Wine & gastronomy
A morning through the markets of Yerevan, then an afternoon in a family kitchen making dolma, tonir bread and gata from scratch.
Duration
6 hours
Group
Small group, max 8
Difficulty
Easy
Languages
EN · RU · DE · FR · IT · ES
Worth knowingVegetarian and vegan versions are genuinely good rather than an afterthought — Armenian fasting cookery is a whole tradition. Tell us when booking and we will plan the menu around it.
We start where Armenians actually shop. Pyramids of sujukh — walnut strings dipped again and again in thickened grape must — hang from the stalls like candles, and every vendor will press a slice of dried peach or a spoon of syrup on you before you have asked a price. We buy what we are cooking with.
Sumac, dried tarragon, purple basil, blue fenugreek, and the sour plum sheets called *tkemali* in the region. Your guide will explain what each does and which ones travel well in a suitcase.
A family home with a working tonir sunk into the floor. You will roll and bake lavash — the making of it is on UNESCO's intangible heritage list — and it comes out of the fire in about forty seconds.
Wrapping dolma in grape leaves takes everyone a few attempts and then suddenly clicks. Depending on the season we also make ghapama, the pumpkin baked with rice and dried fruit, or harissa, or a summer vegetable stew.
A sweet bread with a butter-and-sugar filling, patterned on top with a fork, and Armenian coffee made in a *jazve* in hot sand.
You sit down and eat what you made, with Areni wine and a good deal of talking. You leave with the recipes.
In the price
Not included
Stops in the order we visit them. Distances are indicative, not a driving route.
You might also like
Classic Armenia
Armenia's only standing Greco-Roman temple, a monastery carved into solid rock, and bread pulled hot from a clay pit oven.
Yerevan
A half day through the pink tuff city Alexander Tamanyan drew in 1924, ending in the cellars where Armenian brandy has been made since 1887.
Wine & gastronomy
A full day in the valley where wine has been made for six thousand years — three producers, an ancient cave, and a long lunch under a vine.
Want it privately?
Your own vehicle and guide, your own start time, and the freedom to linger where it is worth lingering.