Have you ever been homesick?

Gallery • 6 Photos

Photo by Mrs. Harrell

If you were gone from home for a long period of time, what would make you homesick first?  Food. What would be the first thing that you would miss about America? Starbucks? McDonald’s?

Well, in the country where I live, Armenia, we have neither of them. But we have food, but here in America, I couldn’t find any of them. Once I tried to bake an Armenian pastry called “Gata” with all the different American ingredients, which was one of the worst decisions that I have ever made.

Armenian Gata is one of the oldest and most traditional sweets. In different regions in Armenia, Gata is made in different ways and different shapes. This recipe is one of the oldest and most traditional. This pastry is loved amongst many Armenians and served to guests, especially on New Years. Gata includes a tasty filling called “khoriz”. It consists of three main ingredients: flour, butter, and sugar. Sometimes Armenians even include a penny in the Gata. They wrap the penny in foil and place it in the Gata, and whoever gets the penny in their piece is said to have luck and blessings.

The “Gata” that I made in America was way different than the real “Gata” and so dry, that I might even break my teeth. I tried three times until it was as I wanted it to be. I am sharing with you the “secret” recipe of mine. I promise you won’t break your teeth.

For the Gata, we need simple ingredients.

The Dough

3/4 cup Greek plain yogurt

3/4 cup of sugar

1/2 cup of vegetable oil

1 tsp vanilla, baking soda, baking powder

3 or 4 cups of flour (it depends)

Filling (khoriz)

1 stick of butter

1 cup of sugar

1 cup of flour

1 tsp vanilla

Separate the yolk and white of the egg, to brush the yolk on the top and white inside of it before putting “Khoriz” inside.

Make the dough by mixing the sugar with the oil and then add yogurt, vanilla, soda, and baking powder. Little by little add flour and make the dough soft, but it shouldn’t stick.

Roll the dough in a round shape and place in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Open the dough and brush with the egg white and put the filling in. Roll it tight and cut as triangles. Brush with the yolk and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Last Thursday during Power Hour and 6th-period Culinary Arts students learned how to make Armenian food. They watched a video about how to make it and then start to make.

“For the first time it was confusing, but then for the next period, I already knew how to figure it out. It was really good and yummy”- said Jordan Chapman, one of the students who were there for both periods.

Now, more than 30 Americans know how to make Armenian pastry. Hope that it was fun for them and they liked it.