Lavash: Difference between revisions

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{{Short description|Baked thin flatbread common in many areas}}

{{About||the Caribbean island|Lavash Island|the cheese|Lavaş cheese}}

{{About|the flatbread|the Caribbean island|Lavash Island}}

{{Redirect|Lavaş|the cheese|Lavaş cheese|other uses|Lavas (disambiguation)}}

{{Infobox food

| name = Lavash

| image = Lavash, Temple Fortune, London (4444275978).jpg

| type = Flatbread

| place_of_origin = [[Armenia]]<ref name="Lavash" /><ref>Lavash is another popular flat cracker bread with ancient roots in Armenia.</ref><ref name="Albala">{{cite book|editor=Albala, Ken|title=Food Cultures of the World Encyclopedia, Volume 1|publisher=[[Greenwood Press]] |___location=[[Santa Barbara, California]]|isbn=9780313376269|page=5|quote=...on ''lavash'', a traditional flatbread of Armenia similar to tortilla...}}</ref><ref name="Goldstein 1999 https://archive.org/details/tasteofrussia00darr/page/185 185">{{cite book|last=Goldstein|first=Darra|title=A Taste of Russia: A Cookbook of Russian Hospitality|year=1999|publisher=Russian Life Books|___location=Montpelier, VT|isbn=9781880100424|page=[https://archive.org/details/tasteofrussia00darr/page/185 185]|edition=2nd|quote=Armenian Flat Bread Lavash: Lavash has been baked for centuries in Armenia.|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/tasteofrussia00darr/page/185}}</ref><ref name="Khanam">{{cite book|last= Khanam|first=R.|title= Encycl. Ethnography Of Middle-East And Central Asia (3 Vols. Set)|year= 2005|publisher= Global Vision|___location=New Delhi|isbn= 9788182200623|page= 55|edition= 1st|quote= The t'onir is a round hole dug in the ground, which can be used for baking Armenian flat bread (lavash) and for heating the home in winter.}}</ref> / [[Iran]]<ref name="Karizaki 8–14">{{Cite journal|last=Karizaki|first=Vahid Mohammadpour|date=2017-03-01|title=Ethnic and traditional Iranian breads: different types, and historical and cultural aspects|journal=Journal of Ethnic Foods|volume=4|issue=1|pages=8–14|doi=10.1016/j.jef.2017.01.002|issn=2352-6181|quote=The origin of lavash is most probably from Iran, according to the state of the encyclopedia of Jewish food.|doi-access=free}}</ref><ref name=marks>{{cite book |last=Marks |first=Gil|author-link=Gil Marks |date=2010 |title=Encyclopedia of Jewish Food |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gFK_yx7Ps7cC&pg=PT151 |publisher=[[Houghton Mifflin Harcourt]] |page=355 |isbn=978-0470391303}}</ref><ref name="Potter/TenSpeed/Harmony">{{cite book|last1=Reinhart|first1=Peter|title=The Bread Baker's Apprentice: Mastering the Art of Extraordinary Bread|date=2011|publisher=Potter/TenSpeed/Harmony|isbn=978-1607741299|page=178|quote="Lavash, though usually called Armenian flatbread, also has Iranian roots (...)"}}</ref>

| region = [[West Asia]]

| served = Hot or cold

}}

{{Infobox intangible heritage

| ICH = Lavash, the preparation, meaning and appearance of traditional bread as an expression of culture in Armenia

| Image = [[File:Pan armenio en el mercado de Yerevan.JPG|250px]]

| Caption = Different varieties of Lavash sold in [[Yerevan]]

| ICH = Lavash

| State Party = Armenia

| DomainsID = Food00985

| Criteria =

| ID = 985

| Region = ENA

| Year = 2014

| Session = 9th

| List = Representative

}}

| Link = http://www.unesco.org/culture/ich/en/RL/00985

{{Infobox intangible heritage

| Below =

| ICH = Flatbread making and sharing culture: Lavash, Katyrma, Jupka, Yufka

| Note =

| Countries = [[Azerbaijan]], [[Iran]], [[Kazakhstan]], [[Kyrgyzstan]], and [[Turkey]]

