Lavash

{{Redirect|Lavaş|the cheese|Lavaş cheese|other uses|Lavas (disambiguation)}}

{{Infobox food

| name = Lavash

| image = Lavash, Temple Fortune, London (4444275978).jpg

| type = Flatbread

| place_of_origin = ArmeniaLavash is another popular flat cracker bread with ancient roots in Armenia.{{cite book|editor=Albala, Ken|title=Food Cultures of the World Encyclopedia, Volume 1|publisher=Greenwood Press |location=Santa Barbara, California|isbn=9780313376269|page=5|quote=...on lavash, a traditional flatbread of Armenia similar to tortilla...}}{{cite book|last=Goldstein|first=Darra|title=A Taste of Russia: A Cookbook of Russian Hospitality|year=1999|publisher=Russian Life Books|location=Montpelier, VT|isbn=9781880100424|page=[https://archive.org/details/tasteofrussia00darr/page/185 185]|edition=2nd|quote=Armenian Flat Bread Lavash: Lavash has been baked for centuries in Armenia.|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/tasteofrussia00darr/page/185}}{{cite book|last= Khanam|first=R.|title= Encycl. Ethnography Of Middle-East And Central Asia (3 Vols. Set)|year= 2005|publisher= Global Vision|location=New Delhi|isbn= 9788182200623|page= 55|edition= 1st|quote= The t'onir is a round hole dug in the ground, which can be used for baking Armenian flat bread (lavash) and for heating the home in winter.}} / Iran{{Cite journal|last=Karizaki|first=Vahid Mohammadpour|date=2017-03-01|title=Ethnic and traditional Iranian breads: different types, and historical and cultural aspects|journal=Journal of Ethnic Foods|volume=4|issue=1|pages=8–14|doi=10.1016/j.jef.2017.01.002|issn=2352-6181|quote=The origin of lavash is most probably from Iran, according to the state of the encyclopedia of Jewish food.|doi-access=free}}{{cite book |last=Marks |first=Gil|author-link=Gil Marks |date=2010 |title=Encyclopedia of Jewish Food |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gFK_yx7Ps7cC&pg=PT151 |publisher=Houghton Mifflin Harcourt |page=355 |isbn=978-0470391303}}{{cite book|last1=Reinhart|first1=Peter|title=The Bread Baker's Apprentice: Mastering the Art of Extraordinary Bread|date=2011|publisher=Potter/TenSpeed/Harmony|isbn=978-1607741299|page=178|quote="Lavash, though usually called Armenian flatbread, also has Iranian roots (...)"}}

| region = West Asia

| served = Hot or cold

}}

{{Infobox intangible heritage

| ICH = Lavash, the preparation, meaning and appearance of traditional bread as an expression of culture in Armenia

| State Party = Armenia

| ID = 00985

| Region = ENA

| Year = 2014

| Session = 9th

| List = Representative

}}

{{Infobox intangible heritage

| ICH = Flatbread making and sharing culture: Lavash, Katyrma, Jupka, Yufka

| Countries = Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Turkey

| ID = 01181

| Year = 2016

| Session = 11th

| List = Representative

}}

Lavash ({{langx|hy|լավաշ}}; {{Langx|fa|نان لواش}}) is a thin flatbread{{cite book|last1= Kipfer| first1= Barbara Ann|author-link1= Barbara Ann Kipfer|title= The Culinarian: A Kitchen Desk Reference|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=7xUafQwz2tkC| publisher= Houghton Mifflin Harcourt| publication-date= 2012|page= 334|isbn= 9780544186033|access-date= 2015-06-01|quote= LAVASH, LAVOSH, LAHVOSH, LAWAASH, or LAWASHA, also called ARMENIAN CRACKER BREAD, CRACKER BREAD, or PARAKI, is a round, thin Middle Eastern bread that is soft like a tortilla or hard like a cracker.|date=2012-04-11}} usually leavened, traditionally baked in a tandoor (tonir or tanoor) or on a sajj, and common to the cuisines of South Caucasus, West Asia, and the areas surrounding the Caspian Sea.{{cite book|author=Alan Davidson|title=The Oxford Companion to Food|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RL6LAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA459|date= 1999|publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn= 978-0192806819 |page=456 |quote=Lavash a thin crisp bread usually made with wheat flour made in a variety of shapes all over the regions of the South Caucasus, Iran (where it is often so thin as to be like tissue and can be almost seen through), and Afghanistan. It is leavened and baked in a tandoor. Lavash is served with kebabs and is used to scoop up food or wrap round food before being eaten. Its origins are ancient and it is also known as lavaş depending on the region. As in the other countries of this region large batches of this bread are made and stored for long periods. In Turkey they are stored on a board suspended by all four corners from the ceiling. The bread becomes dry and is restored by sprinkling with water and reheated as and when needed. Yufka is also a name for filo pastry.}}{{Cite book |title=Encyclopedia of Jewish Food |author=Gil Marks |publisher=John Wiley and Sons |year=2010 |page=355}}{{cite book|last1=Morgan|first1=Diane|title=Skinny Dips|date=2010|publisher=Chronicle Books|isbn=978-1452100241|page=14|quote=Lavash, lavosh, or lahvosh is a gigantic, paper-thin, blistery, tortilla-like flatbread common throughout Armenia, Turkey, and Iran.}} Lavash is one of the most widespread types of bread in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Iran, and Turkey.{{cite web|url=https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/tastes-memory-lavash-and-armenian-identity-180958673/|title=Tastes of Memory: How to Bake an Authentic Armenian Lavash|work=Smithsonian}} The traditional recipe can be adapted to the modern kitchen by using a griddle or wok instead of the tonir.{{Cite web|url=https://www.saveur.com/story/recipes/lavash/|title=Lavash|date=February 26, 2020}}

