Some notes on eating

True to my munching American form, a few days ago I wrote enthusiastically about the all-you-can-eat crayfish deal at Texas Bar. This got me thinking about the problems with all-you-can-eat.



Like every workday, I sat down with my office mates for lunch. Today we were served apple dolmas (think stuffed apples with tomato sauce, onions, rice, herbs, and ground meat) as well as stuffed grape leaves and a sublime cabbage salad that eludes written description. I was hungry and wanted to dig in, but everyone else was taking their time, chatting away, seeming not to notice the plates of steamy deliciousness waiting for them on the table. While I could barely restrain myself from snatching up the apple creations.

The Armenians I've come to know here never grab at food. Just because it is there, doesn't mean they have to eat it this very moment. Some of my American friends here have also pointed out that this is not only the case with palate pleasing, homemade food. It seems to apply to chocolates and other wrapped sweets that can sit for days at the center of a table with no one reaching in for first, seconds, or thirds. While I can't damn all Americans, I can honestly say for myself, if I see a cupcake lying around, it's gone.

A culture that embraces eating kamas, kamas (slowly, slowly) may help to explain why most people remain thin.

Texas & Crayfish

This past weekend I went with some friends to Texas Bar. Don't be too surprised by the name. Yerevan has other bars called Western Bar, Irish Pub, That Place, all crawling with expats. Texas Bar amusingly employs face control. One must ring the bell, be told via speaker, "mi rope" (one minute), and then painfully wait outside. Eventually someone opens the wooden door, gives you a one over and lets you in. I am not sure who gets rejected. A friend strangely suggested to me men with ties. Regardless, it's quiet an experience to be in little old Armenia and drinking in a bar covered with Texas paraphernalia.

One surprising and yummy deal with your drinks included $3 all you can eat crayfish from Lake Sevan.



You have to like the little buggers...and I do. Many are disgusted by their similarities to the cockroach, (they must be distant relatives). Anyway, I urge everyone to get over it. They are tasty.

Human Rights Watch

The NGO, Human Rights Watch (HRW) recently released its "World Report 2010"

http://www.hrw.org/en/publications

reminding its readers that human rights violations remain universal. The report's chapter on Armenia states that country hasn't improved since last year's dismal findings. The country has a problem with political prisoners and "the Armenian Helsinki Association reported at least four cases of torture of opposition supporters in custody in 2009..." Additionally one independent tv station, A1+ has not been permitted to resume broadcasting. Some Armenian politicians in the ruling party grumbled that the report lacks objectivity.

The report is quiet objective, and it takes aim at the many problems facing big western nations too. Armenia actually comes off pretty well compared to the troubles in the US and the EU. Have a look at the US report if you have a chance http://www.hrw.org/en/node/87447. It begins with the nice little fact that US citizens have "broad range of civil liberties and have recourse to a strong system of independent federal and state courts," then the thrashing begins.

It estimates that "2,574 US prisoners serving sentences of life without the possibility of parole for crimes committed when they were under age 18. There are no persons known to be serving life without parole sentences for crimes committed as children anywhere else in the world."

Another disturbing fact, the US has both the largest incarcerated population (2.4 million) and the highest incarceration rate in the world.

The report goes on to detail sexual violence, Guantanamo & Indefinite Detention, but overall you are left with a feeling that the US prison system is in massive need for reform.

Horavats

Armenians like grilling. Especially pork. They call their bbq "horavats".

Step one: lay the pork down.



Step two: season the pork with onions and spices, mix.



Step three: acquire some minnie metal spears, pierce the meet, lay it on the grill.



It's rare to see an Armenian man cook. But they universally see themselves as grill masters. I am lacking a final picture of the cooked meat on my plate because I was busy munching away, but the last step is to take the meat and wrap it in lavash (thin Armenian bread). The lavash soaks up all the greasy unhealthy goodness of the pork.

St. Gregory's Well

So what's the best way to change a nation's religion???



Have a king throw you in a well for 12 years, then cure that king of madness. Or so the story of St. Gregory goes. King Trdat, the pagan ruler of Armenia banished Gregory to this well at Khor Virap where rumor has it he was fed by pious Christian women through a small hole in the pit.

When my family was here we made our way to this Monastery. The well is now housed in a small church next door to the larger of the buildings on the monastery grounds. Trusty Lonely Planet and more importantly other academics attribute Trdat's switch to unite his people (and keep his power) as a calculated one in the face of Roman aggression.

The picture below is of my sister climbing out of the pit that is now visited by tourists who want to see for themselves where Gregory was imprisoned before his actions helped Trdat to embrace this new religion. It's a bit of a claustrophobic experience on your way down and bit scary on your way up (Armenia has yet to embrace true safety regulations).



The trip to the Khor Virap is well worth it. On the border with Turkey in the distance, Mount Ararat seems to float in front of you.

