Khash - խաշ

Had easily my most interesting culinary experience in country so far last Saturday, with a formidable dish known as Khash.

What is Khash, exactly?
Khash is cows feet. They boil them, hooves and all (or maybe it’s only hooves), in a large pot for 24 hours until those tough, unrelenting feet finally give way and become a hot gelatinous glob. I’m not making this up.

How do you eat such a thing, you might ask?
With a grizzly constitution, iron will power and the aid of a little fresh garlic pressed directly over the soup, dried lavash to soak up all the grease, and some homemade vodka to help purge your pallet every now and then. Also time. It takes time to digest this stuff, so you can’t be planning on going to work afterwards or going out for a stroll or anything really at all. My host dad and I both passed out after eating (I think he was pretty proud that I polished off two bowls), and I woke up about an hour later with what I can only describe as a “khash hangover,” a feeling of lethargy and also a sense of supreme manliness.

Was this gross?
No. I actually kind of liked it. I think… It’s not something I’d want to eat very often, for sure. But it was definitely an experience worth having, and also a time to bond with my host family and my neighbor Hovik who came over to eat with us. It’s a very traditional dish here, a cause for bonding and comradery, especially during the colder moths when things slow down and apparently there won't be much else to do but dig into a bowl of Khash with some friends and spend the rest of the day digesting it. If I get the chance to try it again, I probably will.