| ID = 01181

| Year = 2016

| Session = 11th

| List = Representative

}}

'''Lavash''' ({{langx|hy|լավաշ}}; {{Langx|fa|نان لواش}}) is a thin [[flatbread]]<ref>{{cite book|last1= Kipfer| first1= Barbara Ann|author-link1= Barbara Ann Kipfer|title= The Culinarian: A Kitchen Desk Reference|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=7xUafQwz2tkC| publisher= Houghton Mifflin Harcourt| publication-date= 2012|page= 334|isbn= 9780544186033|access-date= 2015-06-01|quote= LAVASH, LAVOSH, LAHVOSH, LAWAASH, or LAWASHA, also called ARMENIAN CRACKER BREAD, CRACKER BREAD, or PARAKI, is a round, thin Middle Eastern bread that is soft like a tortilla or hard like a cracker.|date=2012-04-11}}</ref> usually [[leavened]], traditionally baked in a [[tandoor]] (''tonir'' or ''tanoor'') or on a ''[[sajj]]'', and common to the cuisines of [[South Caucasus]], [[West Asia]], and the areas surrounding the [[Caspian Sea]].<ref>{{cite book|author=Alan Davidson|title=The Oxford Companion to Food|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RL6LAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA459|date= 1999|publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn= 978-0192806819 |page=456 |quote=Lavash a thin crisp bread usually made with wheat flour made in a variety of shapes all over the regions of the South Caucasus, Iran (where it is often so thin as to be like tissue and can be almost seen through), and Afghanistan. It is leavened and baked in a tandoor. Lavash is served with kebabs and is used to scoop up food or wrap round food before being eaten. Its origins are ancient and it is also known as lavaş depending on the region. As in the other countries of this region large batches of this bread are made and stored for long periods. In Turkey they are stored on a board suspended by all four corners from the ceiling. The bread becomes dry and is restored by sprinkling with water and reheated as and when needed. Yufka is also a name for [[filo]] pastry.}}</ref><ref name="Marks 2010 - Lavash">{{Cite book |title=Encyclopedia of Jewish Food |author=Gil Marks |publisher=John Wiley and Sons |year=2010 |page=355}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last1=Morgan|first1=Diane|title=Skinny Dips|date=2010|publisher=Chronicle Books|isbn=978-1452100241|page=14|quote=Lavash, lavosh, or lahvosh is a gigantic, paper-thin, blistery, tortilla-like flatbread common throughout Armenia, Turkey, and Iran.}}</ref> Lavash is one of the most widespread types of bread in [[Armenia]], [[Azerbaijan]], [[Iran]], and [[Turkey]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/tastes-memory-lavash-and-armenian-identity-180958673/|title=Tastes of Memory: How to Bake an Authentic Armenian Lavash|work=[[Smithsonian (magazine)|Smithsonian]]}}</ref> The traditional recipe can be adapted to the modern kitchen by using a [[griddle]] or [[wok]] instead of the ''tonir''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.saveur.com/story/recipes/lavash/|title=Lavash|date=February 26, 2020}}</ref>

'''Lavash''' ({{lang-hy|լավաշ}}; [[Azerbaijani language|Azerbaijani]] and {{lang-tr|lavaş}}; {{lang-ku|nanê loş}}; {{lang-fa|لواش}}; {{lang-ka|ლავაში}}), sometimes referred to as '''Armenian lavash''',{{#tag:ref|Most sources claim that it is of Armenian origin,<ref>{{cite book|last=Albala|first=Ken|title=Food Cultures of the World Encyclopedia, Volume 1|publisher=Greenwood|___location=Santa Barbara, Calif.|isbn=9780313376269|page=5}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Khanam|first=R.|title=Encycl. Ethnography Of Middle-East And Central Asia (3 Vols. Set)|year=2005|publisher=Global Vision|___location=New Delhi|isbn=9788182200623|page=55|edition=1st}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Goldstein|first=Darra|title=A Taste of Russia: A Cookbook of Russian Hospitality|year=1999|publisher=Russian Life Books|___location=Montpelier, VT|isbn=9781880100424|page=185|edition=2nd}}</ref> including the ''[[The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language]]''.<ref name="Providedby">[http://www.wordnik.com/words/lavash Provided by wordnik.com website]</ref><ref name="Providedby_a">[http://education.yahoo.com/reference/dictionary/entry/lavash Provided by Yahoo Education website]</ref>