Little Countries and Earthquakes

Only yesterday after my coworkers started talking about it, did I really start reading about the extent of the horrific earthquake that shook Haiti. Armenia's earthquake is still fresh in the head of anyone over 25 years old and the people here have deep feelings of empathy for nations that get kicked when they are already down out and out. After the mourning of the thousands of lives lost and trying to heal those who are injured, efforts to rebuild down the road can be daunting. Many here told me that Armenia country faced massive challenges in its efforts during the 1990s and even today, more then twenty years later, the remains of the earthquake are everywhere in Gyumri. This gives me great worries about the future for Haiti.

When someone asked me about Pat Robertson's crazy comments regarding Haiti's supposed pack with the devil. I just apologize. I pointed to the fact that there were many Americans who were doing their best to help. One Armenian-American in the media helped to alleviate the suffering through knowledge sharing. Nicholas Kristof's blog yesterday in the Times, "Today We Are All Haitians" reminds us that poverty can "hugely magnify natural disasters".

kristof.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/13/today-were-all-haitians

In general his pieces are especially good because tons of people post useful comments below (unlike so many other blogs that are usually blank space for people to rant madly). This particular post spurred readers to write in comments about good aid organizations to donate to from UNICEF to Doctors without Borders.

Hopefully this aid can get to people quickly.

Armenian beers

Armenians like their beer as much as the next guy. Due the manipulation of pricing (read lack of open borders) Armenian beer tends to be the most economical choice. Setting you back only $1. Russian beers are plentiful, while imports from Europe and America are outrageously priced in comparison. Kotayk, Gyumri, & Kilikia reign supreme in the Armenian beer market.



Stolen from the Gyumri website lets pause for some history, "Brewing is an ancient tradition in Armenia. According to Peotrovky's records since Urartu kingdom epoch ( IX-IIV BC ), on the territory of Armenia brewing was widespread. The “karas” jags found during the archeological excavations of Karmir Blur (Yerevan) proved this evidence, as they were filled with corn. There were even found cuneiform recipes of brewing and also different objects, characterizing the technology of brewing, special containers for preparation and keeping beer and sweet malt."

I have never wrote on beer before, so be patient with my lack of imaginative descriptives. For example, go to www.ratebeer.com where people who know beer (or think they do) can help you learn how to incorporate terms like "grassy/fruity hop aromas, near medium body with frothy carbonation, slightly spicy yeast."

Kotayk is a Pilsener with a 5.2% alcohol content. I was at the gym a few weeks ago and met the brew master, quiet an impressive guy. He naturally boasted about how it is the best of the Armenian beers and it is indeed a tasty lager.

Gyumri gold with its 4.6% alcohol content has a hoppy flavor. The company helps to employ lots of people from the region that was destroyed by the earthquake in the late 1980s, unfortunately that doesn't mean it tastes great.

Kilikia with its 4.8% alcohol content is a pale lager beer with a surprisingly bitter taste. Too bitter for me.

You can definitely pick up Kotayk in the US, not sure about the others.

The Garni Temple

Over the past weekend, I visited Garni, a temple overlooking mountain ranges. Upon stepping out of our taxi, my parents and I were approached by a man who seemed to be the grounds keeper, shop keeper, entrance fee keeper, and story keeper all rolled into one.



Garni looks bigger in the photos, but is still a lovely Parthenon looking temple. In fact, my handy, quick and lazy research on Armeniapedia.org (yes that exists), sites that Garni was "built in the first century A.D. by the Armenian King Tiridates with the money he received after visiting Emperor Nero in Rome."

The man who greeted us and became the tour guide we didn't ask for said something to this regard as well. Various earthquakes destroyed Garni, during Soviet times, it was restored more or less to its original structure.

Remnants of a Roman bath lay near by the temple, our guide walked us through explaining the three pools of water that once filled the bath contained cold, warm, and hot water. The ground was made of clay and was warmed by fires around the baths to keep everyones feet nice and toasty. Not a bad set up.

Dolmama

I don't usually spend my drams on food in Yerevan, but I have had my eye for quite a bit of time on the restaurant located on Pushkin Street, Dolmama. With the family in town I took full advantage to shop the idea of enjoying a quality meal there.

We made reservations. For months I had been passing by(and memorized) the menu they keep outside, so you can imagine my surprise when we arrived, they ushered us into a lovely quasi private room in the back of the restaurant and handed us a menu which was not the one I had been checking out (which happened to be the lunch menu. Instead a hefty dinner menu landed in my hand.

Everyone was a bit upset when I just ordered the lentil soup (in my defense it is my favorite soup!) and it was tasty. There was plenty of food to go around though. In my family's true style, everything became tapas of sorts. A garlic and walnut paste wrapped in thinly sliced roasted eggplants with gems of pomegranate on top delighted the senses. Dolma was also served. Instead of ground meat, grape leaves held slices of lamb. Some at the table thought it was too tough. It was still flavorful, but we had become accustomed to tender lamb in the stews we had been eating.



The fig and nut slices as seen above were served in a creative way and embodied what the Armenians love -- dried fruits and walnuts.

Dolmama is definitely on the pricey side, but if you have the drams or a generous family, go, go, go.