Khash (dish)

Khash

Khash (Armenian: Խաշ, Azerbaijani: Xaş, Georgian: ხაში), Kale Pache (Persian: کله ‌پاچه , Türkçe: Kelle Paça), Pacha (Arabic: باجة, Bulgarian: Пача) is a traditional dish in Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Iran, Iraq, Georgia, Bulgaria and Turkey. Formerly a nutritious winter food, it is now considered a delicacy, and is enjoyed as a festive winter meal, usually by a company of men who sit around in a table, early in the morning.

Modern-day convention in Armenia dictates that it should be consumed during the month that has an 'r' in its name, thus excluding May, June, July, and August (month names in Armenian are derivatives of the Latin names). No such restriction on khash consumption exists in Georgia. A similar food is called piti in the vicinity of Kars Province, Turkey, although piti is also made from feet of other livestock, primarily sheep.

Etymology

It may originate from the Armenian verb "khashel," which means "to boil." The Persian name literally translates as head and shank which are the central ingredients in this dish.

Preparation

Khash remains a purist meal with great parsimony in ingredients. The main ingredient in khash is cow's feet (known in Armenian as votner), although other cow parts, such as the head and stomach (tripe) may also be used. The feet are depilated, cleaned, kept in cold water in order to get rid of bad smell, and boiled in water all night long, until the water has become a thick broth and the meat has separated from the bones. No salt or spices are added during the boiling process. The dish is served hot. One may add salt, garlic, lemon juice, or vinegar according to one's tastes. Dried lavash is often crumbled into the broth to add substance. Khash is generally served with a variety of other foods, such as hot green and yellow peppers, pickles, radishes, cheese, and fresh greens such as cress. The meal is almost always accompanied by vodka (preferably mulberry vodka) and mineral water.

In Iran

Kale Pache or Kaleh Pacheh (Persian: کله‌پاچه‎) is an Iranian traditional dish, made with a sheep's entire head and its hooves. In Iran it is usually consumed as a breakfast soup. It includes lamb's head (including brain and eyes), tongues, and hooves, and is seasoned with lemon and cinnamon. To prepare Kaleh Pacheh, the heads and feet of sheep are collected, mashed, cooked and treated as per the recipe. Kaleh pacheh is almost always only served from three in the morning until sometime after dawn, and specialty restaurants (serving only kaleh pacheh) are only open during those hours.

"Kaleh pacheh" is a Persian word which translates to "head shank".

In Arab Countries

Pacha (Persian term), is a traditional Iraqi dish made from sheep's head, trotters and stomach; all boiled slowly and served with bread sunken in the broth. The cheeks and tongues are considered the best parts. Many people prefer not to eat the eyeballs which could be removed before cooking. The stomach lining would be filled with rice and lamb and stitched with a sewing thread (Arabic: كيبايات‎).

The dish is known in Kuwait, Bahrain and other Persian Gulf countries as Pacha (پاچة) too. A variation of that is found in other Arab countries such as in Egypt and is known as Kawari' (Arabic: كوارع‎)

Boiled sheep's head is also known to be a traditional Norwegian food from Jæren.

Consumption

In Georgia it is often consumed in the mornings after a party as it is known to battle hangovers. Armenian families, when preparing khash themselves at home, generally invite some guests. The latters should have been invited not the day before but many days before because this ceremony is not a simple dinner-party and it requires time to "prepare for it". There is much ritual involved in khash parties. Many participants abstain from eating the previous evening, and insist upon using only their hands to consume the unusual (and often unwieldy) meal. Because of the potency and strong smell of the meal, and because it is eaten early in the mornings and so often enjoyed in conjunction with alcohol, khash is usually served on the weekend or on holidays. The guests almost always bring a bottle of vodka which is one of the necessary parts of this great feast. Indeed the hosts have already thought about this detail, but an additional bottle will not be superfluous. Even the toasts are part of the ritual. They start with a "Good Morning" (Armenian: Բարի լույս [Bari Luys]) quick toast, which is later followed by another quick toast for the hosts. The last one of the three mandatory toasts is for the guests.

See also

• Armenian cuisine
• Assyrian cuisine
• Azerbaijani cuisine
• Georgian cuisine
• Iraqi cuisine
• Iranian cuisine
• Turkish cuisine

External links

• Khash web site with pictures and links
• Khash and other Azeri adventures