HEAD DOWN TO ARMENIAN FOOD FEST
By Daniel Neman – Times-Dispatch Staff Writer
Richmond Times Dispatch, VA
Thursday, Sep 20, 2007 – 12:04 AM
Last year, the Armenian Food Festival ran out of food.
Co-chairman Rob Norris had to dash off to Sam’s Club to buy 300 pounds
of ground beef. The next day, he had to buy 300 more pounds.
Organizers have planned ahead for big crowds at this year’s festival,
the 49th annual, which begins today and runs through Sunday at
St. James Armenian Church, 834 Pepper Ave., at the intersection with
Patterson Avenue.
This year, they’ve made 20 percent to 25 percent more of
everything. That means more chicken kebabs. More beef kebabs. More
Hye burgers. More lamajoun. More paklava.
Armenia is east of Turkey, west and north of Azerbaijan, south
of Georgia and just a little north of Iran. Armenia’s cuisine is
influenced by its neighbors and by what is readily available — so
the food is reminiscent of food from the Middle East and the Caucasus
region, with additional flavors from Eastern Europe.
Lamajoun, for instance, is a dish of ground beef spread over a round
thin flatbread and topped with tomatoes, onions and oregano. According
to Norris, people often put salad on top and roll it up to eat it.
The festival’s Hye burgers are made from ground sirloin and lamb,
mixed with parsley, onions, olive oil, pepper and oregano. Paklava
is similar to the Greek baklava, although the sweet syrup poured over
it is a little different.
Children dressed in traditional folk costumes will perform Armenian
dances throughout the meals. Today and tomorrow, lunch will be served
from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and dinner will be served from 5 to 9 p.m. The
festival will run Saturday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday from 1
to 7 p.m.
Jewelry from Armenia will also be on sale, but the main focus of the
Armenian Food Festival is, of course, the food.
Volunteers have been preparing for more than two months, marinading
and freezing the meat and preparing the pastries, including a popular
braided holiday bread, sugar cookies and other cookies that are not
as sweet.
All of this food and much more (rice pilaf, a four-bean salad, a
green bean and tomato stew called fasulya) will be washed down with
gallons of drinks.
Those who like their drinks with a bit of a kick may want to try
Armenian wine, including pomegranate wine, and Armenian beer.
Admission to the festival is free. Proceeds from the food sales will
go to the church and an assortment of charities, Norris said.