Armenian Festival to share heritage, faith culture and, of course, food
Armenian Church of Our Saviour in Worcester will host its annual fall Armenian Festival, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Oct. 21 in the Armenian Church of Our Saviour Cultural Center at 34 Boynton St., Worcester. The event is free to the public.
This year’s festival will provide an exciting experience and vibrant collection of events, according to Father Tadeos Barseghyan, newly-assigned pastor in July. “We look forward to sharing our heritage, faith and culture with the Greater Worcester community,” said Father Barseghyan. “This year’s festivities include various presentations, church tour, musical and video productions, handmade souvenirs from Armenia, and of course, delicious food.”
Jay Kapur, Parish Council Chairman, said the festival for the first time will offer a revised menu of traditional food for eat-in and takeout. There’s variety and affordable a la carte sides, some of them especially geared for families with children, he said. Vegetarian meals, too.
Father Barseghyan’s recipe for authentic Armenian Pork Kebab, marinated with herbs and spices from Armenia, will be featured alongside other specialties, such as grilled Armenian kebab sandwiches; Losh Kebab (Armenian spiced burgers); Lamb, Chicken and Beef Kebabs; Kheyma (Armenian version of steak tartare); Rice Pilaf and Armenian Cabbage Salad.
On the Bake Table: Lahmajun, wood-fired Armenian meat pizza; Manti, Armenian meat dumplings; Jingyalov Hats, Armenian flatbread stuffed with a variety of greens and herbs (arugula, cilantro, parsley, dill, scallions) Unique to the region Artsakh; Sweet Gata, Armenian-layered sweet pastry; Choreg, Armenian sweet rolls (similar to challah); Cheese Boreg, a flaky puff pastry with cheese filling.
Armenian wines (red and white) will be available. Also, Armenian coffee.
The pastor recently spent an evening with church volunteers as they prepared Jay Kapur’s family recipe for Manti. Kapur said he first made the meat dumplings with his grandmother when he was 10. “Many happy memories,” he said. Longtime parishioner Rose Aslanian watched as volunteers prepped food. She couldn’t recall how many years she had been a festival volunteer, saying she probably started helping out in her 20s. Aslanian will soon turn 90.
Festival volunteers provide necessary support and help drive the event’s success, according to Father Barseghyan. Among volunteers to help serve food will be WPI students, members of the Armenian Student Association at the college, he said.
Father Barseghyan shares love of cooking with family and parish, according to Kapur, who said, “Father is a terrific cook.” The priest explained how his parents, who live in Armenia, keep him supplied with commonly used spices to season his cooking. Some spices are only grown in the mountains of Armenia, he said, admitting he’s a home cook who likes spicy food and loves to grill. He and his wife, with their three children, moved from Saint Paul, Minnesota and currently live in Shrewsbury. The family is getting to know their way around Worcester, a city with so much to offer, he said.
A few fun facts that will be shared at the festival: Armenian Church of Our Saviour in Worcester is reported to be the first Armenian church in the Western Hemisphere, dating back to 1891. A presentation of the “Oldest Discoveries in Armenia” includes the archaeology find of the earliest leather shoe (5,500 years old) in an Armenian cave in 2008. The Vayots Dzor region claims to be home to the oldest winery in the world. Evidence of large- scale wine production and the likely domestication of vines was discovered in 2007. The mystery of the “Armenian Stonehedge” also will be part of a video presentation. Visit https://accos.org, or connect on Facebook for more festival information.
“We are proud to be part of the rich ethnic Worcester community,” said Kapur. The fourth Sunday of every month, Armenian Church of Our Saviour’s Outreach Ministry makes and delivers sandwiches to Veterans Inc. on Grove Street in Worcester, he said. The church also will host the Acyoa Juniors New England Fall Retreat, “Overcoming the Pressures of Life Through Our Faith,” on Nov. 11.
Food brings people closer through shared experiences, whether trying new foods or cooking together. The Armenian festival is a well-attended cultural celebration. Father Barseghyan said he plans to share a meal with volunteers when the festival ends. He might be surprised when there are no leftovers!
This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Cultural favorites on the menu at Armenian Festival
