The tradition of cultivating and using edible plants in Armenia

The tradition of cultivating and using edible plants in Armenia

Element not inscribed on the National Registry of ICH of Armenia

Domain: National Cuisine

Along with many homogeneous cuisines, the Armenian cuisine has always stood out with its delicate art of taste, and the ways of cooking many dishes have hardly changed, all the secrets of the cuisine are passed down through the generations.

When listing the peculiarities of Armenian cuisine, we should emphasize the fact that in Armenian culture, cuisine is closely connected with hospitality.

Armenian cuisine is special with the abundance of edible plants. Many edible plants can be found in the Armenian mountains. Some of them stand out with their unique aroma and taste. Historical data show that the Armenian people have used a large number of wild edible plants along with cultivated vegetables and greens for centuries. Wild edible plants contain a powerful assortment of vitamins and their use in Armenian cuisine is physiologically justified.

The number of edible plant species used by the Armenian people is very large, it is more than 300 names of edible plants. In general, out of 3500 plant specimens growing in Armenia, about 2500 have medicinal value. In addition, more than 110 of the plant species growing in Armenia are endemic (growing only in Armenia). Wild useful plants currently make up 10-15% of the traditional diet of the Armenian people. In the Republic of Armenia, 387 of the mentioned plant species are mentioned in the “Red Book”, which are mainly plants or medicinal plants used in food. The secret of the longevity of the poor Armenians, the mountain dwellers, is conditioned by that.

Photos

Festival of Edible Plants in Armenian Cuisine in Dsegh village of Lori region