Lusine: True taste of Armenian cuisine

JEDDAH. KAZINFORM 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, Arab News reports.

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.