Lavash, named after the ubiquitous flatbread found on every table, accompanying everything from tender, piping hot cubes of khorovats to bone-warming khash, is a heart-felt love letter to Armenia’s culinary culture. Casting a light on the underexplored world of Armenian cooking (with Ara quick to point out that Armenian food is NOT Armenian-American food), Lavash thoughtfully unravels the links between food, history, and culture, with the densely tangled fusion of ideas and influences typical of the region producing something wholly unique in the process. “I wanted Lavash to raise the bar on Armenian cookbooks, providing a window into the real, and really old, world of Armenian food,” noted Ara when asked about the project’s objective.