In 2014, "Lavash, the preparation, meaning and appearance of traditional bread as an expression of culture in Armenia"<!--Note that the exact quote of the inscription is at the bottom of the cited page; the text of the nomination at the top is different and not what was inscribed--> was inscribed in the [[UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists|UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity]].<ref name=unesco>{{cite web|title=Lavash, the preparation, meaning and appearance of traditional bread as an expression of culture in Armenia, ''Inscribed in 2014 (9.COM) on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity''. Country(ies): Armenia|url= http://www.unesco.org/culture/ich/en/decisions/9.COM/10.3|website=unesco.org|access-date=16 March 2016|archive-date=March 17, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160317141436/http://www.unesco.org/culture/ich/en/decisions/9.COM/10.3}}</ref> In 2016, the making and sharing of flatbread (lavash, katyrma, jupka or [[saj bread|yufka]]) in communities of Azerbaijan, Iran, [[Kazakhstan]], [[Kyrgyzstan]], and Turkey was inscribed on the list as well.<ref name=unesco2>{{cite web|title=Flatbread making and sharing culture: Lavash, Katyrma, Jupka, Yufka|url= http://www.unesco.org/culture/ich/en/RL/flatbread-making-and-sharing-culture-lavash-katyrma-jupka-yufka-01181|website=unesco.org|access-date=1 December 2016|archive-date=1 December 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161201212008/http://www.unesco.org/culture/ich/en/RL/flatbread-making-and-sharing-culture-lavash-katyrma-jupka-yufka-01181}}</ref> Lavash is similar to ''yufka'', but in [[Turkish cuisine]] lavash (''lavaş'') is prepared with a yeast dough while ''yufka'' is typically unleavened.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.kulturportali.gov.tr/portal/inceekmekyapmavepaylasmakulturu|title=İNCE EKMEK YAPMA VE PAYLAŞMA KÜLTÜRÜ|website=Kültür Portalı}}</ref>

The ''Encyclopedia of Jewish Food'' states that its origin is [[Middle East]].<ref>{{Cite book |title=Encyclopedia of Jewish Food |author=Gil Marks |publisher=John Wiley and Sons |year=2010 |page=355}}</ref>|group="note"}}<ref>{{cite book|last=Goldstein|first=Darra|title=A Taste of Russia: A Cookbook of Russian Hospitality|year=1999|publisher=Russian Life Books|___location=Montpelier, VT|isbn= 9781880100424|page= 185|edition= 2nd|quote= Armenian Flat Bread Lavash: Lavash has been baked for centuries in Armenia.}}</ref><ref name="Khanam">{{cite book|last= Khanam|first=R.|title= Encycl. Ethnography Of Middle-East And Central Asia (3 Vols. Set)|year= 2005|publisher= Global Vision|___location=New Delhi|isbn= 9788182200623|page= 55|edition= 1st|quote= The t'onir is a round hole dug in the ground, which can be used for baking Armenian flat bread (lavash) and for heating the home in winter.}}</ref> is a soft, thin [[unleavened]] [[flatbread]]<ref>

Compare: {{cite book| last1 = Kipfer| first1 = Barbara Ann| author-link1 = Barbara Ann Kipfer| title = The Culinarian: A Kitchen Desk Reference

| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=7xUafQwz2tkC| publisher = Houghton Mifflin Harcourt| publication-date = 2012| page = 334| isbn = 9780544186033| accessdate = 2015-06-01| quote = LAVASH, LAVOSH, LAHVOSH, LAWAASH, or LAWASHA, also called ARMENIAN CRACKER BREAD, CRACKER BREAD, or PARAKI, is a round, thin Middle Eastern bread that is soft like a tortilla or hard like a cracker.}}</ref> made in a [[tandoor]] (called ''tonir'' in Armenian) and eaten all over the [[Caucasus]], [[Western Asia]] and the areas surrounding the [[Caspian Sea]].<ref>{{cite book|author=Alan Davidson|title=The Oxford Companion to Food|url= https://books.google.com.tr/books?id=RL6LAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA459|date= 1999|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn= 978-0192806819|pages=456|quote=Lavash a thin crisp bread usually made with wheat flour made in a variety of shapes all over the regions of the Caucasus, Iran (where it is often so thin as to be like tissue and can be almost seen through), and Afghanistan. It is leavened and baked in a tandoor. Lavash is served with kebabs and is used to scoop up food or wrap round food before being eaten. The Turkish yufka is similar, but is unleavened and cooked on a griddle, called a saj. Its origins are ancient and it is also known as lavaş depending on the region. As in the other countries of this region large batches of this bread are made and stored for long periods. In Turkey they are stored on a board suspended by all four corners from the ceiling. The bread becomes dry and is restored by sprinkling with water and reheated as and when needed. Yufka is also used in the same way as filo pastry to encase various fillings.}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last1=Chattman|first1=Lauren|title=Bread Making: A Home Course: Crafting the Perfect Loaf, From Crust to Crumb|date=2011|publisher=Storey Publishing|isbn=978-1603427005|page=202|quote=Lavash is a thin, yeast-raised flatbread that originated in Armenia and is now popular in a much wider area that includes Turkey, Georgia, and Iran.}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last1=Morgan|first1=Diane|title=Skinny Dips|date=2010|publisher=Chronicle Books|isbn=978-1452100241|page=14|quote=Lavash, lavosh, or lahvosh is a gigantic, paper-thin, blistery, tortilla-like flatbread common throughout Armenia, Turkey, and Iran.}}</ref> Lavash is the most widespread type of bread in [[Armenia]], [[Azerbaijan]], [[Turkey]] and [[Iran]].<ref>The Bread Baker's Apprentice: Making Classic Breads with the Cutting-edge Techniques of a Bread Master</ref>

