Lavash

Lavash
TypeFlatbread
Place of originArmenia / Iran
Region or stateWest Asia
Serving temperatureHot or cold
Lavash, the preparation, meaning and appearance of traditional bread as an expression of culture in Armenia
CountryArmenia
Reference00985
RegionEurope and North America
Inscription history
Inscription2014 (9th session)
ListRepresentative
Flatbread making and sharing culture: Lavash, Katyrma, Jupka, Yufka
CountryAzerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Turkey
Reference01181
Inscription history
Inscription2016 (11th session)
ListRepresentative

Lavash (Armenian: լավաշ; Persian: نان لواش) is a thin flatbread usually leavened, traditionally baked in a tandoor (tonir or tanoor) or on a sajj, and common to the cuisines of South Caucasus, West Asia, and the areas surrounding the Caspian Sea. Lavash is one of the most widespread types of bread in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Iran, and Turkey. The traditional recipe can be adapted to the modern kitchen by using a griddle or wok instead of the tonir.

In 2014, "Lavash, the preparation, meaning and appearance of traditional bread as an expression of culture in Armenia" was inscribed in the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. In 2016, the making and sharing of flatbread (lavash, katyrma, jupka or yufka) in communities of Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Turkey was inscribed on the list as well. Lavash is similar to yufka, but in Turkish cuisine lavash (lavaş) is prepared with a yeast dough while yufka is typically unleavened.