Lavash

Lavash is a thin flatbread made from wheat flour, water and salt, often leavened and traditionally baked on the inner walls of a clay tandoor. It is a staple in Armenia, eastern Georgia and parts of Iran, and its main practical value lies in how well it keeps once dried, lasting for months.

History

The origin of lavash is debated. It is often credited to Armenia, but specialists think it probably began in Iran. The word's etymology is uncertain: a widely held theory links it to Persian, while some scholars connect it to Aramaic or Armenian roots related to kneading or flatness. What is clear is that nearly every culture has developed similar flatbreads, from corn tortillas to wheat ones, so lavash belongs to a much larger family.

The bread spread across West Asia and the South Caucasus, and Armenian emigrants carried it to other regions. Two main forms developed: a soft, flexible version suited to wrapping food, and a hard, dry version kept for long storage. Today it is also made in electric ovens and industrial lines, although many bakeries in Iran and Armenia still use clay ovens.

In 2014 UNESCO inscribed the traditional preparation of Armenian lavash on its Intangible Cultural Heritage List. The decision caused objections in neighbouring countries, which argued the bread belongs to the whole region. In 2016 a joint nomination from Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Turkey extended recognition to these shared traditions.

Culture

In Armenia lavash is an everyday food, and women preparing it is a community event. It appears at breakfast with jam or curd and at snack time with cheese, and it wraps khorovats, the barbecued meat, as well as tarragon-spiced eggs. In Iran it accompanies stews and kebabs and, on the Iranian plateau, is treated as the centre of the meal rather than a side.

Dried lavash has its own uses. It is broken into pieces for khash, a stew made with hoof meat, or softened and mixed with butter into bite-sized balls. In Turkey it appears in sweet dishes alongside fruit desserts. Tantuni, a wrap of lamb or beef from Mersin, is a regional speciality, and Kashmiri cuisine makes a lavash wrap with barbecued meat and chickpeas.

Today lavash is served in restaurants and at weddings across the region, and in Armenian communities abroad, where it is baked at home or bought from specialist shops.

Trivia