==Etymology==

In 2014, "Lavash, the preparation, meaning and appearance of traditional bread as an expression of culture in Armenia" was inscribed in the [[UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists|UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity]].<ref name=unesco>{{cite web|title=Lavash, the preparation, meaning and appearance of traditional bread as an expression of culture in Armenia, ''Inscribed in 2014 (9.COM) on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity''. Country(ies): Armenia|url= http://www.unesco.org/culture/ich/en/decisions/9.COM/10.3|website=unesco.org|accessdate=16 March 2016}}</ref>

[[Hrach Martirosyan]] tentatively connects [[Armenian language|Armenian]] {{wikt-lang|hy|լավաշ|lavash}} with dialectal {{lang|hy|լափ}} {{lang|hy-Latn|lapʿ}}, {{lang|hy|լուփ}} {{lang|hy-Latn|lupʿ}}, {{lang|hy|լովազ}} {{lang|hy-Latn|lovaz}} 'palm, flat of the hand', {{lang|hy|լափուկ}} {{lang|hy-Latn|lapʿuk}}, {{lang|hy|լեփուկ}} {{lang|hy-Latn|lepʿuk}} 'flat, polished stone for playing', {{lang|hy|լավազ}} {{lang|hy-Latn|lavaz}} 'very thin' and assumes derivation from [[Proto-Armenian]] {{lang|xcl|*law}} 'flat'. He remarks that semantically this is conceivable since this bread is specifically flat and thin.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Martirosyan |first1=Hrach |title=Etymological dictionary of the Armenian inherited lexicon |date=2011 |publisher=Brill |isbn=9789004173378 |page=305 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=340lAQAAMAAJ}}</ref>

[[Sevan Nişanyan]] connects the Persian word for lavash to the [[Aramaic]] {{lang|arc|לושׁ}} {{lang|arc-Latn|lwš}} root meaning 'to knead' and recorded ''al-Faraj ba'd ash-Shiddah'' from 1451 as the oldest text to use the term in Turkish.<ref>{{Cite web |title=lavaş |url=https://nisanyansozluk.com/?k=lava%C5%9F |website=Nişanyan Sözlük |access-date=2020-05-24}}</ref> Compare especially to [[Assyrian Neo-Aramaic]] {{lang|aii|ܠܵܘܵܫܵܐ}} ''lawasha,'' a flap of thin bread.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Search Entry |url=http://assyrianlanguages.org/sureth/dosearch.php?searchkey=24092&language=id |access-date=2023-02-05 |website=assyrianlanguages.org}}</ref>

==History==

Gil Marks traces the history of lavash to the early innovation of cooking thin flatbreads on terracotta griddles. The earliest forms of bread were cooked as cakes either on heated rocks or in embers, but when griddles started to be used breads had to be made thinner to fully cook through without burning like the bread ''rakik'' described in the [[Bible]]. With the innovation of early ovens, thicker loaves became possible.<ref name="Marks 2010 - Lavash"/>

