From April 15–18, a culinary training course titled “Sedrak Mamulyan’s Culinary Knowledge” was held in Areni, Vayots Dzor Region, for individuals forcibly displaced from Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh). The course was organized within the framework of “Living Landscapes for Market Development in Armenia” (LILA) project,.
The training was led by Sedrak Mamulyan, President of “Development and Preservation of Armenian Culinary Traditions” NGO, who introduced participants to the historical and cultural characteristics of Armenian cuisine, the components of national dishes, rules for using spices, and the basics of food safety.
The theoretical segment was followed by a hands-on workshop, during which participants, with the support of Sedrak Mamulyan and assistant Anyuta Matevosyan, prepared traditional dishes, applying the newly acquired knowledge and skills.
This initiative aligns with the core objectives of LILA project, which aims to foster nature- and culture-based tourism through community-driven solutions.
“The short-term training courses organized within the project are designed to help displaced people from Artsakh gain skills relevant to employment in the hospitality and culinary tourism sectors,” noted Alla Ghazaryan, Coordinator of LILA project.
“Given the project’s interventions in hospitality and gastronomic tourism in Vayots Dzor, and the readiness of partner organizations, the trained participants from Artsakh now have the opportunity to find employment in their host communities,” she added.
According to Alla Ghazaryan, the training provided an opportunity for participants to explore and prepare traditional Armenian dishes, learn the technical processes involved, and strengthen their capacities for future employment in the tourism sector.
At the conclusion of the training, all participants received certificates of completion.
“Living Landscapes for Market Development in Armenia” (LILA) project is funded by the Government of Switzerland through the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), and implemented by the WWF Caucasus and WWF-Armenia offices in partnership with the Strategic Development Agency NGO.
May 13, 2025 at 10:54