Churchkhela and Other Tales: Traveling Through Armenia and Georgia by Taste
A new book has recently reached bookstores and will be featured at the Cairo International Book Fair 2026, offering readers an unconventional journey through Armenia and Georgia that blends travel writing with cultural and culinary history.
Churchkhela and Other Tales: The Table of the Caucasus Mountains, written by journalist and short-story writer Haidi Farouk and published by Gaia Publishing and the Gaia Creative Foundation, presents a fresh approach to travel literature rooted in memory, food, and identity.
Rather than focusing on famous landmarks, tourist routes, or architectural heritage alone, the book approaches the Caucasus through its cuisine. Farouk treats the dining table as a cultural archive, using food to reveal traditions, social bonds, and the historical experiences of Armenians and Georgians. Through this lens, meals become narratives, and flavors serve as markers of identity shaped by geography, hardship, and continuity.
The book goes beyond listing recipes or ingredients, though they appear naturally within the narrative. It traces the origins of dishes, explores how they are prepared and shared, and examines the stories, legends, and customs surrounding them. Readers are introduced to a cuisine that reflects centuries of adaptation, including the influence of the Armenian diaspora, which preserved core traditions while allowing space for renewal and modern interpretation.
A central theme of the book is the resilience of Caucasian cuisine and its ability to remain intact despite displacement, occupation, and historical upheaval. Food is presented as a quiet yet powerful form of resistance, preserving memory where politics and borders failed. Particular attention is given to the role of women, especially Armenian grandmothers, who acted as custodians of culinary knowledge and ensured its survival across generations.
