4"! Wow, that is short!
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Thanks for reminding me why I don’t generally use US measurements.
1,50m at the most.
" = inches.
Gift link to jingalov hats recipe, based on the version in the Lavash cookbook.
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Another Jingalov Hats recipe
This was a great episode.
Using leaves in brine does not produce the same result alas. If you are looking to reproduce what a restaurant does, then it will be inferior to what you can make using fresh. We took a tolma class in Armenia that used fresh leaves, and now I don’t bother with it any other way.
Not all grape leaves are the same size. The ones that were smaller we overlapped two of them to make a bigger leaf. Gai lan leaves (separate form the stalks) can be about the same size. The gai lan leaves, sold separately from the stalks sold as chinese broccoli, are not always in the store in which case I use the biggest I can find. or I wait until see them in the store.
That opening has them driving on a smoothly paved road. Where are all the potholes?!?! That would be more authentic.
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I’m half Greek.
I use fresh leaves when I have them and I use brined leaves when I don’t. This is also what Armenians and people of Armenian ancestry in Canada and the States tend to do.
Good for you for finding a substitute that works for you. 
To clarify my initial question, I wasn’t sure whether it was imperative to cook from specific recipes and comment on them, as is the case in this thread, which TO ME seemed similar to this one.
Thank you again for your response.
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I think the difference is that the thread you linked to is about a cookbook, while this one is about a cuisine.
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Yes, I have been made aware of the difference. As I also mentioned in my initial comment, I am not nor have I been an avid participant in these particular threads.
But since the cuisine I nominated was chosen, I was pretty excited about it.
I made a vegetarian borscht with some Armenian seasoning tonight.
I took the allspice and parsley from this recipe.
I took the ground coriander and cumin from this recipe.
No cabbage tonight. Yellow beets, potato, celery, onion, garlic, and light on the carrots and tomatoes.
Parsley, sour cream and vinegar added to taste at that table.
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That’s really interesting! My PIC’s grandma used fresh grape leaves, but he doesn’t remember if she soaked them. It apparently extends the cooking time signifcantly, so we use the jarred ones when we make them for larger gatherings
I don’t think I’ve ever had dolma made with fresh grape leaves. Are the texture and flavor very different?
That’s a nice, inclusive aproach for a cuisine.
I usually tend to restrict myself recipes-wise to things I have cooked, or am planning to cook if I’m seeking advice, but for cuisines where there is no familiarity, learning from scratch is lovely.
Re food, here is so much movement in foodways from conquest and colonization of different sorts that it’s interesting to observe overlaps and think about possible paths, but origin stories are much harder to trace (or prove) when different cultures claim the same dish.
I’ve watched a few different documentaries about Armenians, might be of interest to others.
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I was inspired by this thread to make lahmajo. I started off with the recipe from Lavash, but I don’t like mine tomatoey, so I omitted tomatoes and added red pepper. Also added dried thyme. I really enjoyed the ratios as this came out.
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Armenia is on a culinary crossroads, a prominent SIlk Route. It has always incorporated Persian, Turkish, Russian, Georgian. Also, Armenia used to be a much larger country, so just because something is from a different ‘country’ it does not preclude the idea that Armenians in that country from being involved.
Apricots are everywhere. Every churchyard has an apricot tree, streets are sometimes lined with them, and you can just pick them off the ground and eat them.
The constant is lavash. All other breads take a back seat to lavash. Meals will be served with fresh vegetables in season as well as grilled vegetables. The lavash is used to wrap it all, and sometimes meats or fish are grilled inside the lavash.
The next time I am in New York City, I hope to go to an Armenian restaurant on Staten Island, Lilya’s.
I hope they’re better than any apricots I’ve had in my life, which have been decidedly underwhelming 
There are a few Armenian restaurants in Berlin, one of which my PIC took me early on in our relationship. Nowadays, Georgian seems to be the cuisine de rigueur — can’t throw a cat without hitting a new place in Berlin. I don’t mind it at all, but we should give the Armenian places another try this summer.
