Khorovats (in Armenian խորոված, IPA χoɾoˈvɑt͡s) is a traditional Armenian barbecue dish.
The word ” ָր֮ ” khorovats means “grilled” in Armenian and comes from the verb ” ָրր֥֬” khorovel (to grill).
It is a meat dish made with lamb, pork, beef, chicken, or less commonly veal. Other types of meat and fish are rarely used.
The meat is seasoned with salt and pepper or, less commonly, marinated, cooked skewered on a spit (շամփուր, shampur in Armenian), usually along with potatoes or other vegetables.
A typical khorovat consists of grilled pieces of meat on a շամփուր, spit, although grilled steaks without skewers may also be used.
It can be cooked on a regular barbecue or hung above a pit (թոնիր, tonir in Armenian) similar to the one used for baking lavash (Armenian bread).
And it is eaten wrapped in lavash bread.
A large bowl is lined with lavash and the meat pieces are placed in it as they are ready, along with finely chopped onions and herbs. This way, the bread absorbs the meat juices and becomes flavorful.
There are vegetarian versions of khorovats, in which eggplants, bell peppers, zucchini, or mushrooms are skewered instead of meat.
Traditionally prepared on festive days, especially after the fall of the Soviet Union when, due to worsening living conditions, meat became a difficult product to obtain.
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Medium
- Portions: 4 People
- Cooking methods: Gas BBQ, Charcoal
- Cuisine: Armenian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
- 2.2 lbs lamb, beef, pork, or chicken (cut into cubes)
- to taste salt and pepper
- to taste lavash (or pita)
Steps
Sprinkle salt and pepper over the meat.
Skewer the meat, leaving a small space between each piece, or alternate with potatoes or other vegetables.
The 2006 book “Armenian Food: Fact, Fiction & Folklore” offers three tips for making great khorovat:
1. The distance between the fire and the skewers should be about 5-6 inches.2. Larger pieces of meat should always be placed in the center, where the fire is hottest.
3. The skewers should be positioned close together to concentrate the cooking heat.
In Armenia, khorovat is sometimes prepared with the bone still in the meat (like lamb or pork chops).Once the meat is cooked, place it in a dish lined with lavash and thinly sliced onions.
Curiosity:
Since 2009, in Akhtala, in northern Armenia, an annual khorovat festival is held.
In a scene from the 1976 Soviet film “When September Comes”, famous Armenian actor Armen Dzhigarkhanyan (Levon) prepares khorovat with his grandson on the balcony of his daughter’s apartment in Moscow.
His neighbors see smoke coming from the balcony and call the firefighters, but when a firefighter arrives, everything calms down and all the neighbors gather at Levon’s house to enjoy the barbecue.
