Baking ARMENIAN GATA Bread + HUGE Feast in Armenia's Little Switzerland | Dilijan, Armenia

On the morning of my fifth day in Armenia, I woke up bright and early and grabbed a quick breakfast at the Daravand Guest House and set out to explore the resort town of Dilijan! Join me as I learn to bake Armenian gata bread and have a huge feast in Dilijan, Armenia!

Lusine: https://www.instagram.com/guin_dalera
Armenia Travel: https://www.instagram.com/armeniatravelofficial
Daravand Guest House: https://www.instagram.com/daravand_guest_house
Tava Restaurant: https://www.instagram.com/tavadilijan

My day began at Daravand Guest House in the Dilijan National Park. I started with some thick, strong Armenian coffee and made a sandwich from lavash and eggs and dipped it into the sour cream. I loved it! Daravand Guest House has 9 rooms and a cottage. It’s a great place to stay when you come to Dilijan.

Then, we headed out to the red deer breeding center. My guide Lusine and I got exclusive access to go inside the pens. There was a dominant male on the outside with the females, while the smaller males were together in the interior pen. We fed the deer for a while and then headed to Haghartsin Monastery!

This 10th-century monastic complex is hidden in the forest about 15 minutes from Dilijan. It was one of the educational and spiritual centers in the area and boasts iconic medieval architecture.

There, I took a master class from two amazing, friendly ladies who were like my Armenian grandmothers! They showed me how to make an Armenian sweet bread called gata. I made my blueberry gata and they brushed it with egg. Then, they score it with a fork and bake it for 10 minutes.

Then, the gata is cut like a pizza and served with blueberry jam and a light and minty rosehip tea. The gata was so tasty and sweet, with a soft inside and crunchy outside. The jam was amazing and so addictive!

Next, we explored the monastery, including the 13th-century refractory and its dining hall. Its 12 columns represent the 12 apostles. All of the construction inside is from the 13th century.

The complex consists of 4 churches, a refractory, a prayer hall, and khachkars. The oldest church in the complex is St. Gregory the Illuminator Church and is from the 10th century. It’s a cross-shaped domed church and is an iconic example of Armenian architecture in the Middle Ages. The church is really tiny and has two benches and an altar.

Next, we visited another 11th-century church with a secret storage area where the monastery’s treasures were hidden. There’s also an ancient walnut tree that was planted at the beginning of the monastery’s construction. Many churches in Armenia have walnut trees next to them because walnut trees attract lightning, which protects the church. This tree was stuck by lightning 1,000 years after it was planted!

Then, it was time to have lunch! We arrived at Tava and Losh Restaurants, which are in the same building and offer modern Armenian cuisine.

Our feast included bruschetta, cheese and bread; couscous with mushrooms; chicken with tomatoes, onions, and peppers; different sauces; Armenian noodles; and pork belly!

I loved the bruschettas, especially the one with basturma and berry jam. Then I tried a manchego-like cheese with red pepper in it.

Then, I went for the couscous with tree mushrooms. It was a little fruity, which went great with the earthy mushrooms. Next was pork belly in a piece of lettuce with spicy sauce. The chicken was also amazing, as were the noodles! They were almost like oily Chinese noodles.

This was like fresh, organic comfort food! The noodles and tree mushrooms were my favorites!

I hope you enjoyed coming with me to bake Armenian gata and have a feast in Dilijan! If you did, please give this video a thumbs up and leave a comment below. Also, please subscribe to my YouTube channel and click the notification bell so you don’t miss any of my travel/food adventures!

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About Me:

My name is David Hoffmann. For the last decade, I have been traveling around the world in search of unique culture, food, and history! Since starting David’s Been Here in 2008, I have traveled to over 1,100 destinations in 76 countries, which I welcome you to check out on my YouTube channel, travel blog, and social media sites.

I focus a great deal on food and historical sites, as you probably have seen! I love to experience the different flavors that each destination has to offer, from casual street food to gourmet restaurant dining. I’m also passionate about learning about the local history and culture.

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Видео Baking ARMENIAN GATA Bread + HUGE Feast in Armenia's Little Switzerland | Dilijan, Armenia канала Davidsbeenhere