Most modern food specialists claim that it originated in [[Armenia]],<ref>{{cite book|author=Sergio O. Serna-Saldivar|title=Cereal Grains: Laboratory Reference and Procedures Manual.|publisher=CRC Press|year=2012|isbn=9781439855652|page=217|quote=Lavash is another popular flat cracker bread with ancient roots in Armenia.}}</ref><ref name="Albala">{{cite book|editor=Albala, Ken|title=Food Cultures of the World Encyclopedia, Volume 1|publisher=Greenwood|___location=Santa Barbara, Calif.|isbn=9780313376269|page=5|quote=...on ''lavash'', a traditional flatbread of Armenia similar to tortilla...}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last1=Chattman|first1=Lauren|title=Bread Making: A Home Course: Crafting the Perfect Loaf, From Crust to Crumb|date=2011|publisher=Storey Publishing|isbn=978-1603427005|page=202|quote=Lavash is a thin, yeast-raised flatbread that originated in Armenia and is now popular in a much wider area that includes Turkey, Georgia, and Iran.}}</ref> whilst others state that it probably originated in [[Middle East]].<ref name=marks>{{cite book |last=Marks |first=Gil|authorlink=Gil Marks |date=2010 |title=Encyclopedia of Jewish Food |url=https://books.google.es/books?id=gFK_yx7Ps7cC&pg=PT151&lpg=PT151 |___location= |publisher=[[Houghton Mifflin Harcourt]] |page=355 |isbn=978-0470391303 |access-date= }}</ref> According to [[Peter Reinhart]], "Lavash, though usually called Armenian flatbread, also has Iranian roots and is now eaten throughout the Middle East and around the world".<ref>{{cite book|last1=Reinhart|first1=Peter|title=The Bread Baker's Apprentice: Mastering the Art of Extraordinary Bread|date=2011|publisher=Potter/TenSpeed/Harmony|isbn=978-1607741299|page=178|quote="Lavash, though usually called Armenian flatbread, also has Iranian roots (...)"}}</ref>

According to ''[[The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language]]'' lavash is "a thin unleavened flatbread of Armenian origin".<ref name="Lavash">{{cite web |title=Lavash |website=The American Heritage Dictionary |url=https://www.ahdictionary.com/word/search.html?q=lavash&submit.x=0&submit.y=0}}</ref> In 2014, Lavash was described by the [[UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists|Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity]] as "an expression of Armenian culture". This decision led to protests in [[Azerbaijan]], [[Iran]], [[Kyrgyzstan]], and [[Kazakhstan]] over claims that the food was "regional", not "Armenian".<ref>{{cite news|last1=Lomsadze|first1=Giorgi|title=Armenia, Azerbaijan at Loggerheads Over Lavash|url=http://www.eurasianet.org/node/71171|access-date=December 10, 2016|work=EurasiaNet|date=December 3, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=McKernan|first1=Bethan|title=A 'pizza war' has broken out between Turkey and Armenia|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/pizza-war-breaks-out-between-turkey-and-armenia-a7383471.html|access-date=10 December 2016|work=The Independent|date=27 October 2016}}</ref>

==Etymology==

[[Hrach Martirosyan]] tentatively connects Armenian [[wikt:լավաշ|լավաշ]] ''lavaš'' with dialectal լափ ''lapʿ'', լուփ ''lupʿ'', լովազ ''lovaz'' ‘palm, flat of the hand’, լափուկ ''lapʿuk'', լեփուկ ''lepʿuk'' ‘flat, polished stone for playing’, լավազ ''lavaz'' ‘very thin’ and assumes derivation from [[Proto-Armenian]] *''law''- ‘flat’. He remarks that semantically this is conceivable since this bread is specifically flat and thin. He then proceeds:<ref>{{cite book|last1=Martirosyan|first1=Hrach|title=Etymological Dictionary of the Armenian Inherited Lexicon|date=2010|publisher=Brill Academic Publishers|isbn=9789004173378|page=305}}</ref>

:If this interpretation is correct, the Armenian should be regarded as the source of the others. This is probable since, as [[Hrachia Adjarian|Adjarian]] (HAB 2: 308a)<ref>{{cite book|last=Adjarian|first=Hrachia|title=Hayerēn armatakan baṙaran [Dictionary of Armenian Root Words]|publisher=Yerevan State University|___location=Yerevan|page=308|volume=II|url=http://www.nayiri.com/imagedDictionaryBrowser.jsp?dictionaryId=7&query=%D5%AC%D6%85%D5%B7|language=Armenian}}</ref> informs, *''lavaš'' is considered to be Armenian bread in both Yerevan and Iran (being opposed with ''[[sangak]]'' for Turks and Persians), and in Tehran this bread is called ''nūn-i armanī'' ‘Armenian bread’. Similar data can be found also for other regions. In [[Dersim]], for instance, ''lavaš'' is seen as characteristic for Armenian hospitality whereas the Kurdish entertain with ''sači hacʿ'' [Halaǰyan 1973: 294b].

