Dear reader,
I’ve been staring at the beers in my fridge for the last hour. The sun is hitting the kitchen floor just right, and everything in me wants to crack one open, but I’m forcing myself to wait until tomorrow.
Today is April 24th, Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day. I don’t think it’s a day for beers.
As an Armenian, it’s only right for me to mention this. Recipes are basically the only thing you can’t truly lose. You can lose a house or a city (I won’t go into the history of the Genocide), but the taste of Basterma is stuck to our DNA. I don't care what anyone says, Armenian food is Armenian. It’s not Turkish, or Georgian, or Greek, or whatever else people call it. It belongs to us. Our food is the total opposite of the airfryer cooking I struggle with on the daily.
I’m thinking about the dishes I grew up on, like Mante. There’s an old saying that a skilled Armenian cook should be able to fit 40 of these tiny dumplings on a single tablespoon. You need hours to pinch them that small. I know for a fact that I can't make them. Then there’s Vospov Kufta. People can argue about its origin all they want, but my grandma made it for me so that settles it - it’s Armenian. At this point, even Spaghetti bolognese might qualify. But Subereg is my ultimate favorite: those layers of cheese remind me exactly who I am, and my pride as an Armenian, no matter how much time has passed (111 years, but I won’t delve into the history).
If I gave you a reason to want to cook Armenian today or for the weekend, here are some Armenian recipes provided by Aline Kamakian. She’s the woman behind Mayrig, and her recipes are a masterclass in Armenian food.
So, the beers stay shut for now. I’m grateful that these flavors made it through and we’re still here to cook them.
Make sure you're eating something today that carries that kind of weight. Some things are worth the extra work.
Stay safe.
Melissa Manouchakian
Distribution editor
Chef’s portrait: Aline Kamakian: The rage to rebuild Mayrig
Since I mentioned Aline Kamakian, it’s worth reading about the revolution of Mayrig. When the Beirut port explosion destroyed her restaurant in 2020, she stayed in the wreckage, using broken wood to cook thousands of hot meals for the community. For her, rebuilding was a refusal to be erased that mirrors our history.
How migration has changed Lebanon's food scene over the past century
Armenian cuisine has transformed Lebanon into a cosmopolitan dining destination through a story of displacement and confluence. This linguistic and culinary confluence represents a journey of migration, exchange, loss, and renaissance.
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You should also look into Toni Chidiac’s work in Switzerland. He’s taking those sacred Lebanese traditions, the kind where a table is set for 30 people just to share a story, and planting them on the shores of Lake Geneva with Taolé and Kaaké.
