Khorovats

Khorovats (Armenian: խորոված, [χoɾoˈvɑt͡s]) is an Armenian barbecue. It is the most representative dish of Armenian cuisine enjoyed in restaurants, family gatherings, and as fast food in Armenia and by Armenians around the world.

Etymology

The word "խորոված" khorovats means "grilled" in Armenian and comes from the verb "խորովել" khorovel (to grill). It can also be spelled Xorovac.

Description

A typical khorovats is made of chunks of meat grilled on a shampoor (շամփուր) or skewer, although steaks or chops grilled without skewers may be also used.

2006 book Armenian Food: Fact, Fiction & Folklore gives three tips for making good khorovats:

In Armenia itself, khorovats is often made with the bone still in the meat (as lamb or pork chops).Western Armenians outside Armenia generally cook the meat with bones taken out and call it by the Turkish name shish kebab. On the other hand, the word kebab in Armenia refers to uncased sausage-shaped patties from ground meat grilled on a skewer (called losh kebab or lule kebab by diasporan Armenians and Azeris). In Armenia today, the most popular meat for khorovats (including losh kebab) is pork due to Soviet-era economic heritage. Armenians outside Armenia usually prefer lamb or beef depending on their background, and chicken is also popular.