Ghapama
Virtual Cooking Class
November 20 and November 25 at 11 am - 1 pm
More information on Ghapama and special instructions below
Our Ghapama class is over. Thank you to everyone who joined!
You will need a big orange pumpkin for your Ghapama. You can buy one at the store but keep in mind, they may not be available after Halloween ...
... but I've got you covered!
Why is Ghapama significant to Armenians?
Ghapama is a sweet Armenian comfort food, cooked during special occasions and always shared with loved ones. It is generally made during holidays and special occasions like weddings. This dish cannot be ordered at any restaurants and the demand and excitement for it has primarily stemmed from the older generations.
Ghapama is really easy and fun to make and it has a fun serving ritual that stems from an old Armenian village tradition...
Ghapama is served on a fancy platter, garnished with fruits and nuts. It is brought to the dinner table while dancing. To present it in the traditional festive manner, guests are encouraged to get up and dance with the dish before sitting down to enjoy it.
There is even a famous pop song about it, sung by Harut Pampoukjian and covered by many other artists (imagine if Mariah Carey wrote a song about a food!).
This class is being offered for free because I want everyone to learn this recipe. But if you feel like offering any monetary token, I encourage you to donate to GALAS - an Armenian LGBTQ+ nonprofit located in LA.
Aside from being one of my own most cherished communities, they played an instrumental role in the launch of Sh!t My Armenian Grandmother Says and continue to support this project regularly. You can learn more about them and donate directly so you get the tax benefits - just write Ghapama in the notes, so they know it came from this class. :)
Why am I teaching this class?
Ghapama is an important recipe for me because it is the first and one of the only recipes passed down from my grandmother. I learned it from her over a number of holidays and I have been making it for my Armenian friends and family for nearly 15 years. Often, I get the honor of serving it to Armenians who have never tasted it before but have heard about it through cultural folklore.
I am so passionate about sharing this recipe because I want to do my part to make sure it does not get lost in the generations.
Making this dish is my love letter to her and passing it along is my love letter to every Armenian grandma.