The origin of lavash is often attributed to [[Armenia]],<ref name="Sergio O. Serna-Saldivar 2012 217">{{cite book|author=Sergio O. Serna-Saldivar|title=Cereal Grains: Laboratory Reference and Procedures Manual.|publisher=CRC Press|year=2012|isbn=9781439855652|page=217|quote=Lavash is another popular flat cracker bread with ancient roots in Armenia.}}</ref><ref name="Albala">{{cite book|editor=Albala, Ken|title=Food Cultures of the World Encyclopedia, Volume 1|publisher=[[Greenwood Press]] |___location=[[Santa Barbara, California]]|isbn=9780313376269|page=5|quote=...on ''lavash'', a traditional flatbread of Armenia similar to tortilla...}}</ref><ref name="Goldstein 1999 https://archive.org/details/tasteofrussia00darr/page/185 185">{{cite book|last=Goldstein|first=Darra|title=A Taste of Russia: A Cookbook of Russian Hospitality|year=1999|publisher=Russian Life Books|___location=Montpelier, VT|isbn=9781880100424|page=[https://archive.org/details/tasteofrussia00darr/page/185 185]|edition=2nd|quote=Armenian Flat Bread Lavash: Lavash has been baked for centuries in Armenia.|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/tasteofrussia00darr/page/185}}</ref><ref name="Khanam">{{cite book|last= Khanam|first=R.|title= Encycl. Ethnography Of Middle-East And Central Asia (3 Vols. Set)|year= 2005|publisher= Global Vision|___location=New Delhi|isbn= 9788182200623|page= 55|edition= 1st|quote= The t'onir is a round hole dug in the ground, which can be used for baking Armenian flat bread (lavash) and for heating the home in winter.}}</ref> or [[Iran]].<ref name="Karizaki 8–14">{{Cite journal|last=Karizaki|first=Vahid Mohammadpour|date=2017-03-01|title=Ethnic and traditional Iranian breads: different types, and historical and cultural aspects|journal=Journal of Ethnic Foods|volume=4|issue=1|pages=8–14|doi=10.1016/j.jef.2017.01.002|issn=2352-6181|quote=The origin of lavash is most probably from Iran, according to the state of the encyclopedia of Jewish food.|doi-access=free}}</ref><ref name=marks>{{cite book |last=Marks |first=Gil|author-link=Gil Marks |date=2010 |title=Encyclopedia of Jewish Food |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gFK_yx7Ps7cC&pg=PT151 |publisher=[[Houghton Mifflin Harcourt]] |page=355 |isbn=978-0470391303}}</ref><ref name="Potter/TenSpeed/Harmony">{{cite book|last1=Reinhart|first1=Peter|title=The Bread Baker's Apprentice: Mastering the Art of Extraordinary Bread|date=2011|publisher=Potter/TenSpeed/Harmony|isbn=978-1607741299|page=178|quote="Lavash, though usually called Armenian flatbread, also has Iranian roots (...)"}}</ref> Food historian [[Gil Marks]] identifies the origin more generally as the Middle East.<ref name="Marks 2010 - Lavash"/>

==Overview==

[[File:Making of lavash.ogv|thumb|350px|Two women making lavash in a small restaurant in [[Yerevan]], Armenia.]]

==Preparation==

Lavash is made with [[flour]], [[water]], and [[salt]]. The thickness of the bread varies depending on how thin it was rolled out. Toasted [[sesame seed]]s and/or [[poppy|poppy seeds]] are sometimes sprinkled on before baking.

Lavash is made with [[flour]], [[water]], [[yeast]], [[sugar]] and [[salt]]. It can also be made in an unleavened version by omitting sugar and yeast.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.hurriyet.com.tr/lezizz/mayasiz-lavas-ekmek-tarifi-41496160|title=Mayasız lavaş ekmek tarifi|website=www.hurriyet.com.tr|date=16 April 2020}}</ref> Toasted [[sesame seed]]s and/or [[poppy seed]]s are sometimes sprinkled on before baking. Traditionally the dough is rolled out flat and slapped against the hot walls of a [[tandoor|clay oven]], but modern recipes may adapt for cooking on a wok or ''tava''.{{Cn|date=March 2025}}

<gallery mode=packed heights="150px" style="text-align:left">

Traditionally the dough is rolled out flat and slapped against the hot walls of a [[tandoor|clay oven]]. While quite flexible when fresh, lavash dries out quickly and becomes brittle and hard. The soft form is easier to use when making wrap sandwiches; however, the dry form can be used for long-term storage (almost one year) and is used instead of leavened bread in [[Eucharist]] traditions by the [[Armenian Apostolic Church]]. In Armenian villages, the dried lavash is stacked high in layers to be used later, and when the time comes to rehydrate the bread, it is sprinkled with water to make it softer again. In its dry form, left-over lavash is used in Iran to make quick meals after being rehydrated with water, butter and cheese. In Armenia the dried bread is broken up into [[Khash (dish)|khash]]. In Armenia fresh lavash is used to wrap [[Khorovats]] and to make wraps with herbs and cheese. In Iran, Turkey and middle-east lavash is used with [[kebab]]s to make [[dürüm]] wraps. According to the Encyclopedia International, "Common to all Armenians is their traditional unleavened bread, lavash, which is a staple in the Armenian diet."<ref>{{cite book|title=Encyclopedia international, Volume 2|year=1980|publisher=Lexicon Publications|pages=39}}</ref>

