Yerevan Gastronomic Days is not only about new food culture in Armenia, but also about future
The Yerevan Gastronomic Days took place in the heart of Yerevan on 7-9 June. Thousands of guests, including quot;star chefsquot; were the main agenda of not only the Armenian segment of social networks those days. This story is about how it proceeded and why you shouldn#39;t miss this a festival of taste next year.br / br /
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YEREVAN, 20 June. /ARKA/. The Yerevan Gastronomic Days took place in the heart of Yerevan on 7-9 June. Thousands of guests, including star chefs were the main agenda of not only the Armenian segment of social networks those days. This story is about how it proceeded and why you shouldn't miss this a festival of taste next year.nbsp;
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bYerevan Gastronomic Days in figuresnbsp;/b
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This year's gastronomic festival featured 30 renowned professional chefs, famous restaurateurs, food bloggers from Armenia and different countries- the owner of two Michelin stars, famous chef Alen Alexanian, French chef, owner of the Golden Boquus 2021 and Michelin star Davy Tissot, famous American chef, author of cookery books, restaurant business expert and founder of Mundo Hospitality Group Mary Sue Milliken, chef, co-founder of Qatar International Food festival, founder of Mamig restaurant Zarmig Alladjian and many others. At the invitation of the Embassy of Italy the famous pizzaiolo Marco Leone attended the show too.
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Twenty-five shows were held on two stages. More than 5000 people were the guests of the festival.
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Yerevan Gastronomic Days partner was the legendary Yerevan brandy factory ARARAT, without which not a single exquisite dish was served at the show of Zarmig Allajyan and Alen Alexanian.nbsp;
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bGastronomic showsnbsp;/b
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For the first time such large-scale gastronomic shows were organised in Yerevan. For three days non-stop on two stages titled chefs and famous food bloggers presented haute cuisine, the dishes of which not only delighted the palate, but also pleased the eye.
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Unusual pasutz tolma, unimaginable combination of apricot and tarkhun in salad, caramelised strawberries and cherries with cognac, as well as exquisitely prepared fish and seafood - this is not a complete list of what the guests of the festival tasted. Moreover, all of the dishes were accompanied by a finely selected wine pairing, which shaded all the nuances of flavour of the dishes.nbsp;
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bSocial aspectnbsp;/b
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The gastronomic shows also had an important social aspect. In particular, a panel discussion on Food waste was held within the framework of the show. The discussion were attended by experts invited from abroad and from Armenia, who have long been conducting campaigns aimed at reducing food waste. They were Michaela Chihalikova, Director of Zachraň jídlo, Jean-Marc Stavroukalis, Founder of Eliots Sustainability NGO, Nanna Skau, Director and Representative of WFP Armenia, Haykanush Parsamyan, Legal Officer of UNWFP.
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The experts, who have been dealing with the issue of food waste for many years, shared their experience and success cases. Based on their activities, they proposed possible solutions to the food waste problem.
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Parsamyan presented the situation with food waste in Armenia and also spoke about the legal norms adopted in Armenia to solve this problem.
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The speakers presented the situation with food waste in different parts of the world and told what special projects are used to solve the problem. Based on their activities, they proposed possible strategies, by adopting which it is possible to reduce food waste in the environment. The panel discussion was moderated by Lusine Manucharyan, founder and CEO of Resilient Sustainability Services, who has worked internationally as a sustainability specialist for over 24 years. The partner of the panel discussion was the UN.
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Within the framework of Yerevan Gastronomic Shows, a panel discussion on Cookbooks was also held. The panel discussion presented Armenian cookbooks and their role in preserving the values of Armenian cuisine and presenting the cuisine culture.
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ProReCa founder Suzy Mikayelyan with her book Chef's book, Chef Sedrak Mamoulian with his book National dishes, Chef Vahan Arakelyan with his book Yooo Cook took part in the discussion. Tumo Studio Public Relations Manager Sona Grantuni presented the cookbook Lavash. Ethnographer and researcher Ruzanna Tsaturyan also took part in the event.
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Armenian Cultural Ambassador Hermine Stepanyan moderated the panel discussion.nbsp;
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bMasterclassesnbsp;/b
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Despite the abundance of master-classes, one will certainly remain in the memory of the audience. Artsakh women, who lost their homeland almost a year ago, united in the organisation Taste of Artsakh, taught to cook zhengyalov hatz. For those who do not know, it is not just a flatbread with different kinds of greens, but a kind of business card of Artsakh people. Properly and lovingly prepared zhengyalov khatz will not leave indifferent anyone and will become an indispensable attribute in the menu of vegetarians. The whole action was accompanied by Artsakh songs and was so incendiary that the owner of two Michelin stars Alen Alexanian could not resist and started to try to cook zhengyalov khatz himself.nbsp;
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bYoung Chefs Competitionnbsp;/b
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Yerevan Gastronomic Days is not only about the new food culture in Armenia, but also about the future. EventToura co-founder and organiser of Yerevan Gastronomic Days Nuneh Manukyan said in an exclusive interview with Novosti-Armenia news agency that the collaboration of Gastronomic Days and the competition was to show the whole spectrum of mastering culinary skills from beginners to masters.
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According to her, Armenian society must realise that any great journey begins with the first step.
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Armenia has the potential to become a hub of culinary festivals between East and West. Perhaps the young chefs participating in our chef competition will one day receive Michelin and Bocuse d'Or stars, Manoukian said.nbsp;
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bCharity Gala Dinner/bnbsp;
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Yerevan Gastronomic Days is also a strategic investment in the future. In an exclusive interview with Novosti-Armenia News Agency, two Michelin star winner, renowned chef Alen Alexanian told about his grandmother's recipe, which he used to prepare the dish at the charity dinner in Dilijan.
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The proceeds from the gala dinner will be sent to four students of the Armenian-French School as tuition fees for three years. If we are successful, next year I will return with the winner of three Michelin stars and one Bocuse d'Or, Régis Marco. I will once again do my part in educating underserved students, Alexanian said. He added that he will continue to follow and support the progress of his mentees.
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The charity gala dinner is also organised in memory of the founder of famous Armenian restaurateur and founder of Dolmam, Zhirayr Avanyan.nbsp;
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bMissionnbsp;/b
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According to the organizers of the gastronomic days, the mission of Yerevan Gastronomic Days is to promote cultural dialogue between Middle Eastern and European culinary traditions while raising issues of sustainable development, turning Yerevan into a dynamic gastronomic epicenter.
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Bringing together esteemed chefs from around the world, we organise electrifying shows and promote knowledge sharing, fostering innovation and collaboration. Together, we aim to push gastronomic boundaries, enriching our culinary landscape with diverse flavours, creativity and shared experiences, while promoting practices for a healthier planet, said the organisers. -0-
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