Today, I felt like making some Armenian desserts. It was quite an adventure, so let me walk you through it.
First, I hit the internet to figure out what to make. I stumbled upon this thing called Paklava, or Baklava as some folks call it. It sounded delicious – flaky dough, chopped nuts, cinnamon, and a sweet syrup. Sounded like a winner!
Then, I started digging a bit more and found out that Baklava is a big deal not just in Armenia but all over the Middle East and Mediterranean. It’s made with thin, flaky phyllo dough, layered with walnuts or pistachios, and spiced up with honey or a fragrant sugar syrup. It was decided, and I must try to make this one!
But my journey didn’t stop there. I came across another one called “Khorovats” – a local shish kebab. It’s apparently the most popular traditional Armenian food, a must-try for tourists, and it’s everywhere – in restaurants and at family celebrations. Well, my goal was dessert, so I put this one on the back burner for now, but I might give it a go another day.
Next, I learned about Harissa, a thick porridge made of wheat and meat. It’s cooked for a long time, traditionally in a tonir, but these days, people use a stove. They call it the “national dish” of Armenians. Again, not a dessert, so I moved on.
Then came Gata – the most famous Armenian pastry, a sweet bread. The description was simple. It got my attention. This one seemed easy enough, so I decided to add it to my list.
My Baking Adventure
- Gathering Ingredients: First, I made sure I had all the ingredients for Paklava and Gata. For Paklava, it was phyllo dough, walnuts, cinnamon, and stuff for the syrup. For Gata, it was the usual baking stuff – flour, sugar, butter, you know.
- Making Paklava: I carefully layered the phyllo dough, brushed each layer with melted butter, and sprinkled the chopped walnuts and cinnamon in the middle. Then, I baked it until it was golden and crispy. While it was baking, I whipped up a simple syrup with sugar and water, and poured it over the hot Paklava as soon as it came out of the oven. It looked and smelled amazing!
- Baking Gata: Gata was simpler. I mixed the ingredients to make a dough, rolled it out, and baked it. It turned out to be a lovely, slightly sweet bread.
In the end, I had a tray of beautiful, golden Paklava and a loaf of delicious Gata. Tasting them was the best part. The Paklava was sweet, nutty, and flaky – just perfect. The Gata was soft and had a comforting, homemade taste. I felt pretty proud of myself for pulling it off. It was a fun and tasty experience, baking these Armenian desserts. Definitely trying more recipes in the future!