Making of lavash.ogv|Two women making lavash in a small restaurant in [[Yerevan]], Armenia

Fabrication du lavash à Noravank (1).jpg|Lavash making in Armenia

Azərbaycan Lavaşı.jpg|Lavash making in [[Lahıc, Ismailli]], Azerbaijan

</gallery>

==Usage==

While quite flexible when fresh, lavash dries out quickly and becomes brittle and hard. The soft form is easier to use when making wrap sandwiches.{{Cn|date=March 2025}}

In Armenian villages, dried lavash is stacked high in layers to be used later, and when the time comes to rehydrate the bread, it is sprinkled with water to make it softer again. The dried bread is broken up into {{lang|hy-Latn|[[khash (dish)|khash]]}} ({{lang|hy|խաշ}}), while fresh lavash is used to wrap the [[Armenian cuisine|Armenian]] specialty dish {{lang|hy-Latn|[[khorovats]]}} ({{lang|hy|խորոված}}) and to make other wraps with herbs and cheese.{{Cn|date=March 2025}}

In Iran, Turkey and some Middle Eastern countries lavash is used with [[kebab]]s to make {{lang|tr|[[dürüm]]}} wraps like {{lang|tr|[[tantuni]]}}. In its dry form, leftover lavash is used in Iran to make quick meals after being rehydrated with water, butter, or cheese.{{Cn|date=March 2025}}

In [[Turkish cuisine]] {{lang|tr|lavaş}} can be used also for sweet dishes and served alongside some traditional [[List of Turkish desserts|Turkish dessert]] dishes like {{lang|tr|[[kaysefe]]}}, {{lang|tr|[[hasude]]}}, {{lang|tr|[[pestil]] kavurması}} ('braised fruit leather'), {{lang|tr|[[ağuz]]}} and {{lang|tr|[[halva#Grain-based halva|helva]]}}.<ref>{{cite book|title=Her Yönü ile Ani |date=2019 |publisher=TTOK}}</ref>

In Kashmiri cuisine, lavas is traditionally used with the morning tea, also known as [[Noon chai|Noon Chai]] or [[Noon chai|Sheer Chai]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=From Lavasa to Sheermal: Journey Through Kashmir's Bread Culture |url=https://www.slurrp.com/article/from-lavasa-to-sheermal-journey-through-kashmirs-bread-culture-1681137291276 |access-date=2024-03-08 |website=Slurrp |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Gull |first=Murtaza |date=2019-01-12 |title=Into The Heart of Kashmir Culture- Kashmiri Bakery |url=https://thekashmiriyat.co.uk/into-the-heart-of-kashmir-culture-kashmiri-bakery/ |access-date=2024-03-08 |website=The Kashmiriyat |language=en-US}}</ref>

In modern recipes lavash can be used like [[pizza dough]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1014102-lavash-pizza-with-tomatoes-mozzarella-and-goat-cheese |title=Lavash Pizza With Tomatoes, Mozzarella and Goat Cheese |first=Martha Rose |last=Shulman |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=2010-10-26}}</ref>

==Traditions and customs==

In Armenia, it is traditional for the mother of the groom to feed the newly wed couple lavash and honey as a wish of good fortune, fertility and sweetness for the couple.{{citation needed|date=July 2023}} Dried lavash can be stored over a long time period (almost one year) and is used instead of leavened bread{{citation needed|date=April 2020}} in [[Eucharist]] traditions by the [[Armenian Apostolic Church]].{{citation needed|date=April 2020}}

In [[Sabirabad District]] of [[Azerbaijan]] after a [[Wedding tradition in Azerbaijan|wedding]] when the bride comes into her new house, her mother-in-law puts lavash on her shoulder and says: "Let you come to the house of wealth, let your foot be lucky".<ref>Кулиева Н. М. Современная сельская семья и семейный быт в Азербайджане / Под ред. доктора исторических наук Т. Г. Мусаевой. — Б.: «Элм», 2011. — С. 97.</ref> In the [[Novkhani]] settlement, after a funeral, it is customary for people to prepare ''kyulchya'', which sometimes consists of [[halva]] wrapped up in lavash.<ref>Кулиева Н. М. Современная сельская семья и семейный быт в Азербайджане / Под ред. доктора исторических наук Т. Г. Мусаевой. — Б.: «Элм», 2011. — С. 122.</ref>

