Gata (food)

Gata (Armenian: գաթա) is an Armenian pastry or sweet bread. 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 a tonir, but it is now baked in an oven. The bread is traditionally eaten at the feast of Candlemas, but is eaten during other festivities too or simply eaten with a cup of tea or coffee.

One popular variety of it is koritz (khoriz), which has a filling that consists of flour, butter and sugar. Gata can also include other fillings alongside khoritz, including nuts, (most commonly walnuts, while peanuts can also be used), dried fruits, lemons, or mulberries. 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 of Garni and Geghard are decorated (before baking), round, and generally about a foot in diameter. Around the southern edge of Lake Sevan, in the town of Tsovinar, gata is denser and sweeter, and baked without koritz in a triangular shape without decoration.

The preparation of gata and its cultural expressions are included in the intangible cultural heritage list of Armenia.