In 2014, "Lavash, the preparation, meaning and appearance of traditional bread as an expression of culture in Armenia" was inscribed in the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.{{cite web|title=Lavash, the preparation, meaning and appearance of traditional bread as an expression of culture in Armenia, Inscribed in 2014 (9.COM) on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Country(ies): Armenia|url= http://www.unesco.org/culture/ich/en/decisions/9.COM/10.3|website=unesco.org|access-date=16 March 2016|archive-date=March 17, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160317141436/http://www.unesco.org/culture/ich/en/decisions/9.COM/10.3}} In 2016, the making and sharing of flatbread (lavash, katyrma, jupka or yufka) in communities of Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Turkey was inscribed on the list as well.{{cite web|title=Flatbread making and sharing culture: Lavash, Katyrma, Jupka, Yufka|url= http://www.unesco.org/culture/ich/en/RL/flatbread-making-and-sharing-culture-lavash-katyrma-jupka-yufka-01181|website=unesco.org|access-date=1 December 2016|archive-date=1 December 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161201212008/http://www.unesco.org/culture/ich/en/RL/flatbread-making-and-sharing-culture-lavash-katyrma-jupka-yufka-01181}} Lavash is similar to yufka, but in Turkish cuisine lavash (lavaş) is prepared with a yeast dough while yufka is typically unleavened.{{Cite web|url=http://www.kulturportali.gov.tr/portal/inceekmekyapmavepaylasmakulturu|title=İNCE EKMEK YAPMA VE PAYLAŞMA KÜLTÜRÜ|website=Kültür Portalı}}

Etymology

Hrach Martirosyan tentatively connects Armenian {{wikt-lang|hy|լավաշ|lavash}} with dialectal {{lang|hy|լափ}} {{lang|hy-Latn|lapʿ}}, {{lang|hy|լուփ}} {{lang|hy-Latn|lupʿ}}, {{lang|hy|լովազ}} {{lang|hy-Latn|lovaz}} 'palm, flat of the hand', {{lang|hy|լափուկ}} {{lang|hy-Latn|lapʿuk}}, {{lang|hy|լեփուկ}} {{lang|hy-Latn|lepʿuk}} 'flat, polished stone for playing', {{lang|hy|լավազ}} {{lang|hy-Latn|lavaz}} 'very thin' and assumes derivation from Proto-Armenian {{lang|xcl|*law}} 'flat'. He remarks that semantically this is conceivable since this bread is specifically flat and thin.{{cite book |last1=Martirosyan |first1=Hrach |title=Etymological dictionary of the Armenian inherited lexicon |date=2011 |publisher=Brill |isbn=9789004173378 |page=305 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=340lAQAAMAAJ}}

Sevan Nişanyan connects the Persian word for lavash to the Aramaic {{lang|arc|לושׁ}} {{lang|arc-Latn|lwš}} root meaning 'to knead' and recorded al-Faraj ba'd ash-Shiddah from 1451 as the oldest text to use the term in Turkish.{{Cite web |title=lavaş |url=https://nisanyansozluk.com/?k=lava%C5%9F |website=Nişanyan Sözlük |access-date=2020-05-24}} Compare especially to Assyrian Neo-Aramaic {{lang|aii|ܠܵܘܵܫܵܐ}} lawasha, a flap of thin bread.{{Cite web |title=Search Entry |url=http://assyrianlanguages.org/sureth/dosearch.php?searchkey=24092&language=id |access-date=2023-02-05 |website=assyrianlanguages.org}}

History

Gil Marks traces the history of lavash to the early innovation of cooking thin flatbreads on terracotta griddles. The earliest forms of bread were cooked as cakes either on heated rocks or in embers, but when griddles started to be used breads had to be made thinner to fully cook through without burning like the bread rakik described in the Bible. With the innovation of early ovens, thicker loaves became possible.

