Not long ago, one of my aunts suggested I get in touch with a former Montrealer, now living in Armenia, who happens to be the brother of a family friend. He called me on the 31st and invited me to join him on New Year’s Day for what he called “madzoonov keufte” (ground beef with yogurt). I had no concrete plans, and the idea of meeting more people sounded good. So I agreed. Luckily, I had stocked up on non-perishables and alcohol, so I had something to bring with me!
On the morning of the 1st, the snow turned to rain. It was pretty awful weather, but at least it wasn’t too cold. The host family didn’t live far from me, so I walked. The streets of Yerevan were deserted but for a few people hurrying to their destinations. However, I noticed that all of the major 24-hour grocery chains were open! I couldn’t believe it. I peeked in and saw that the shelves were full of food! I am not sure why people had warned me to stock up beforehand. Perhaps the empty shelves were a reality of a few years ago. But it seems that in 2011, there is no shortage of food in supermarkets. Then again, it’s only the 1st of the year. Maybe by the 10th, it will be a different story.
When I walked into the home of my host family, a familiar scene greeted me. Grandma, dressed in her Sunday best, was sitting on the couch with the kids watching TV. Adults were chatting and laughing. And the smell coming from the kitchen prevented me from focusing on anyone’s name during introductions!
The host family was Syrian-Armenian and had been living in Armenia for about 8 or 9 years. They all agreed that life in Armenia was great. They own a shop that sells Middle Eastern foods and spices. They promised me they had crushed red pepper that was actually spicy! I will have to make my way over there when they re-open on the 7th.
Our host wife had prepared 3 different kinds of madzoon aboor (yogurt soup). She told me that madzoon aboor is the perfect food the day after a big meal, because the yogurt helps with digestion. So chances are, if you overate the day before, you won't feel sick after eating again! Maybe that's why the Yerevantsi family had made madzoon aboor. It wasn't served on New Year's Eve. Perhaps they were going to be serving it on New Year's day. The one I had had at the Yerevantsi family’s home had no meat. But the soups on New Year's Day were full of keufte (ground beef) prepared in different ways. The broth is the same for all of them. In fact, it’s the same broth as the soup from Yerevantsi family. It’s yogurt-based.
The first soup had simple, bite-sized keufte balls. The second soup had some kind of oval-shaped keufte that I think had a bulghur (a type of wheat) crust. I believe this type of keufe it’s called kibbeh. It is usually served deep fried, and it is so delicious.
Finally, the third soup was the masterpiece (in my opinion), because it was the yughov keufte (ground beef with oil/fat). Essentially, a meatball is shaped around a small piece of solid fat. When the meatball is cooked, the fat liquefies. That liquid then explodes in your mouth when you bite into the meatball. I had previously had this with butter. But my hosts told me that this was a special solid fat that comes from the belly of the cow. It had a flavor all its own, and it was heavenly.
I spent a few hours with them eating and laughing. It was very comforting to be in an environment where people were speaking the Western Armenian dialect. I was so tired from the long night before and feeling down because I was so far from my family. And whether I like it or not, Eastern Armenian is still sometimes difficult for me to understand. Here, there was no need for me to make any effort to follow the conversation, so it was nice to be able to relax.
Also, the family reminded me of my own. There were inside jokes that I didn’t understand, but that was still great. The sense of humor, the topics of conversation, the relationships were familiar. Unlike the celebrations on the 31st, this was all very informal. It was just a group of friends together after a long night, eating, laughing, and recovering. My family often gathers in such an informal way the day following a formal event. So it was just what I needed in my homesick state.
Thanks again to my wonderful hosts for a perfect afternoon.
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