ARMENIANS CELEBRATE CULTURE
By Mathew Padilla
OCRegister, CA
Orange County
Oct 2 2006
Baklava, a rich pastry of thin dough, nuts and honey, is found in
many cuisines of the Middle East but was invented by Armenians,
says Seta Mergeanian.
She may be right – the pastry’s origins are a bit hazy, with Turks
generally getting the credit. What’s not in dispute is her pride,
a common vibe during Saturday and Sunday’s Orange County Armenian
Festival.
Mergeanian helped organize the second such festival in two years at
the Laguna Hills Community Center. Her goals were to get Armenians
to come together and share their culture with others.
Festival facts and highlights
~UThe festival featured other such edibles as soujouk, an aged spicy
beef; tabouli, a kind of parsley salad with bulgur (wheat), lemon,
and sometimes mint, tomato and onion; and shish kebab.
~UOrange County is home to nearly 11,000 people of Armenian descent,
according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Armenian groups claim the figure
is much higher, in the range of 25,000 to 50,000.
~UAbout 6,000 people came to the second annual Armenian festival in
Laguna Hills.
~UThe festival Sunday was on target to raise $14,000 for local schools,
double last year’s total, according to one organizer.