According to The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language lavash is "a thin unleavened flatbread of Armenian origin".{{cite web |title=Lavash |website=The American Heritage Dictionary |url=https://www.ahdictionary.com/word/search.html?q=lavash&submit.x=0&submit.y=0}} In 2014, Lavash was described by the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity as "an expression of Armenian culture". This decision led to protests in Azerbaijan, Iran, Kyrgyzstan, and Kazakhstan over claims that the food was "regional", not "Armenian".{{cite news|last1=Lomsadze|first1=Giorgi|title=Armenia, Azerbaijan at Loggerheads Over Lavash|url=http://www.eurasianet.org/node/71171|access-date=December 10, 2016|work=EurasiaNet|date=December 3, 2014}}{{cite news|last1=McKernan|first1=Bethan|title=A 'pizza war' has broken out between Turkey and Armenia|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/pizza-war-breaks-out-between-turkey-and-armenia-a7383471.html|access-date=10 December 2016|work=The Independent|date=27 October 2016}}

The origin of lavash is often attributed to Armenia,{{cite book|author=Sergio O. Serna-Saldivar|title=Cereal Grains: Laboratory Reference and Procedures Manual.|publisher=CRC Press|year=2012|isbn=9781439855652|page=217|quote=Lavash is another popular flat cracker bread with ancient roots in Armenia.}}{{cite book|editor=Albala, Ken|title=Food Cultures of the World Encyclopedia, Volume 1|publisher=Greenwood Press |location=Santa Barbara, California|isbn=9780313376269|page=5|quote=...on lavash, a traditional flatbread of Armenia similar to tortilla...}}{{cite book|last=Goldstein|first=Darra|title=A Taste of Russia: A Cookbook of Russian Hospitality|year=1999|publisher=Russian Life Books|location=Montpelier, VT|isbn=9781880100424|page=[https://archive.org/details/tasteofrussia00darr/page/185 185]|edition=2nd|quote=Armenian Flat Bread Lavash: Lavash has been baked for centuries in Armenia.|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/tasteofrussia00darr/page/185}}{{cite book|last= Khanam|first=R.|title= Encycl. Ethnography Of Middle-East And Central Asia (3 Vols. Set)|year= 2005|publisher= Global Vision|location=New Delhi|isbn= 9788182200623|page= 55|edition= 1st|quote= The t'onir is a round hole dug in the ground, which can be used for baking Armenian flat bread (lavash) and for heating the home in winter.}} or Iran.{{Cite journal|last=Karizaki|first=Vahid Mohammadpour|date=2017-03-01|title=Ethnic and traditional Iranian breads: different types, and historical and cultural aspects|journal=Journal of Ethnic Foods|volume=4|issue=1|pages=8–14|doi=10.1016/j.jef.2017.01.002|issn=2352-6181|quote=The origin of lavash is most probably from Iran, according to the state of the encyclopedia of Jewish food.|doi-access=free}}{{cite book |last=Marks |first=Gil|author-link=Gil Marks |date=2010 |title=Encyclopedia of Jewish Food |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gFK_yx7Ps7cC&pg=PT151 |publisher=Houghton Mifflin Harcourt |page=355 |isbn=978-0470391303}}{{cite book|last1=Reinhart|first1=Peter|title=The Bread Baker's Apprentice: Mastering the Art of Extraordinary Bread|date=2011|publisher=Potter/TenSpeed/Harmony|isbn=978-1607741299|page=178|quote="Lavash, though usually called Armenian flatbread, also has Iranian roots (...)"}} Food historian Gil Marks identifies the origin more generally as the Middle East.

Preparation

Lavash is made with flour, water, yeast, sugar and salt. It can also be made in an unleavened version by omitting sugar and yeast.{{Cite web|url=https://www.hurriyet.com.tr/lezizz/mayasiz-lavas-ekmek-tarifi-41496160|title=Mayasız lavaş ekmek tarifi|website=www.hurriyet.com.tr|date=16 April 2020}} Toasted sesame seeds and/or poppy seeds are sometimes sprinkled on before baking. Traditionally the dough is rolled out flat and slapped against the hot walls of a clay oven, but modern recipes may adapt for cooking on a wok or tava.{{Cn|date=March 2025}}

Making of lavash.ogv|Two women making lavash in a small restaurant in Yerevan, Armenia

Fabrication du lavash à Noravank (1).jpg|Lavash making in Armenia

Azərbaycan Lavaşı.jpg|Lavash making in Lahıc, Ismailli, Azerbaijan

Usage

While quite flexible when fresh, lavash dries out quickly and becomes brittle and hard. The soft form is easier to use when making wrap sandwiches.{{Cn|date=March 2025}}

