Armenian Fest
A taste of something different
All
over this city, summertime ushers in a broad spectrum of church
festivals. And being the outdoor festival fans that we Wisconsinites
are, we visit them, either to support our denomination or because it’s
the weekend and we feel like going out. Or maybe a little of both.
Equal parts ethnic festival and church picnic, Armenian Fest sets the
gold standard for this celebrated tradition of faith and fellowship.
Beginning
in the 1930s, Milwaukee’s Armenian community gathered every summer for
an annual picnic featuring traditional Mediterranean dishes made from
family recipes. Armenia is a curious country. At the cusp of Europe and
Asia and wedged between Georgia and Iran on today’s world map, its
people lived from the Caucasus Mountains to the Mediterranean shores
until recent times. Armenia
adopted Christianity while the new religion was illegal in the Roman
Empire and maintains a distinct, ancient version of the faith. It’s
fitting that Armenian Fest is held on the grounds of St. John the
Baptist Armenian Orthodox Church.
Much
of the festival’s charm lies in its uniqueness. Cultural influences
from countries like Ireland, Italy, Mexico and Germany are so pervasive
in this country that many of us adopt them as our own, regardless of
our ethnicity. Armenia’s
incredibly rich heritage and culture, on the other hand, are far less
familiar. Armenian Fest offers a cultural booth where visitors can
learn more about the nation; visitors can also take tours of the church
and purchase books and artifacts from the region.
But let’s get down to the real reason most of us go to these outdoor festivals: the food. Armenian food shares
many attributes with the cuisine of Greece and other Eastern
Mediterranean nations, but also includes a num ber of unique dishes
that draw from a different array of spices and seasonings than the
recipes of its neighbors.
Lahmajune,
for instance, is an Armenian pizza on a round, thin tortilla-like dough
topped with a spiced mix ture of meat, onions, tomatoes, peppers and
parsley. Also popular is a homemade shish kebab dinner made with
grilled skewers of seasoned chicken or marinated beef and served with
salad, bread and buttery rice pilaf. If you only try one thing at
Armenian Fest, spring for the baked boreg, a puff pastry made with
layers of delicate phyllo dough filled with sharp cheese and spinach,
then cooked at a high temperature until the dough becomes blistered and
flaky. If you lack a gene for culinary experimentation, order
the hummus, a Middle Eastern spread of blended chickpeas that has
become a popular American party dip over the last decade.
What
with the heat and all, festivalgoers must be well hydrated to walk the
grounds, scouting each and every booth before making the perfect food
choice. Along with the usual soft drinks and beer, the festival provides Armenian grape and pomegranate wine to quench your thirst.
The
perfect ending comes in the form of paklava, a rich, sweet pastry made
with chopped walnuts and layered sheets of butter-kissed phyllo dough
that is baked and sweetened with syrup.
Don’t know what
kadayif, shakerlama and boormah are? Never heard of a duduk or an oud?
Armenian Fest is your chance to find out.
Delicious food, talented folk
musicians and enthusiastic parishioners: Together they add up to a
pitch-perfect festival that raises cultural awareness and unifies the
community.
Armenian Fest will be held rain or shine at St. John the Baptist Armenian Orthodox Church, 7825 W. Layton Ave., Greenfield, on Sunday, July 27, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Also in Eat/Drink:
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3 - Thu
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