Appears in
Oxford Companion to Food

By Alan Davidson

Published 2014

  • About

Lavash a thin crisp bread usually made with wheat flour made in a variety of shapes all over the the regions of the Caucasus, Iran (where it is often so thin as to be like tissue and can be almost seen through), and Afghanistan. It is leavened and baked in a tandoor. Lavash is served with kebabs and is used to scoop up food or wrap round food before being eaten.

The Turkish yufka is similar, but is unleavened and cooked on a griddle, called a saj. Its origins are ancient and it is also known as lavaş depending on the region. As in the other countries of this region large batches of this bread are made and stored for long periods. In Turkey they are stored on a board suspended by all four corners from the ceiling. The bread becomes dry and is restored by sprinkling with water and reheated as and when needed.