Spoil Your Taste Buds In Lori

There is nothing more delicious and healthier than homemade natural food, especially dairy products. That is one of the secrets of villagers’ long-living energy. As a part of your morning activity or breakfast you can have a hands-on experience in making homemade string cheese or sour cream with fresh milk. The process is both educational and entertaining. The local host will tell you the traditional way of milk processing and demonstrate the technique. You will be able to participate in the process and later taste the delicious outcome of your efforts which will surprise you with its delicious taste. You can also take some of the self-made products to the next destination to enjoy it with freshly baked bread.

Traditionally bread baking has been considered one of the most important skills of every woman in Armenia. In Armenian families, the bread is treated as holiness, and its baking process is a real ceremony. Nowadays, very few families bake bread as they used to, but here you stand a chance to experience it yourself. Bread has been baked in a pur- a brick oven, mainly typical to the Lori region. The host will tell you how the dough is made, and you will be able to place the shaped dough into the hot oven. The air will be filled with the delicious aromas of the bread. After staying on the hot brick for some time, the bread is ready and can be taken out. Right after baking the bread, we will try hot bread with some cheese.

Your next stop is at Haghpat village, which hosts one of the UNESCO World Heritage sites-Haghpat monastery. Before starting the main cooking class, it is worth visiting the monastery and admiring the picturesque beauty of the complex. After a short walking tour, you will be hosted by Qefilyan hotel to learn how to cook one of the iconic and most delicious Armenian dishes called Ghapama- even the subject of a popular Armenian song. Ghapama is a staffed pumpkin with rice, various local dried fruits, nuts, and honey. You will place the pumpkin in the hot oven to cook, and its crust gradually will become golden brown. This richly flavored dish is both filling and healthy and pleases even the most discriminating palates. You will enjoy Ghapama with some other typical Armenian dishes as your lunch showcasing the rich culinary culture and tastes of Armenia.

On your way back from Haghpat, you can have a short stop at the Zarni-Parni cave-fortress complex, one of the mysterious corners of the Lori region. It is a sort of a historical museum that features hundreds of unique exhibits, agricultural tools, and equipment, including household items, kitchenware, pitchers, large wine jars, and a big number of other articles representing the culture and daily life of the local people. Here you will see some of the ascenders of the modern kitchen utensils.

Akhtala is one of the splendid corners of northern Armenia, where you can engage with Armenian history and culture. It is the home to one of the most important medieval fortresses of Armenia, as well as the monastery, which has preserved the frescos astonishing by their brightness and art performance. Nurik Center is situated just next to the fortress, which offers several traditional Armenian dishes cooked in a modern way. Based on your choice, you can participate in the cooking class of tolmaa, barbecue, fish, chicken, or some other dish guided by the owner-host of the center. Each of the culinary classes at the Nurik Center includes not only the preparation of a dish, but also learning about Lori’s rich and diverse culinary traditions, their peculiarities, and their local secrets. You can enjoy your dish or a dessert with a cup of herbal tea while enjoying the view of the monastic complex, unfolding from the center’s windows.