Khash
One of the oldest Armenian dishes, its name from the Armenian verb 'to boil,' documented by medieval Armenian scholars as early as the 11th century — and genuinely shared across the wider Caucasus and Middle East as khashi in Georgian, xaş in Azerbaijani, and related trotter-and-offal soups in Turkish, Iranian, and Balkan cooking, a real shared regional tradition rather than one country's invention. No salt or seasoning goes into the pot during the long simmer — it's added at the table by each diner, along with minced raw garlic, a genuine authenticity marker often skipped. Traditionally eaten for breakfast, torn lavash on the side, sometimes with a shot of vodka.
⚠ Contains: Gluten. Always check your own ingredients — this isn't a guarantee for severe allergies.
Ingredients
- 2 kg beef or lamb trotters (or oxtail/beef shank as a realistic substitute)
- Water
- Garlic, minced, to serve
- Salt, to serve
- Lavash flatbread, to serve
Steps
- Clean the trotters thoroughly and soak overnight in cold water.
- Simmer very gently, never at a rolling boil, for 8-12+ hours until the meat falls off the bone and the broth turns rich and gelatinous, skimming regularly.
- Serve the broth and meat unseasoned.
- Let diners add minced raw garlic and salt at the table, with torn lavash.