Khash

In Armenia khash is not just a rich broth of beef bones and stomach (the largest part of the stomach of ruminants) but a ritual, whose organisers and participants seem to perform a sacred ceremony throughout the cooking and the meal. According to the source, khash is one of the oldest Armenian dishes, which later spread throughout the Caucasus and Transcaucasia. The name comes from the word “khashel”, meaning “to boil”. In the old days khash was considered food of the poor, as it was made from what remained after a ritual sacrifice or the sale of meat.

The photograph shows a yellowish broth with boiled pieces in a clay bowl. The bowl bears the word “Tsirani”. Beside it are lavash, olives, lemon slices, pickles and glasses.