Armenia’s New Culinary Vanguard: Women Chefs Making History

Perched in the mountains an hour’s drive from Yerevan, Tsaghkunk Restaurant is a haven for modern Armenian cuisine. Head chef Arevik Martirosyan reinvents traditional recipes with dishes like wild sorrel with fruit lavash and walnuts, crispy fried chechil cheese with buttermilk, and fish dolma with her own creative twist.

Martirosyan, trained in Yerevan, prioritizes using local and seasonal ingredients. Her husband, a farmer, supplies organic produce, and the restaurant actively participates in the Gagarin Project, an initiative to revitalize rural areas. Tsaghkunk gained international attention when Mads Refslund, co-founder of Copenhagen’s Noma, hosted a pop-up event there. However, it’s Martirosyan’s inventive dishes that continue to draw acclaim.

Next door, the restaurant’s Glkhatun—an 11th-century stone house with a tonir oven—serves as a living museum of Armenian culinary heritage, where local bakers preserve centuries-old techniques by making fresh lavash.

Varda Avetisyan: Reviving Brick-Oven Cuisine in Dilijan

In Dilijan, often called the “gastronomic capital of Armenia,” Varda Avetisyan has redefined Armenian comfort food at her acclaimed restaurants, Kchuch and Tava. Inspired by the traditional brick ovens of northern Armenia, she incorporates local forest produce—like wild mushrooms—and pairs them with ancient recipes like khasil (roasted ground wheat with caramelized onions) and choratan (dried salted yogurt).

Avetisyan’s gata pie reinvents the beloved dessert, offering open-faced versions with creative flavors like blueberry and lemon or cheese and tarragon. “Food is a bridge between the old and the new,” she explains, combining Armenian traditions with global culinary influences.

Ani Haroutiunian: Exploring Armenia’s Edible Ecosystem

In 2019, art historian-turned-forager Ani Haroutiunian founded Arm Food Lab in Dilijan, where she experiments with local ingredients and delves into Armenia’s edible biodiversity. Using heirloom grains and wild herbs, she crafts dishes like roasted eggplant with mountain greens and fermented Armenian hot peppers. Beyond recipes, Haroutiunian raises thought-provoking questions: “What will Armenians eat if we’re isolated from the world?”

Haroutiunian also spearheaded Armenia’s sourdough movement, creating bread from locally sourced grains. Her bakery, Ootelie, produces flour in-house, highlighting Armenia’s biodiversity. She’s now working on a bread map of Armenia, documenting regional varieties, techniques, and oven types.

Mariam Saghatelyan: Reviving Armenia’s Winemaking Legacy

In 2012, Mariam Saghatelyan co-founded In Vino, Yerevan’s first wine bar, igniting a wine revolution. Once dominated by vodka, Armenia now boasts over 600 drinkable wines, many of them natural or organic. In Vino also produces its own wine at Trinity Canyon Vineyards, near the Areni-1 cave, home to the world’s oldest winery.

Saghatelyan, a graduate of the EVN Wine Academy, combines her passion for wine with education, hosting tastings and teaching Armenia’s 6,000-year winemaking history. “Yerevan is like a dough you can shape,” she says of the city’s evolving food and wine scene. Her latest venture, 6100, brings her vision to Yerevan’s outskirts.

Marina Shaqaryan-Mikayelyan: Innovating Armenian Cheese

In the village of Artsvakar near Lake Sevan, Marina Shaqaryan-Mikayelyan is revolutionizing Armenian cheesemaking. Her Mikayelyan Family Farm produces unique varieties, including cognac-rubbed aged cheese and brined cheeses wrapped in vine leaves.

With a background in biochemistry, Shaqaryan-Mikayelyan fuses science with tradition, experimenting with new flavors while respecting Armenia’s limited cheese heritage. The farm sources milk from relatives’ cows, and although the cheese isn’t exported, it’s a sought-after delicacy in select Yerevan restaurants and on farm tours.

A Culinary Renaissance

Armenia’s rich culinary traditions are being reimagined by a new generation of female chefs and artisans who honor the past while embracing innovation. Through reinventing ancient recipes, producing natural wines, and crafting artisanal cheeses, these women are shaping the future of Armenian gastronomy. For travelers, it’s not just about tasting the food but immersing themselves in a culture that celebrates resilience, hospitality, and creativity—one flavorful dish at a time.