🧑🤝🧑 Armenians
Also known as: Hay
Ancient people of the Armenian Highlands in the Caucasus; everyday matsun and the drink tan, plus one of the oldest wine traditions.
Armenians are one of the ancient peoples of the Armenian Highlands, where herding on mountain pastures went hand in hand with farming in the valleys. Dairy is part of everyday food here.
Matsun (matsoni), a thick sour milk, is the main fermented dairy product. It is used to make tan, a refreshing drink of matsun diluted with water, usually salted, drunk in hot weather and served with meat. Matsun goes into soups: a well-known one is spas, a warm matsun soup with wheat grains and herbs. Cheeses are made too, such as brined Lori and the herbed sheep’s cheese motal.
Matsun is shared by Armenia and Georgia, and scientists comparing samples from the two countries found that its taste and microbes depend on the area and the type of milk. Home starters are passed down in families.
What it includes
- Traditional products
How it connects to milk
🧑🤝🧑 Armenians ← among ← 🧀 Matsoni → made from → 🥛 Milk
Links
- Where they live
- 🌍 Caucasus
- Traditional products
- 🧀 Matsoni
- Traditions
- 🍷 Wine
- Wine and milk
- 🍷 Areni-1 cave, 🍷 Karas
Frequently asked questions
What is tan?
An Armenian drink of matsun diluted with water, usually salted; similar to ayran.
What is spas soup?
An Armenian soup of matsun with wheat groats and herbs.
What is the difference between matsun and matsoni?
They are the same product: matsun is the Armenian name, matsoni the Georgian one.
What to read next
- 🍷 Areni-1 cave — A cave in Armenia where the oldest known winery, from about 4100 BC, was found.
- 🍷 Karas — A large Armenian clay vessel for fermenting and storing wine.
- 🍷 Wine — A drink made from fresh grapes or grape must by alcoholic fermentation.