Where to Try Khash in Yerevan

Khash is a dish of boiled sheep or cow parts, which might include the feet, head, and stomach. The name originated from the Armenian verb xašel, which translates into English as “to boil.” Traditionally, it is eaten as a breakfast with crumbles of lavash bread (an unleavened flatbread made in a tandoor oven) in Armenia; however, you can try it as a lunch or dinner at several restaurants in Yerevan.

The main ingredient for khash soup, as mentioned above, is cows’ feet. However, other parts of the cow are also used in the preparation process along with onion, chili pepper, garlic, water, salt, and dry chive leaves.

The process of making the soup is like a ritual in Armenia. First of all, the feet are thoroughly cleaned, kept under cold running water, and cut. They need to be placed under running water for at least 10 hours or overnight. This makes cooking time shorter and easier.

The main custom is that Armenians eat khash during the cold months of the year. It’s a comfort food in winter, but some parts of the region eat the soup year-round. Another custom is that khash is considered as a breakfast meal for many Armenians, but some like to eat it for lunch or dinner as well. Here, khash is a very heavy meal, that’s why it’s acceptable to eat it in the morning. It fuels a person with energy, and eating it in the morning gives the body time to digest.

When you order khash, make sure to add garlic and salt right away before eating it. Remove the feet from your plate or bowl, place them on a separate plate and cover with lavash to keep them warm. Crumble dried lavash into the soup until the liquid thickens and becomes like a sponge. Once you are done with all the preparations, dive in and enjoy the meal. You can eat the meat after you’ve enjoyed the khash, or you can cut the meat into pieces and add it back into the khash after it has been prepared.