page_title: Armenian cuisine
section_title: Doughs
hierarchical_section_title: Armenian cuisine / Doughs
caption_attribution_description: Photograph by en:user:Augustgrahl of choereg at an Armenian-American Easter celebration.
context_page_description: Armenian cuisine includes the foods and cooking techniques of the Armenian people and traditional Armenian foods and dishes. The cuisine reflects the history and geography where Armenians have lived as well as sharing outside influences from European and Levantine cuisines. The cuisine also reflects the traditional crops and animals grown and raised in Armenian populated areas.
  The preparation of meat, fish, and vegetable dishes in an Armenian kitchen often requires stuffing, frothing, and puréeing. Lamb, eggplant, and bread are basic features of Armenian cuisine. Armenians traditionally prefer cracked wheat to maize and rice. The flavor of the food often relies on the quality and freshness of the ingredients rather than on excessive use of spices.
  Fresh herbs are used extensively, both in the food and as accompaniments. Dried herbs are used in the winter, when fresh herbs are not available. Wheat is the primary grain and is found in a variety of forms, such as: whole wheat, shelled wheat, bulgur, semolina, farina, and flour. Historically, rice was used mostly in the cities and in certain rice-growing areas.
context_section_description: Kocagormez, which means "husband doesn't see" in Turkish, is a dough-based dish; the anecdotal tale behind this particular dough is that it is named for a woman who always prepares meat dishes when her husband is home, but eats this simple dough herself to conserve the resources of the household.
  Matnakash (Armenian: մատնաքաշ matnak’aš) – soft and puffy leavened bread, made of wheat flour and shaped into oval or round loaves; the characteristic golden or golden-brown crust is achieved by coating the surface of the loaves with sweetened tea essence before baking.
  Bagharch (Armenian: բաղարջ) – ritual bread prepared for New Year's Eve, Mid-Lent, etc.
  Choereg (or choreg) – braided bread formed into rolls or loaves, also a traditional loaf for Easter.
  Zhingyalov hats (Armenian: Ժինգյալով հաց) - Not entirely a bread you would eat with your everyday meal. Zhingyalov hac is an Armenian dish that is made with dough, dried cranberry, pomegranate molasses, that go inside the dough, and 7 different greens which include spinach, coriander, parsley, basil, scallions, dill, mint. There is a variety of combinations that can be used in the bread and these greens can easily be substituted for other greens. The greens are placed in the bread and the bread is folded like a calzone.
caption: Choreg at an Armenian Easter celebration
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