can be ordered at any café and restaurant, just ask for the local herbal tea.
