Lavash: The Bread That Launched 1000 Meals
In 2015 while on a flight to Yangon for the Burma Superstar cookbook, photographer John Lee and I started talking about how much we loved Armenian food. I had only met John a couple of times before this flight, but you can find out a lot about someone when you're stuck in an airplane for hours.
I explained that I had written an entire research paper about the Armenian food and cultural identity as an undergraduate at UCDavis. John filled me in on his recent trip to Yerevan, Armenia's capital, where he taught a food photography workshop to Armenian high-school kids through an amazing after-school education organization called TUMO. Could we turn John’s initial inspiration into a cookbook?
After many weeks of talking to other people about Armenian food, John met Ara Zada, a chef in Southern California. Ara is Armenian-American and grew up going to Armenian school though seventh grade. The team started to take shape: Me, the cookbook writer; John, the photographer; and Ara, the chef. Then we had to figure out the next big step: how would we get recipes? It turns out that when we got to Armenia, people really did open the door to us to show us how they cook. It sounds a bit hyperbolic, but working on Lavash was the adventure of a lifetime.
See our news series of cooking videos inspired by the book here.
Our Lavash team on the road in Armenia
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"Lavash is an incredibly complete book of foods from Armenia, part cookbook, part coffee-table photo journal, and part history book. The culinary culture of Armenia is ancient, profound, and a doorway to understanding the people and culture of that country--and this book and John Lee's incredible photos truly do justice to this culinary tradition.—Serj Tankian, poet, visual artist, activist, composer, and lead vocalist for System of a Down
"At last, Armenian food gets its due! Lavash takes us on a captivating journey through Armenia, sharing stories of this ancient land's history and people, along with the secrets of its remarkable cuisine. The flatbread recipes alone are worth the price of the book, but there's so much more revealed here--piquant salads, whole-grain porridges, and soothing soups and stews. This eye-opening book belongs on every library shelf and kitchen counter." —Darra Goldstein, Founding Editor of Gastronomica: The Journal of Food and Culture
"Lavash is a beautiful love letter to Armenian food--bright, layered, soulful--and its culture and hospitality. Through its words, photographs, and, of course, recipes, Lavash brings a vividness to this special place at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. It's a must read for all lovers of food and travel." —Anna Jones, author of The Modern Cook's Year
"Lavash takes readers on a colorful culinary journey to Armenia, past and present. From its investigation into the history of that part of the world to its vivid images and diverse recipes, this book explores what Armenian cuisine looks like today in a very authentic and beautiful way." —Marcus Samuelsson, award-winning chef, restauranteur, and co-owner of Red Rooster Harlem
"Much more than simply a cookbook, Lavash is a living portrait of Armenia, its people, and its history, illustrated through its culinary heritage. With each turn of the page, the careful selection of recipes, narrative, and imagery unfolds the country's complexity and beauty." —Halle Butvin, Director of the Cultural Sustainability Program, Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage