Customs, Dress & Food

"Armenische Frau aus Konstantinopel" (An Armenian woman of Constantinople)

While this young woman had her picture taken in Constantinople she dressed in a traditional style.

This young woman also choose to dressed in a traditional style.

Marash, a city not far from Aleppo, had a large Armenian population.

"The Armenian national dance is not such a thrilling affair as the fox trot, neither does it have the stately grace of a Virginia reel. It reminds one more of arrhythmic "Ring around the Rosey"

Jane Dieulafoy traveled to the East with her husband three times between 1881 and 1886. While there she took numerous notes and photographs which were published in the review Le Tour du Monde .

Armeniens — Dessin de A. De Neuville, d'apres une photographie, page 176.

Les curieux (voy p. 414 &mdash Dessin de Ronjat, d'apres une photographie [the curious]

L'abdar — Dessin de Tofani, d'apres une photographie de Mme Dieulafoy

Caravane d'anes — Dessin d'A Paris d'apres une photographie [Caravan of donkeys]

Anes porteurs d'eau — Dessin d'A Paris d'apres une photographie Donkeys carrying water

"Bastourma is a traditionally dry-cured and air-dried prime cut beef topside. After completion of the initial drying process, the product is coated with a specially prepared paste of oriental spices mixed with a generous amount of garlic. Bastourma has its origin in Turkey and Armenia and has become known and well appreciated in all Muslim countries."

If you would like to buy some on line go to B-B Products, Bastourma

This bread is called Lahvosh. If you would like to try some you can buy it on line at Valley Lahvosh

A traditional Armenian dish is stuffed vegetables, called dolma. The following recipe is from Tom's mother, Alice Azarian Blanck.

Tomatoes, remove pulp and use top as lid
Sweet peppers, remove seeds and use top as lid
Zucchini, scoop out center and add pulp to stuffing mixture
Cabbage leaves, precook slightly in boiling water to soften leaves

Filling:

1 lb. ground beef or lamb
1/4 cup rice, washed thoroughly
2 medium onions, chopped
A few sprigs of Italian parsley
1/4 cup tomato sauce
Salt and pepper to taste

Mix ingredients together thoroughly in bowl. Fill each vegetable lightly with the mixture and place side by side in a deep pan. Put lids on vegetables that have them. Others can be placed in pan with ends together to keep stuffing in. When all the vegetables are in the pan cover them with a heavy plate. Add water up to plate level. You can substitute some tomato sauce for some of the water. Bring to boil and simmer for about 1 hour or until rice is cooked. Serve hot.