In Armenian villages, dried lavash is stacked high in layers to be used later, and when the time comes to rehydrate the bread, it is sprinkled with water to make it softer again. The dried bread is broken up into {{lang|hy-Latn|khash}} ({{lang|hy|խաշ}}), while fresh lavash is used to wrap the Armenian specialty dish {{lang|hy-Latn|khorovats}} ({{lang|hy|խորոված}}) and to make other wraps with herbs and cheese.{{Cn|date=March 2025}}

In Iran, Turkey and some Middle Eastern countries lavash is used with kebabs to make {{lang|tr|dürüm}} wraps like {{lang|tr|tantuni}}. In its dry form, leftover lavash is used in Iran to make quick meals after being rehydrated with water, butter, or cheese.{{Cn|date=March 2025}}

In Turkish cuisine {{lang|tr|lavaş}} can be used also for sweet dishes and served alongside some traditional Turkish dessert dishes like {{lang|tr|kaysefe}}, {{lang|tr|hasude}}, {{lang|tr|pestil kavurması}} ('braised fruit leather'), {{lang|tr|ağuz}} and {{lang|tr|helva}}.{{cite book|title=Her Yönü ile Ani |date=2019 |publisher=TTOK}}

In Kashmiri cuisine, lavas is traditionally used with the morning tea, also known as Noon Chai or Sheer Chai.{{Cite web |title=From Lavasa to Sheermal: Journey Through Kashmir's Bread Culture |url=https://www.slurrp.com/article/from-lavasa-to-sheermal-journey-through-kashmirs-bread-culture-1681137291276 |access-date=2024-03-08 |website=Slurrp |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Gull |first=Murtaza |date=2019-01-12 |title=Into The Heart of Kashmir Culture- Kashmiri Bakery |url=https://thekashmiriyat.co.uk/into-the-heart-of-kashmir-culture-kashmiri-bakery/ |access-date=2024-03-08 |website=The Kashmiriyat |language=en-US}}

In modern recipes lavash can be used like pizza dough.{{cite news |url=https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1014102-lavash-pizza-with-tomatoes-mozzarella-and-goat-cheese |title=Lavash Pizza With Tomatoes, Mozzarella and Goat Cheese |first=Martha Rose |last=Shulman |work=The New York Times |date=2010-10-26}}

Traditions and customs

In Armenia, it is traditional for the mother of the groom to feed the newly wed couple lavash and honey as a wish of good fortune, fertility and sweetness for the couple.{{citation needed|date=July 2023}} Dried lavash can be stored over a long time period (almost one year) and is used instead of leavened bread{{citation needed|date=April 2020}} in Eucharist traditions by the Armenian Apostolic Church.{{citation needed|date=April 2020}}

In Sabirabad District of Azerbaijan after a wedding when the bride comes into her new house, her mother-in-law puts lavash on her shoulder and says: "Let you come to the house of wealth, let your foot be lucky".Кулиева Н. М. Современная сельская семья и семейный быт в Азербайджане / Под ред. доктора исторических наук Т. Г. Мусаевой. — Б.: «Элм», 2011. — С. 97. In the Novkhani settlement, after a funeral, it is customary for people to prepare kyulchya, which sometimes consists of halva wrapped up in lavash.Кулиева Н. М. Современная сельская семья и семейный быт в Азербайджане / Под ред. доктора исторических наук Т. Г. Мусаевой. — Б.: «Элм», 2011. — С. 122.

In art

Women baking lavash is a common theme that has inspired Armenian painters. One such portrait by the famous Soviet-era painter Minas Avetisyan is displayed at the National Museum of Art in Yerevan. A print of the painting Armenian Ladies Baking Lavash by Armenian American artist Manuel Tolegian was selected by U.S. President Gerald Ford to hang in the White House Bicentennial Collection. The weekend open-air arts-and-crafts market in downtown Yerevan offers many lavash-related paintings and handiworks, with renditions of happy women making lavash having become a common sight.{{Cite news | url = https://armenia.travel/en/lavash | title = Lavash | access-date = 2021-07-28 | archive-date = 2022-02-13 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220213142718/https://armenia.travel/en/lavash |url-status=dead}}

References

External links

[https://explorepartsunknown.com/armenia/lavash-understanding-armenias-bread-obsession/ Lavash: Understanding Armenia's bread obsession]
[https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/lavash-trail-armenia-180968864/ On the Lavash Trail in Armenia]
[http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/lavash Lavash] in Dictionary.com

Category:Flatbreads

Category:Armenian breads

Category:Assyrian cuisine

Category:Azerbaijani cuisine

Category:Iranian cuisine

Category:Iranian breads

Category:Iraqi cuisine

Category:Middle Eastern cuisine

Category:Turkish cuisine

Category:Kashmiri cuisine

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