 | This article'slead sectionmay need to be rewritten. The reason given is:TheWP:LEAD is meant to be a summary of the article body. Stuff like "Some variations include placing a coin inside the dough before the gata is baked, and it is said that whoever receives the piece with the coin is to be blessed with good fortune." and the bit about Garni and Geghard is not a summary of the article body. Please review thelead guide and helpimprove the lead of this article if you can.(March 2025) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
.jpg) | |
| Type | Pastry orbread |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | Armenia |
Gata (Armenian:գաթա) is an Armenian pastry or sweet bread.[1][2][3][4] There are many variations of gata in Armenia. Specific towns or regions have their own versions. Gata is made in a variety of shapes, sizes and may be decorated or left unadorned. In the past, gata was baked in atonir, but it is now baked in an oven. The bread is traditionally eaten at the feast ofCandlemas, but is eaten during other festivities too or simply eaten with a cup of tea or coffee.[5]
One popular variety of it iskoritz (khoriz), which has a filling that consists of flour, butter and sugar. Gata can also include other fillings alongside khoritz, including nuts, (most commonlywalnuts, whilepeanuts can also be used), dried fruits,[6] lemons,[7] ormulberries.[8][9][10] Some variations include placing a coin inside the dough before the gata is baked, and it is said that whoever receives the piece with the coin is to be blessed with good fortune. Gata from the villages ofGarni andGeghard are decorated (before baking), round, and generally about a foot in diameter. Around the southern edge ofLake Sevan, in the town ofTsovinar, gata is denser and sweeter, and baked withoutkoritz in a triangular shape without decoration.
The preparation ofgata and its cultural expressions are included in the intangible cultural heritage list ofArmenia.[11]
Some Gata resemble croissants, made from an enriched bread dough rolled into paper-thin, table-wide sheets using an “okhlavoo” (a wooden dowel dedicated to dough work), smeared with butter, rolled up like a carpet and cut into spirals that bake up layered and crisp. This style is often calledNazook. Others are sweeter and decidedly more cake-like, whether they're made with a yeast- or baking soda/acidic dairy-leavened dough (baking powder was, until very recently, unknown inArmenia, so most chemically-leavened baked goods are made using a combination of baking soda and an acidic dairy like yogurt or sour cream). This latter style is usually formed into a flattened disc and filled with a single layer of butter, flour, sugar, vanilla, and (sometimes) chopped nut paste known as khoritz, a mixture that's essentially the Armenian equivalent ofStrudel. These more simple gata are often dressed up with decorative strips of dough or by scoring patterns onto the top before baking.[citation needed]
The following styles of Gata can be found in Eastern Armenia andKarabakh (Artsakh):
Gata is also prepared byAssyrians, who call it Chada or Kadeh.[18]
.jpg)
Gata is traditionally eaten during various feasts. For example, during the Christian holiday ofCandlemas, or duringLent inArmenia.[19][20]
