ABOUT THE ARMENIAN TRADITION

Armenian dances

Many people feel something special in Armenian dances, and in the passion, subtlety, and eloquence which they embody. Armenian dances are an inseparable part of Armenian social life and have a very long history. Dynamic and graceful on one side and passionate and expressive on the other they have been fascinating spectators for centuries.

Armenian Folk Instruments

Folk music is still very much alive in Armenia and in the diaspora. Armenian music in its authentic, unadulterated form belongs to the Middle Eastern tradition. It is monophonic and mainly accompanied by percussion instruments. The most commonly played Folk Instruments are Woodwind Instruments zurna and duduk, Stringed Instrument qyamancha and Percussion Instrument dhol.

Armenian food

Like anywhere, the best food in Armenia is home cooking. No restaurant can compete with the lavish attention and extraordinary dishes Armenians create in their kitchens. The table often groans under courses served at the same time, and it is considered an affront to refuse to taste everything, the cook often considering it a bad reflection on her culinary skills.

The variety of fruits and vegetables grown in Armenia is astonishing, beginning with apricots and peaches, both of which originated in Armenia, through cherries, apples, grapes, figs, pomegranates, pears, quince, plums, oranges, lemons, an incredible variety of melons, squash, eggplants, tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, cabbage, onions, potatoes, carrots, peas, beans, walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts---the list is almost endless, and each region has it's own special variety.
Herbs and spices include cinnamon, cardamom, clove, cumin, nutmeg, garlic, thyme, rosemary, parsley, sage, as well as wild salad herbs (called greens), that include water cress, lettuce and spinach. Wild rice and wheat still grow much as they did 15,000 years ago, when mankind first began to cultivate them.

Armenian national costumes