| Alternative names | Bagharch |
|---|---|
| Type | Ritual bread |
| Place of origin | Armenia |
| Serving temperature | Warm or room temperature |
| Main ingredients | Flour, water, yeast, salt, butter, sugar, eggs |
| Variations | With or without salt; sweet (sugar dough) or plain |
Bagharj (Armenian: բաղարջ, Armenian pronunciation: [bɑˈʁɑɾd͡ʒ]) is a traditional Armenian bread with both ritual and everyday uses.[1] Depending on the recipe, it can be either salty or unsalted.[1] In Armenian folk culture, bagharj is attributed with symbolic and magical meanings.[1]
Description and preparation
[edit]Bagharj is a dense, flat, round bread.[2] Its surface is typically decorated with patterns made using a sharp wooden tool, then brushed with egg and sprinkled with black nigella seeds, sesame, or poppy seeds.[2][3] One variation is made from a rich dough with a high content of sugar and butter, which requires extended kneading and proofing.[3][4]
The so-called "sugar dough" version of bagharj includes ingredients such as flour, sugar, butter, eggs, yeast, and salt. The dough is rolled into a flat round shape, decorated with shallow grooves, and bordered with twisted strips of dough, which are often topped with poppy seeds.[3] Baking is typically done at a high temperature for 18–20 minutes.[3]
Ritual significance
[edit]Bagharj held important meaning in religious and seasonal rituals. On the Feast of Vardanants, pilgrims brought it to church and distributed it in remembrance of the event known as Bagharchakerats.[5] On the Wednesday at the mid-point of Lent, bagharj was prepared. Baked inside was often a metal coin, which was revealed as the bread was portioned and given to those present. Receiving the coin was held to be lucky, and its reveal was eagerly anticipated.[6] In spring, during the Tsaghkazard (Palm Sunday) celebration, it was consumed at cemeteries and shared as "bread of the soul" in honor of the sufferings of the apostles and martyrs.[5]
The bread was also prepared in other settings — in watermills (where it was known as jaghatsi bagharj), as well as by shepherds in summer pastures.[5] Some sources mention its use among Jewish communities during the celebration of Passover.[5]
Contemporary use
[edit]Today, bagharj continues to be baked both for festive occasions and as a part of daily Armenian cuisine.[5][7]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b c Armenian Soviet Encyclopedia (in Armenian). p. 250.
ԲԱՂԱՐՋ, հայկական տոնական և ծիսական հաց։ Լինում է աղի ու անալի, որոնք ժող․ հավատալիքներում ունեն մոգական նշանակություն։
Bagharj — Armenian festive and ritual bread. It can be salty or unsalted, both of which hold magical significance in folk beliefs. - ^ a b Armenian Soviet Encyclopedia (in Armenian). p. 250.
Թխում են պինդ խմորից, հաստ, տափակ, կլոր ձևով, երեսին սրածայր փայտով գծում նախշեր, ձու քսում, ցանում սև սոնիճ կամ սուսամ (քունջութ)։
It is baked from firm dough in a thick, flat, round shape. Patterns are drawn on the surface using a pointed wooden tool, then it is brushed with egg and sprinkled with black nigella seeds or sesame. - ^ a b c d William Pokhlyobkin (1978). The Ethnic Cuisines of our Peoples (in Russian). Light and Food Industry.
- ^ A. S. Piruzyan (1960). Հայկական ճաշեր, Армянская кулинария [Armenian cuisine]. Moscow, USSR: Gostorgizdat. p. 148.
- ^ a b c d e Armenian Soviet Encyclopedia (in Armenian). p. 250.
Վարդանանց տոնին ժամավորներն իրենց հետ ․ էին բերում եկեղեցի և բաժանում ի հիշատակ բաղարջակերաց տոնի։ Գարնանը՝ ծաղկազարդին, գերեզմանատանը ․ էին ուտում և տալիս որպես հոգու հաց՝ ի պատիվ առաքյալների կրած նեղությունների ևն։ ․ թխում էին նաև ջրաղացում («ջաղացի» ․) և հովիվները՝ ամառանոցներում։ Զատկի տոնին հրեաները նույնպես ․ են ուտում։ Բ․ այժմ օգտագործում են որպես առօրյա թխվածք։
On the Feast of Vardanants, pilgrims would bring it with them to church and distribute it in remembrance of the feast of Bagharchakerats. In spring, during Tsaghkazard (Palm Sunday), it was eaten at cemeteries and given out as “bread of the soul” in honor of the sufferings endured by the apostles and others. It was also baked in watermills ("jaghatsi" bagharj) and by shepherds in summer pastures. During the Feast of Passover, Jews would also eat it. Today, bagharj is used as an everyday baked good. - ^ Bedrosian, Garo (1998). Feasts of the Armenian Church and National Traditions. Translated by Vakian, Arra S. Los Angeles: Western Prelacy of the Armenian Church of America. pp. 132.
- ^ Alexandrovich Arutyunov, Serguei; A. Voronina, T. (2001). Традиционная пища как выражение этнического самосознания [Traditional food as an expression of ethnic self-awareness] (in Russian). Nauka. p. 121. ISBN 9785020087569.
По-прежнему популярны длинная и тонкая домашняя лапша - ршта и пресное печенье - багардж, предназначенное для жертвенного обряда.
Long, thin homemade noodles — rshta — and unleavened pastry — bagharj, intended for sacrificial rituals, remain popular.
The original or current version of this article or a certain part of its section is referenced by the Armenian Soviet Encyclopedia, which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 (Creative Commons BY-SA 3.0) license. Armenian Soviet Encyclopedia։ 
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