Lavash

Lavash(Armenian:լավաշ;Persian:نان لواش) is a thinflatbreadusuallyleavened, traditionally baked in atandoor(tonirortanoor) or on asajj, and common to the cuisines ofSouth Caucasus,West Asia, and the areas surrounding theCaspian Sea.Lavash is one of the most widespread types of bread inArmenia,Azerbaijan,IranandTurkey.The traditional recipe can be adapted to the modern kitchen by using agriddleorwokinstead of thetonir.
In 2014, "Lavash, the preparation, meaning and appearance of traditional bread as an expression of culture in Armenia" was inscribed in theUNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.In 2016, making and sharing flatbread (lavash, katyrma, jupka oryufka) in communities of Azerbaijan, Iran,Kazakhstan,Kyrgyzstanand Turkey was inscribed on the list as well.Lavash is similar toyufka, but inTurkish cuisinelavash (lavaş) is prepared with a yeast dough whileyufkais typically unleavened.
Hrach Martirosyantentatively connectsArmenianlavashwith dialectalլափlapʿ,լուփlupʿ,լովազlovaz'palm, flat of the hand',լափուկlapʿuk,լեփուկlepʿuk'flat, polished stone for playing',լավազlavaz'very thin' and assumes derivation fromProto-Armenian*law'flat'. He remarks that semantically this is conceivable since this bread is specifically flat and thin.
Sevan Nişanyanconnects the Persian word for lavash to theAramaicלושׁlwšroot meaning 'to knead' and recordedal-Faraj ba'd ash-Shiddahfrom 1451 as the oldest text to use the term in Turkish.Compare especially toAssyrian Neo-Aramaicܠܵܘܵܫܵܐlawasha,a flap of thin bread.
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 breadrakikdescribed in theBible. With the innovation of early ovens, thicker loaves became possible.
According toThe American Heritage Dictionary of the English Languagelavash is "a thin unleavened flatbread of Armenian origin".In 2014, Lavash was described by theIntangible Cultural Heritage of Humanityas "an expression of Armenian culture". This decision led to protests inAzerbaijan,Iran,Kyrgyzstan, andKazakhstanover claims that the food was "regional", not "Armenian".
The origin of lavash is often attributed toArmenia,orIran.Food historianGil Marksidentifies the origin more generally as the Middle East.
Lavash is made withflour,water,yeast,sugarandsalt. It can also be made in an unleavened version by omitting sugar and yeast.Toastedsesame seedsand/orpoppy seedsare sometimes sprinkled on before baking. Traditionally the dough is rolled out flat and slapped against the hot walls of aclay oven, but modern recipes may adapt for cooking on a wok ortava.
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.
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 intokhash(խաշ), while fresh lavash is used to wrap theArmenianspecialty dishkhorovats(խորոված) and to make other wraps with herbs and cheese.
In Iran, Turkey and some Middle Eastern countries lavash is used withkebabsto makedürümwraps liketantuni. In its dry form, leftover lavash is used in Iran to make quick meals after being rehydrated with water, butter, or cheese.
InTurkish cuisinelavaşcan be used also for sweet dishes and served alongside some traditionalTurkish dessertdishes likekaysefe,hasude,pestilkavurması('braised fruit leather'),ağuzandhelva.
In Kashmiri cuisine, lavas is traditionally used with the morning tea, also known asNoon ChaiorSheer Chai.
In modern recipes lavash can be used likepizza dough.
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.Dried lavash can be stored over a long time period (almost one year) and is used instead of leavened breadinEucharisttraditions by theArmenian Apostolic Church.
InSabirabad DistrictofAzerbaijanafter aweddingwhen 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".In theNovkhanisettlement, after a funeral, it is customary for people to preparekyulchya, which sometimes consists ofhalvawrapped up in lavash.
Women baking lavash is a common theme that has inspired Armenian painters. One such portrait by the famous Soviet-era painter Minas Minassian is displayed at theNational Museum of ArtinYerevan. A print of the paintingArmenian Ladies Baking Lavashby Armenian American artistManuel Tolegianwas selected by U.S. PresidentGerald Fordto hang in theWhite HouseBicentennial 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.