
Chefs and bakers fleeing the civil war are transforming Yerevan’s food culture with new eateries offering Middle Eastern recipes. Eurasianet.org reports
At his lahmajoon bistro in the centre of Yerevan, 28-year-old Gaidzak Jabakhtchurian is adding a layer of spiced meat paste to a dough base. Four years ago, Jabakhtchurian and his family left their two bakeries in Aleppo, home to many of Syria’s ethnic Armenians, and moved here to escape the fighting.
The Jabakhtchurians are among thousands of Syrian refugees in Armenia, bringing with them new flavours and cooking styles to a country more accustomed to milder cuisine.