==In art==

Women baking lavash is a common theme that has inspired Armenian painters. One, such portraitincluding by the famous Soviet-era painter [[Minas MinassianAvetisyan]] is(1972).<ref>{{cite displayedweb at|title=Լավաշ theեն [[Nationalթխում. Gallery1972. ofՄինաս Ավետիսյան Armenia|Nationalurl=https://www.facebook.com/MinasAvetisyanHouseMuseum/posts/2754699678122309 Museum|publisher=Minas ofAvetisyan Art]]house-museum in [[Yerevan]]|archive-url=https://archive.today/20250609171658/https://www.facebook.com/MinasAvetisyanHouseMuseum/posts/2754699678122309 |archive-date=9 June 2025 |language=hy |date=September 19, 2020}}</ref> A print of the painting ''[[Armenian Ladies Baking Lavash]]'' by the Armenian American artist [[Manuel Tolegian]] was selected by U.S. President [[Gerald Ford]] to hang in the [[White House]] [[United States Bicentennial|Bicentennial]] Collection. The weekend open-air arts-and-crafts market in downtown Yerevan offers many lavash-related paintings and handiworks, with renditions of happy women making lavash having become a common sight.<ref>{{cite booknews |authorlast1=IrinaLeahy Petrosian,|first1=Kate David Underwood|title=ArmenianOn Food:the Fact,Lavash FictionTrail &in Armenia Folklore|url=https://bookswww.googlesmithsonianmag.com/books?id=0oXYX9Qzx9oC&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false|date=2006|publisher=Yerkir Publishing|isbn= 978travel/lavash-1trail-4116armenia-9865-9180968864/ |pageswork=26,[[Smithsonian Magazine]] 27|quotedate=WomenApril baking20, ''lavash''2018 is a theme that has always inspired Armenian painters. One such portrait by the famous Soviet|archive-era painter Minas Minassian is displayed at the National Museum of Art in Yerevanurl=https://web. A print of the painting "Armenian Ladies Baking Lavash" by Manuel Tolegian, an American artist of Armenian origin, was selected by US President Gerald Ford to hang in the White House Bicentennial Collectionarchive. The weekend openorg/web/20250418060312/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/lavash-air artstrail-andarmenia-crafts180968864/ market in downtown Yerevan now offers countless ''lavash''|archive-relateddate=18 paintingsApril and handiworks. These many renditions of happy women making ''lavash'' have almost becomes a tired cliché.2025}}</ref>

==See also==

{{portal|Food}}

* [[Barbari bread]], a popular type of Iranian bread

* [[Chapati]], an unleavened South Asian flatbread, made on a ''[[tava]]''

* ''Markouk'', an unleavened flatbread common in the Levant, made on a ''saj''

* [[Matnakash]], a traditional leavened Armenian bread

* [[Markook]], an unleavened flatbread common in the Levant, made on a [[Tava|saj]]

* [[Chapati]], an unleavened South Asian flatbread, made on a [[tava]] (or saj)

* [[Tandyr nan]] ([[:ru:Тандыр-нан|ru]]), a Central Asian leavened bread made in a [[tandoor]]

* [[Sangak]], a type of leavened Iranian flatbread, made in an [[oven]]

* [[Barbari bread]], a popular type of Iranian bread

* [[Taftan (bread)|Taftan]], a thicker leavened Iranian bread

* [[Tandyr nan]], a Central Asian leavened bread made in a [[tandoor]]

* [[Lavaş cheese]]

* [[Naan]], an Indian leavened flatbread made in a tandoor or on a tava

* [[Tandoor]]

* [[Tortilla]]

* [[Laffa]]

==References==

{{reflist|group="note"}}

{{Reflist|25em30em}}

==External links==

{{commons category}}

{{Wiktionary|lavash}}

* [httphttps://dictionary.referenceexplorepartsunknown.com/browsearmenia/lavash-understanding-armenias-bread-obsession/ Lavash: inUnderstanding Dictionary.comArmenia's bread obsession]

* [https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/lavash-trail-armenia-180968864/ On the Lavash Trail in Armenia]

* [http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1365-2621.2005.00925.x International Journal of Food Science and Technology Vol. 40, No. 4, pp. 469-479.]

* [http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/lavash Lavash] in Dictionary.com

{{Flatbreads}}

{{Cuisine of Armenia|bread}}

{{Intangible Cultural Heritage in Armenia}}

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{{Intangible Heritage Azerbaijan}}

{{Cuisine of Iran|bread}}

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