FruityDelight 3 — Some summer delights in Armenia (photo Christina Markarian)

Armenia & Karabakh agriculture Armenian produce

Why Does Armenian Produce Taste So Good?

July 31, 2025

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The Armenian Mirror-Spectator

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By Christina Markarian

Special to the Mirror-Spectator

In the US, I was intrigued to discover a new fruit item on the grocery shelves. An American grower fused a nectarine with an apricot and created an “Angelcot.” My diasporan friend insisted it was the closest thing in America to an Armenian apricot. Apricots in Armenia are a truly transcendent taste experience, practically a food of the gods. Is it possible anything could ever really be as good?

Overflowing summertime bins dedicated to sun ripened, sugary apricots are reason enough to live in Armenia. This is to say nothing of figs, melons, berries, cherries, vegetables and herbs available in an Armenian produce market. So, it begs the question, if America is the land of abundance, what does Armenia have which sets it apart?

To begin, the land itself is unique. The trifecta of sun, altitude and mineral-rich soil produce maximum flavor. Anyone who has spent a summer in Armenia can attest to the abundant sunshine. The country not only has 2,700 sun hours of light per year, the Ararat Valley which is known for its agricultural land, is perpendicular to the sun. Therefore, the angle with which the sun’s rays hit farms in this valley is particularly intense. This results in strong plant sugars and exceptional sweetness.

Armenia is also more than a mile above sea level. At this altitude, there is a strong diurnal temperature variation —the difference between daytime and nighttime temperatures. In some areas, the difference may be up to 35 degrees Fahrenheit. These cool nights result in slower plant growth. Slower growth allows for a more concentrated development of flavor compounds. In a 2025 plant science study, it was found that “particularly significant diurnal temperature variations and high light intensity” enhanced flavonoids and nutritional value.

Finally, the extinct volcanos Mount Ararat and Mount Aragats are the source of rich volcanic soils in Armenia. Volcanic ash has essential nutrients such as potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, which improve soil fertility. A Cairo University study even tried importing volcanic ash to test the effects on soil properties and found that it improved soil moisture retention and was “a source of elements for plant nutrition.” Armenia naturally has an abundance of this exceptional soil. Volcanic soil has a strong mineral composition, which imparts a distinct flavor to crops. It is also nutrient dense, reducing the need for chemical fertilizers, plus it acts as a “soil conditioner,” maintaining moisture.

These are a few of the reasons Armenian produce is renowned and is one of the country’s top exports. According to a 2020 report from Armenia’s Statistical Committee, fruits and vegetables were the fifth largest export group. But, there is more to the equation. Not only does Armenia happen to have favorable growing conditions, but traditional farming methods also factor into the results. Armenian farms are small, family owned, and focused on “low input subsistence agriculture,” as stated by agricultural researcher Richard Wilson.

Historically, Armenia was an agricultural society supported by small, family owned farms. The Soviet Union expropriated those small farms and consolidated them to hundreds of mega farms focused on export. After independence there was a return to the small, traditional, family operations and today there are roughly 350,000 farms, each 4 acres on average, as shown in a 2019 UN report. The families that own these small plots often prioritize meeting their own food needs, with the surplus going to trade. This is called subsistence or semi-subsistence agriculture.

In the U.S., farms are mostly “high input” and “export oriented cash crop,” meaning there is a heavy reliance on cheap labor, GMOs, agrochemicals, monocrops, and expensive machinery to create the highest possible output for the smallest possible area of land. Also, crops are largely grown for sale internationally. Conversely, in Armenia, commercial production is not the main goal. Armenian farmers emphasize taste, quality, and sustainability.

Furthermore, Armenia is not yet dominated by supermarkets. Other than the rare farmer’s market, supermarkets in America are the only way to buy produce. These supermarkets work with massive distribution companies that ship items from extreme distances. It is common to see Midwest shelves stocked with December blueberries shipped from Chile. In Armenia, the freshest items are still found at the open market stands or the individual produce shops.

While Armenia does import some items, like citrus and tropical fruit from Iran, local markets largely sell locally grown, in-season produce. Locally grown items can luxuriate on the vine or tree, for maximum ripeness. Armenian fruit, at the absolute peak of flavor, is fully ripe, bursting in the skin, and utterly divine.

The Armenian Mirror-Spectator

Topics: agriculture, Armenian produce

People: Christina Markarian

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While summer fruit may get most of the attention, there is a staggering variety of year-round locally grown items, such as jujube, hawthorn berries, dandelion greens, sunchokes, watermelon and Spanish radishes, sorrel, ramps, beet greens, Goris heirloom beans, pig’s ear mushrooms, the list goes on…. This delicious assortment has the added benefit of contributing to soil health and crop health. Strong crop diversity blocks pests and pathogens from moving easily from plant to plant to decimate fields. This reduces the need for synthetic pesticides.

In addition to “on-crop diversity,” Armenia is considered a “significant center of agrobiodiversity,” as written in an ISHS report. Biodiversity is the variety of animals, plants and microorganisms. Agrobiodiversity (or agricultural biodiversity) is how biodiversity underpins agricultural systems. It is “all the (supporting) forms of life that make agriculture possible,” such as “soil microbes, pollinating insects, and wild relatives of crops,” as stated by CGIAR.

Armenia’s strong agrobiodiversity is due to its location. It is at the junction of geographic crossroads, between Europe and Asia. As a result, it has great variation in altitudes and a wide range of climatic zones. As described in an AUA study, this has resulted in a tremendous variety of landscapes and “ecological communities with distinct flora and fauna, including many regionally endemic, relict, and rare species.”

The positive relationship between plant biodiversity and ecosystem functioning is explained in this 2025 WHO report, “Biodiversity supports key ecosystem services like soil fertility, natural pest control, pollination and water regulation.” From the earliest days of independence, Armenia has recognized the importance of its biodiversity and sought to implement legislative and institutional reforms.

This March, Armenia launched BIOFIN, to “develop a comprehensive national biodiversity plan” which will help Armenia produce nutritious food with minimal environmental impact. Healthy soil results in the most flavorful, nutritious crops. The health of the soil directly impacts quality and taste, creating one more reason that Armenian produce tastes so good.

Every July, it’s common to see Armenians struggle home from the produce market, arms laden with kilos of apricots. Most likely, they’ll stop to sample a few handfuls, juices dripping down their forearms, savoring the uniquely sweet taste. Simply put, nothing else comes close. And, it’s no wonder, considering all that goes into the creation of the simply perfect Armenian apricot, or anything else that Armenians are privileged to enjoy from the bounty of their land.

Armenia has the good fortune of great land, strong biodiversity, and Armenian farmers have not abandoned their traditional methods of growing the best food products. And, this is why Armenians can boast of having produce that is par excellence. The creation of great produce is a significant part of our culture and cuisine.

(Christina Markarian is a journalist, blogger, and copywriter, living in Gyumri. She repatriated in 2024.)

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