What does lavash mean?
Lavash is a thin, flat bread associated especially with Armenian and Caucasian cuisines and now common across the Middle East and Eastern Europe. It is usually unleavened, crisp or lightly pliable depending on how fresh it is, and is frequently used as a wrap for cheese, vegetables, meat, or herbs. A familiar preparation is crisp lavash, baked until lightly browned and sometimes served with cheese, herbs, or olive oil. Other versions are softer and flexible enough to roll around fillings. The word is also used more broadly for related regional flatbreads, although bread styles vary considerably by country, community, and occasion. In English, “lavash” is more culturally specific than the general word “flatbread,” and it often carries associations with Armenian hospitality and traditional Caucasian cooking.
nounA thin, flat, usually unleavened bread of Armenian, Caucasian, and Middle Eastern origin, often used in wraps or with other foods.
- A thin, flat, usually unleavened bread traditionally associated with Armenian, Caucasian, and Middle Eastern cuisines.
"She filled the warm lavash with roasted vegetables and fresh herbs."
"He layered cheese, tomatoes, and herbs on a sheet of lavash."
"The bakery offers crisp lavash alongside olive oil and herbs for dipping."
Usually used as a singular or mass noun when referring to the food as a category, but the plural can distinguish individual breads or varieties.
"The bakery displayed several lavashes with different seeds and toppings."
This ancient flatbread was so useful for carrying food that it helped bridge the cuisines of the Caucasus, the Middle East, and Eastern Europe.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does lavash come from?
English borrowed the word from Russian лаваш (lavash), which was borrowed from Armenian լավաշ (lavash). The Armenian term is the historical source of the Russian and several other regional forms, including Turkish lavaş and Azerbaijani lavaş. Its ultimate origin is uncertain, so modern usage generally describes these forms as sharing the Armenian source rather than assigning them to a more distant ancestor with confidence.
How lavash is actually used
In English, the term is most familiar in discussions of Armenian and Caucasian food. It may refer either to the finished bread or, in recipes, to a sheet of dough that is rolled thin and baked.
Easily confused with lavash
Pita is a pocket bread that often balloons while baking, whereas lavash is generally thin and flat.
Lavash is a type of bread, while lavish means generous or extravagant.