If the last Azerbaijan’s efforts to prevent a UN agency to recognize the Armenian lavash (flat bread) as an intangible cultural heritage have failed, experts in Armenia still believe that such resistance from the neighboring country can be expected in the future.

The Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage held its 9th session at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris from 24 to 28 November and during the session, the Committee decided to nominate the “Lavash Armenia, the preparation, service and appearance of traditional bread an expression of culture in Armenia “on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. In the wake of this decision Azerbaijan would have used different channels to ensure that UNESCO reconsiders its decision, and some media in Azerbaijan have even reported that the Armenian lavash was ultimately not included in the list.

“The lavash is part of our culture, and defend our culture,” said the ethnographer and historian Suren Hobosyan at a press conference in Yerevan. He called on colleagues in Armenia to prepare for an “organized fight and Fierce” of Azerbaijan.

According to the specialist, but there lavash bread as in all neighboring countries and such bread is also prepared in the Arab countries and even in India, the Armenian lavash is “unique.”

“Maybe that Armenians who settled in Georgia, Turkey, Iran brought that element in the culture of these countries with them,” said Hobosyan, adding that the popularity of lavash and the presence of tonirs the where lavash is traditionally baked, in all regions of the country proves “the Armenianness” bread.

“There was no house in Armenia, which has no tonir. Only Armenians have used and had 1 to 1.5 meters deep, because the Armenians did not have much energy. And, for example, Georgian tonirs are above ground level because they had more energy to burn, “said the ethnographer.

Hobosyan noted with regret that the lavash loses its popularity in Armenia today. “We are losing the battle in our own country. We are trying to prove to the world that the lavash is ours, but it’s not interesting to the world, we should use in our country, but even fast food that is sold in our streets today introduced the abroad – shaurma, khachapuri, etc. Dropoff window.

The host of a cooking show Sonia Tashchyan also believes that more efforts are needed in Armenia to popularize the local cuisine and encourage people to become “carriers” of the food culture.

“We lavash recipes that have been used for hundreds of years, but today they are no longer used,” she said.

By Sara Khojoyan

ArmeniaNow