Lavash (; ) is a thin flatbread usually leavened, traditionally baked in a tandoor (tonir or tanoor) or on a sajj, and common to the cuisines of South Caucasus, West Asia, and the areas surrounding the Caspian Sea. Lavash is widespread in Armenia.
In 2014, "Lavash, the preparation, meaning and appearance of traditional bread as an expression of culture in Armenia" was inscribed in the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. In 2016, the making and sharing of flatbread (lavash, katyrma, jupka or yufka) in communities of Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Turkey was inscribed on the list as well. Lavash is similar to yufka, but in Turkish cuisine lavash (lavaà Â) is prepared with a yeast dough while yufka is typically unleavened.
The word lavash entered English partly from Armenian (), Turkish (), and Farsi (). Similar names are used in Azerbaijan and Georgia. In Farsi, it is also known as . The Arabic term is , while in Lebanon it is called . Lavash is the most common name for the bread in American English; the spellings lavosh, lahvosh, lawaash, and lawasha are also used. Other English terms include cracker bread, Armenian cracker bread, mountain bread, and paraki.
Hrach Martirosyan tentatively connects Armenian lavash with dialectal , , 'palm, flat of the hand', , 'flat, polished stone for playing', 'very thin' and assumes derivation from Proto-Armenian 'flat'. He remarks that semantically this is conceivable since this bread is specifically flat and thin.
Sevan Nià Âanyan connects the Persian word for lavash to the Aramaic root meaning 'to knead' and recorded al-Faraj ba'd ash-Shiddah from 1451 as the oldest text to use the term in Turkish.
Lavash has existed since ancient times. Food historian Gil Marks states that lavash originated in the Middle East and traces it to the early innovation of cooking thin flatbreads on terracotta griddles. The earliest forms of bread were cooked as cakes either on heated rocks or in embers, but when griddles started to be used breads had to be made thinner to fully cook through without burning, like the bread rakik described in the Bible. With the innovation of early ovens, thicker loaves became possible. According to Marks, lavash is one of the oldest breads in Persia.
The origin of lavash is attributed to Armenia, or Iran. Russian food writer Stalik Khankishiev argued that it is futile to claim lavash as being from a specific country, stating that it is eaten in a large part of Asia and that the tandoor spread to this region from East Turkestan.
In 2014, lavash was described by the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity as "an expression of Armenian culture". The listing included a note that lavash "is not an exclusively Armenian bread", possibly in response to a complaint from Azerbaijan. This faced backlash in Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan, as the dish was associated with the larger region.
In 2025, Armenia applied for geographical indication (GI) registration for Armenian lavash.
Lavash is made with wheat flour and water. Some forms are leavened with either yeast or a sourdough starter known in Armenian as . If leavened, it may be risen for 30 to 60 minutes before being shaped into 100âÂÂ300 gram balls, then risen again for 15 minutes. The dough is stretched; in Armenia this is done on a cushion known as or . Toasted sesame seeds and/or poppy seeds are sometimes sprinkled on before baking.
The dough may be slapped against the hot walls of a tandoorâÂÂa type of clay oven Lavash cooks very quicklyâÂÂabout 15 to 40 secondsâÂÂdue to thermal radiation and convection in the tandoor. Being cooked on the side of a tandoor causes irregular coloring in lavash, as with naan; the colour of machine-produced lavash is more regular. It may instead be baked on top of a metal saj. In the modern era, electric ovens are more commonly used.
While quite flexible when fresh, lavash dries out quickly and becomes brittle and hard. Hard lavash may have a longer cooking time and be left uncovered. For soft lavash, it is removed from heat immediately after the bottom begins to brown, then finished with water and covered with cloth or plastic. A small amount of water can rehydrate the bread to restore its texture. The soft form is easier to use when making wrap sandwiches.
Lavash is large and flat. The shape and size vary. Some lavash is very thin, enabling it to dry quickly. Lavash in Iran may be particularly thin and slightly translucent. Iranian lavash may be rectangular, circular, or oblong, with a length from 30 cm to over 50 cm.
Lavash is classified as a single-layer flatbread.
Lavash is commonly used for wraps, with toppings such as kebabs, kofta, or cheese. It is also used to wrap around and pick up accompanying dishes, such as stew. It may also be served with dip. Lavash is often prepared and stored in large batches.
In Armenian villages, dried lavash is stacked high in layers to be used later, and when the time comes to rehydrate the bread, it is sprinkled with water to make it softer again. The dried bread is broken up into (), while fresh lavash is used to wrap the Armenian specialty dish () and to make other wraps with herbs and cheese. Lavash wraps are eaten for breakfast or lunch in Armenia. For example, tarragon-spiced boiled eggs are wrapped in lavash for breakfast.
In Iran, Turkey and some Middle Eastern countries lavash is used with kebabs to make wraps like . In its dry form, leftover lavash is used in Iran to make quick meals after being rehydrated with water, butter, or cheese. Another preparation in Iran uses hard lavash, mashed with butter to form bite-sized balls.
In Turkish cuisine can be used also for sweet dishes and served alongside some traditional Turkish dessert dishes like , , ('braised fruit leather'), and .
In Kashmiri cuisine, lavash is traditionally used with the morning tea, also known as Noon chai or Sheer Chai. In the region, lavash wrap with barbecued meat and chickpeas is known as masala lavasa.
Lavash is a common breakfast food in Iran. In Armenia, it may be eaten as a breakfast with jam and curd, a lunch as a wrap with khorovats, or a snack with cheese.
Lavash is widespread across West and Central Asian cuisine, including Southern Caucasian, Afghan, and Iranian cuisine. Lavash wraps are served at cafés and restaurants.
Lavash is one of the four main breads of Iranian cuisine, alongside barbari, sangak, and taftoon, eaten in every part of Iran. These are all made of wheat, a common crop in many parts of Iran; lavash is the thinnest. In the country, a single lavash costs about 5 to 15 U.S. cents
Lavash is a staple of Armenian cuisine and, according to food writer Kate Leahy, the most significant bread in the country's culture. The dough and preparation method of lavash in each settlement may greatly vary as Armenia's mountainous geography causes relative isolation. Homemade lavash is also made by the Armenian diaspora.
Lavash is also eaten in Georgian cuisine.
In Armenian weddings, it is traditional for a lavash to be placed on the bride's shoulders as a symbol of luck and wealth, or for the mother of the groom to feed the newly wed couple lavash and honey as a wish of good fortune, fertility and sweetness for the couple. Dried lavash can be stored over a long time period (almost one year) and is used instead of leavened bread in Eucharist traditions by the Armenian Apostolic Church.
In Sabirabad District of Azerbaijan after a wedding when the bride comes into her new house, her mother-in-law puts lavash on her shoulder and says: "Let you come to the house of wealth, let your foot be lucky". In the Novkhani settlement, after a funeral, it is customary for people to prepare kyulchya, which sometimes consists of halva wrapped up in lavash.
Many paintings depict the prepartion of lavash. A print of the painting Armenian Ladies Baking Lavash by the Armenian American artist Manuel Tolegian was selected by U.S. President Gerald Ford to hang in the White House Bicentennial Collection.