MosJan Posted December 5, 2001 Report Share Posted December 5, 2001 Bad News for Cows: Khash season comes early this year http://www.armeniaweek.com/current/photos/khash_1.jpg By Ashot Gareginian ArmeniaWeek reporter Winter has come early to Armenia this year with the coldest November in recent memory. While they shiver prematurely, Armenians at least console themselves with one thought - the high season for eating Khash has come early too. Whoever has never eaten Khash cannot claim to know true Armenian cuisine. It is one of the culture's most ancient traditional dishes - and comes with its own detailed ceremonial preparation. Those of a tender disposition may wish to stop reading here. For Khash is an unusual soup made from the boiled feet and haunches of cows. As a rule, Khash is a dish saved for weekends or special occasions and its preparation has been handed down through the generations. Khash is served early in the morning at the end of 24 hours spent cleaning and cooking the ingredients. "There is a proverb devoted to genuine Khash eaters," says Radik Khachatrian, director of Vernatoun restaurant in Yerevan. "They are asleep by 10 am because they start to eat Khash at 7 am and afterwards they need time to digest quietly what they ate. Khash is exceptionally filling." Besides, would anyone want to go anywhere with a stomach full of the warmest broth and breath fragrant with the smell of garlic and pickled green pepper? So how to prepare Khash? First the feet and haunches must be washed thoroughly - and any hair shaved off - before being soaked for around six hours in water that is changed every two hours. Then they are boiled for at least eight hours, turning slowly into glutinous cholesterol-packed soup. The softened flesh of the cows' feet and haunches adds to its appeal. When it's ready, Khash is served into bowls, flavoured with salt and garlic, and thickened with the national bread, lavash. Pieces of lavash are placed in the bowl until the broth is almost entirely soaked up, turning the Khash into a filling semi-solid meal. Side dishes of radish and pickled cucumbers add variety to the feast. And what is Khash without vodka, drunk in a series of toasts to the occasion? Popular belief attributes a number of miraculous properties to Khash. For example, it is said to have a sobering effect on those who have drunk too much - perhaps that's why Khash is offered to guests on the third day of Armenian wedding celebrations. Many prominent Armenian men were lovers of Khash, among them the poet Eghishe Charents and the architect Rafael Israelian. Present-day fans include Russian demagogue Vladimir Zhirinovsky, leader of the Russian Liberal Democratic Party. Tradition has it that Khash should only be eaten in months with an 'r' in them, like oysters. In practice, Armenians wait until the weather turns cold before the Khash-eating season begins. The dish is an acquired taste, one many Armenians are happy to pass up. But for enthusiasts, the first cold spell is a time dripping with gastronomic anticipation. As warming as the Sun, as clear as a tear, as strong as an embrace - a good Khash, they say between mouthfuls, has all of these qualities. Photos by Karen Minasian ©Copyright ArmeniaWeek Nov. 30, 2001. all rights reserved. WWW.ARMENIAWEEK.COM is published by the FOURTH MILLENNIUM SOCIETY, publishers of ARMENIAN INTERNATIONAL MAGAZINE. Articles may not be published without prior consent. http://www.armeniaweek.com/current/photos/khash_2.jpg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.