Top 4 Armenian Fishes

Sevani ischkhan is an endemic variety of trout found only in the Armenian lake Sevan. This salmonid fish is endangered, due to changes in the lake's level and the introduction of non-native fish species into the lake during the Soviet period. The trout has a distinctive flavor and a color that typically ranges from pink to yellow and is determined by its nutrition and the microclimate. The fish is considered a delicacy, and it is usually poached and flavored with bay leaves, fresh tarragon, and peppercorns. Other traditional dishes starring this fish call for grilling, frying, boiling, or braising the fish and combining it with wine, a variety of spices, pomegranate juice, and lemon juice, or filling it with fruits or nuts such as hazelnuts or almonds. In order to protect it, in 1976, Armenia's Council of Ministers decided to forbid commercial fishing of Sevani ishkhan. There are four main strains of Sevan trout, and while summer bakhtak and gegharkuni are mainly reared in hatcheries, winter bakhtak and bojak may be extinct.Expand

Sig, also known as siga, is a type of common white fish that inhabits the Sevan Lake and has been introduced from the Ladoga Lake. It typically reaches up to 17 inches in length and has been praised as an essential protein source in Armenia, especially since the years following the country’s proclaimed independence. It was then that sig, along with eggplants and kidney beans, became a staple and one of the primary protein sources in almost every Armenian household. Times of hardship gave rise to a variety of dishes based on sig, such as kufta and meatballs consisting of ground sig, and the fish also replaced the traditional meat filling for dolma. The fish was abundant and readily available from roadsides and bazaars, and even at one’s doorstep, sold from coolers. Even though it is believed that sig’s production is on the decline and it might be an endangered species, the fish is widely consumed to this day, and it can be prepared in various ways, including oven-fried sig or sig that is soaked in tomato-paprika sauce and then grilled.Expand

Karmrakhayt is a type of Armenian river trout with distinctive red dots. Commonly known as alabalagh trout, fish production of this type is also carried out in high-altitude artificial lakes, especially in the Mantash Reservoir located at the base of Mt. Aragats, in the Shirak province. The cold and pure water of this reservoir makes for a perfect habitat for karmrakhyat. This Armenian fish can be fried, stuffed, or baked in lavash flatbread alongside seasonal vegetables and cheese.Expand

Koghak is a type of endemic Armenian freshwater trout inhabiting Lake Sevan, a high-altitude freshwater lake in the Gegharkunik Province. Also known as capoeta sevangi or Varicorhinus capoeta, this fish is used in some of the traditional Armenian fish specialties, including roasted koghak, and koghak steamed with vegetables. This Armenian fish specialty is available at fancy restaurants around Lake Sevan and on the beaches surrounding it, where the freshly-caught fish is being grilled right away. Along with other native species found in this lake, Sevan koghak production has long been significantly decreased and is now under threat of becoming extinct.Expand