On November 1, 2024, a conference in Yerevan dedicated to the concept for developing Armenian national cuisine featured the presentation of bilingual (Armenian-English) recipe books from Tavush, Lori, Vayots Dzor, and Syunik. The recipes were collected by “Development and Preservation of Armenian Culinary Traditions” NGO and published with support from “Strategic Development Agency” NGO within the frameworks of "Living Landscapes for Market Development in Armenia" (LILA) project.
Alla Ghazaryan, coordinator of LILA project component implemented by SDA highlighted, “The unique aspect of these publications is that we will be promoting the development of gastro-tourism at an intensive and state level in Armenia. Our regions are quite underdeveloped in this respect because national cuisine is not adequately presented, and these books can help fill that gap. The books are unique guides for chefs, helping to build skills, enrich knowledge, and update menus.” She also mentioned that the books include not only recipes but also fascinating historical and cultural insights about them.
The books are not for sale; they will be distributed to Tourism Committee, travel agencies, international organizations, colleges, and governmental institutions.
During the event, the strategic concept for developing Armenian national cuisine created by “Development and Preservation of Armenian Culinary Traditions” and “Armenian Tourism Federation” NGOs was also presented. The five-year strategic concept aims to preserve, develop, and promote Armenian cuisine, support sustainable inbound tourism development, ensure public health, popularize national dishes, and preserve and promote endemic plant and fruit species unique to Armenia's natural environment.
Sedrak Mamulyan, President of “Development and Preservation of Armenian Culinary Traditions” NGO stated, “We often complain that our dishes are being stolen. Our cuisine is not well represented or popularized worldwide, and culinary education is insufficient. This initiative is about moving from talk to action.”
Deputy Minister of Education, Science, Culture, and Sports Araksia Svajyan, in her welcoming speech, emphasized, “We have set a serious goal to develop culinary education in primary and secondary vocational institutions. In this context, culinary arts are among the most important professions, providing opportunities for students to acquire practical skills directly and to enter the job market better prepared.”
Ursula LÄUBLI, Deputy Regional Director Swiss Cooperation Office for the South Caucasus and also Deputy Ambassador of Switzerland in Armenia, expressed her admiration for Armenian cuisine: “I really love Armenian cuisine. What impressed me in the books is the well-presented recipes for vegetable-rich dishes, which are not widely known but are very healthy.”
Mehak Apresyan, President of “Armenian Tourism Federation” NGO delivered a report on “National Cuisine and Tourism” emphasizing the significance of the concept for tourism development: “It is difficult to imagine tourism without cuisine, and sustainable tourism development without a strategic concept for Armenian cuisine and its implementation is equally challenging.”
At the end of the event, guests enjoyed dishes and desserts made from recipes of the regional cuisines of Lori, Tavush, and Vayots Dzor. They also sampled wines from "Kria" range, a partner of LILA project.
The books on the cuisines of Tavush, Lori, and Vayots Dzor were published by “Strategic Development Agency” NGO within the framework of LILA project, while the book on Syunik cuisine was produced under RECONOMY pilot project within “Skills and Knowledge Development” project.
LILA project is funded by the Swiss government through the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and implemented by WWF Caucasus and WWF Armenia in partnership with “Strategic Development Agency”NGO.
November 06, 2024 at 16:23