Armenian Food Words and How to Order in Yerevan

Food is one of the easiest ways into a new language. You see the same words every day on menus, at the market and on the table, so they stick without much effort. This post covers the Armenian food words you will actually use in Yerevan: the names of the classic dishes, everyday ingredients and drinks, and the phrases you need to order and pay in a restaurant or café.

Every word is written in Armenian script first, then in transliteration, then with its meaning. Try reading the Armenian before you glance at the Latin letters.

Classic Armenian dishes

These are the dishes you will see again and again, and the ones Armenians will ask if you have tried yet.

• Խորոված (khorovats) – barbecue, usually pork, lamb or chicken grilled on skewers. It is at the centre of almost every family gathering and summer weekend.
• Տոլմա (tolma) – known in English as dolma: minced meat and rice wrapped in vine leaves or cabbage leaves. In summer you also see stuffed peppers and aubergines.
• Լավաշ (lavash) – thin, soft flatbread baked in a clay oven called a թոնիր (tonir). Armenian lavash is on the UNESCO list of intangible cultural heritage.
• Ժենգյալով հաց (zhengyalov hats) – flatbread filled with a big mix of chopped green herbs, a speciality from Artsakh (Karabakh). In English it is often spelled zhingyalov hats. Look for it at small bakeries and street stalls.
• Գաթա (gata) – a sweet pastry, sometimes with a buttery sugar filling. It is sold near the Garni temple and Geghard monastery.
• Խաշ (khash) – a rich broth made from beef feet, eaten early on winter mornings with dried lavash and garlic. It is as much a social ritual as a meal.
• Ղափամա (ghapama) – a pumpkin stuffed with rice, dried fruit and nuts, usually made in autumn and winter.

Everyday food words

The small words do most of the work. You will meet these in any shop or kitchen.

• հաց (hats) – bread. It is also used for food or a meal in general, which is why an Armenian host might ask Հաց կերե՞լ ես (hats kerel es) – have you eaten?
• միս (mis) – meat
• հավ (hav) – chicken
• ձուկ (dzuk) – fish
• պանիր (panir) – cheese
• բանջարեղեն (banjareghen) – vegetables
• կանաչի (kanachi) – fresh herbs, which Armenians eat by the handful with almost every meal
• լոլիկ (lolik) – tomato
• աղցան (aghtsan) – salad
• ապուր (apur) – soup
• մածուն (matsun) – thick, slightly sour yoghurt
• աղ (agh) – salt, and շաքար (shakar) – sugar

Fruit

Armenian fruit is a big deal, and the market is where you will hear these words most. Միրգ (mirg) means fruit. The famous one is ծիրան (tsiran) – apricot. Add նուռ (nur) – pomegranate, խաղող (khaghogh) – grapes, and խնձոր (khndzor) – apple.

Drinks

• ջուր (jur) – water, and հանքային ջուր (hankayin jur) – mineral water
• սուրճ (surch) – coffee, usually strong Armenian coffee in a small cup
• թեյ (tey) – tea
• թան (tan) – a cold, salty yoghurt drink that goes perfectly with khorovats
• գինի (gini) – wine
• գարեջուր (garejur) – beer

Ordering at a restaurant in Yerevan

Staff in central Yerevan often speak some English or Russian, but ordering in Armenian always gets a warm reaction.

• Երկու հոգու համար սեղան ունե՞ք (yerku hogu hamar seghan unek) – do you have a table for two?
• Ճաշացանկը, խնդրում եմ (chashatsankə, khndrum em) – the menu, please
• Ի՞նչ խորհուրդ կտաք (inch khorhurd ktak) – what do you recommend?
• Ես կուզեի… (yes kuzei…) – I would like…
• Երկու սուրճ, խնդրում եմ (yerku surch, khndrum em) – two coffees, please
• Կծո՞ւ է (ktsu e) – is it spicy?
• Ես միս չեմ ուտում (yes mis chem utum) – I don't eat meat
• Ես բուսակեր եմ (yes busaker em) – I am vegetarian
• Շատ համեղ էր (shat hamegh er) – it was very tasty
• Հաշիվը, խնդրում եմ (hashivə, khndrum em) – the bill, please
• Կարո՞ղ եմ քարտով վճարել (karogh em kartov vcharel) – can I pay by card?

One small grammar point from the list above: after a number, Armenian nouns usually stay in the singular. So it is երկու սուրճ (yerku surch), literally "two coffee", where English would say "two coffees".

When the food arrives, someone at the table will probably say Բարի ախորժակ (bari akhorzhak) – enjoy your meal. Many restaurants in Yerevan add a service charge to the bill, so check the total before you leave a tip.

A short dialogue

Waiter: Բարև ձեզ։ Ի՞նչ կցանկանաք։ (barev dzez. inch ktsankanak?) – Hello. What would you like?

You: Մեկ խորոված և մեկ աղցան, խնդրում եմ։ (mek khorovats yev mek aghtsan, khndrum em.) – One khorovats and one salad, please.

Waiter: Ի՞նչ կխմեք։ (inch kkhmek?) – What will you drink?

You: Թան, խնդրում եմ։ (tan, khndrum em.) – Tan, please.

How to make these words stick

Food vocabulary is easy to practise because you eat several times a day. Read the Armenian side of every menu before the English one. Say the name of each dish out loud when you order, even if you then point at the picture. At the market, ask for things by name and listen to how the seller repeats them.

If you would like to go beyond the menu and hold a real conversation over dinner, Haylingua teaches Eastern Armenian step by step, from the alphabet to confident everyday speech.