Harissa is an Armenian dish from the Ararat plain. It is a thick porridge made from korkot (dried or roasted cracked wheat) and fat-rich meat, usually chicken or lamb. Herbs were substituted for meat in harissa when Armenian religious days required fasting and penance. The extremely long cooking process is an essential part of the harissa tradition. Like other ritual dishes, the time taken for preparation is part of its cherished value. On every Armenian holiday my mom would make Harissa and other traditional Armenian foods to remember our birthplace and where we came from.

– Anna Sarkisova

Relationship:  Im/migrant Im/migrant