A cooking class in Yerevan: pakhlava with an Armenian grandmother
There is a recipe on our menu called the 19th century pakhlava. The grandmother of our family makes it by hand, in the house where five generations of us have lived. Now she teaches it.
If you want to cook with an Armenian family rather than in a restaurant kitchen, come to Norq Garden Gallery in Old Nork, 15 minutes by car from Republic Square. The grandmother of the family teaches her pakhlava recipe, and the class ends with a tasting. It is by advance reservation only. Call or message +374 55 210 048.
What is Armenian pakhlava?
Pakhlava is what Armenians call the pastry of thin layers, nuts and syrup that most of the world knows as baklava. In Armenia the nut is almost always the walnut, and the syrup is usually sugar, often warmed with cinnamon, cloves or lemon. The rest is a family matter. How thin the dough. How much butter. How many layers. Every house in Yerevan will tell you its version is the right one.
Ours is the one the grandmother makes. On the menu it appears twice. Grandmother's signature pakhlava, and the 19th century pakhlava, which the menu describes as her traditional, uncompromising recipe. The menu also warns that leaving a single crumb on the plate is a polite insult to the chef. We are only half joking.
How the class works
The class takes place at the family estate in Old Nork, in a house that has stood for more than 170 years. You cook with the grandmother. She has been making this recipe for decades.
- Who teaches: the grandmother of the family, the same person who leads our Heritage Tour.
- What you make: the family pakhlava.
- What is included: a tasting at the end.
- Price: on request. It depends on the size of your group.
- Booking: by advance reservation only, by phone or message on +374 55 210 048.
- Language: the house works in Armenian, Russian and English. Tell us which you prefer when you book.
You can pair the class with the Heritage Tour and Tasting. It is a private 90-minute walk through the estate with the grandmother, down into the vaulted cellar, ending with five boutique Armenian wines and Hovhannes's Table: aged cheeses, dried fruits, walnuts and homemade pakhlava. Up to 10 guests. You can read more in our guide to tasting Armenian wine in Yerevan.
The other things grandmother makes
You do not have to take the class to eat her cooking. The garden cafe serves it from Friday to Sunday.
Tolma
Grape leaves wrapped around minced meat and rice, simmered slowly. Armenians say tolma, not dolma. Ours is served warm, as Grandmother's warm tolma.
Gata
A sweet Armenian bread with many regional forms. The round, decorated gata sold near Garni and Geghard. A plain triangular gata from around Lake Sevan. The rolled and sliced nazook of Iranian Armenians. Most are filled with khoriz, a crumbly mix of flour, butter and sugar. Grandmother's gata is on our dessert menu next to the pakhlava.
Old Nork coffee with walnut
Armenian black coffee with crushed walnuts stirred in. Our menu calls it the Old Nork tradition of drinking coffee. It goes well with pakhlava, for obvious reasons.
Other ways to cook Armenian food in and around Yerevan
A few honest suggestions, because one class is rarely enough.
- Bake lavash in a tonir. The thin Armenian flatbread has been on UNESCO's list of Intangible Cultural Heritage since 2014. It is stretched thin and slapped against the inside wall of a clay oven called a tonir. In Yerevan, the Silk Road Hotel runs short lavash and gata workshops, and tour operators sell lavash baking classes at the Megerian carpet complex.
- Buy gata where it is famous. If you make the trip to the Garni temple or Geghard monastery, look for the large round, decorated gata sold near both.
- Walk through the GUM market. The covered market near the centre is the best place to learn what goes into Armenian home cooking: dried fruit, sujukh, herbs, cheeses and spices. Go hungry, and taste before you buy.
- Learn tolma at home. If you stay with a family or rent a flat with a host, ask. Most Armenian grandmothers will not refuse to teach someone who wants to learn.
Questions guests ask us
Is there a cooking class in Yerevan where you cook with an Armenian family?
Yes. At Norq Garden Gallery the grandmother of the Derdzakyan family teaches her pakhlava recipe in the family house, followed by a tasting. By advance reservation only, on +374 55 210 048.
What is the difference between pakhlava and baklava?
The name, mostly. Pakhlava is the Armenian word for the layered pastry of thin dough, nuts and syrup or honey. In Armenia the nut is usually walnut, and each family keeps its own proportions.
Can I taste the pakhlava without taking the class?
Yes. The garden cafe serves Grandmother's signature pakhlava, the 19th century pakhlava, gata and warm tolma. Friday and Saturday 10:00 to 23:00, Sunday 10:00 to 21:00.
Is the class suitable for children?
Pakhlava is patient work with thin dough and a hot oven. Tell us the ages of your group when you call, and we will tell you honestly whether it suits them.