Mushrooms as Dilijan’s Signature: Where to Try the Best Mushroom Dishes

Dilijan is renowned for its expansive national park filled with dense, green forests. Unsurprisingly, local cuisine is rich in ingredients sourced from the woods. One of the most common is mushrooms — an essential part of the region's cuisine and a true signature of Dilijan. Interestingly, mushrooms are not traditionally popular in Armenian cuisine, making Dilijan’s culinary take a refreshing discovery for food enthusiasts. Imagine Armenian tolma, arisa, and khashil made with mushrooms — or even a Caesar salad with mushrooms! In Dilijan, this is not only imaginable but a reality.

The Dilijan National Park is home to about 480 species of mushrooms, of which only 176 are considered edible, and 15 are included in the Red Book of Endangered Species. The forests around Dilijan host various edible mushrooms: oyster mushrooms, boletes, ear mushrooms, porcini, and, of course, champignons. Wood-growing mushrooms are especially common in Dilijan cuisine; they grow directly on trees after rainfall. These are typically fried with eggs, seasoned with onions, greens, and spices. Champignons are cooked with potatoes, made into hearty soups, and added to pilaf and various salads.

At the end of summer and into autumn, when mushroom-picking season arrives, Armenian cooks preserve mushrooms for winter, pickling and salting them, creating a delicious snack to accompany main dishes. They add garlic, bay leaves, and vegetables for extra flavor.

Where to Try Mushroom Dishes in Dilijan

If you can't visit a local household, the town’s cafes and restaurants are ready to offer the full range of local flavors. Here are some spots in Dilijan where you can enjoy mushroom dishes:

Sovats Vozni – This café and bar in Dilijan offers a variety of mushroom dishes. A unique feature is that guests can grill mushrooms, meat, and vegetables themselves. Menu highlights include pork medallions in mushroom sauce, tagliatelle with spinach and mushrooms, vegan quesadillas, spelt with mushrooms and bell peppers, baked potatoes with mushrooms, and the popular Dilijan breakfast – mushroom omelet.

Papanino House – Another spot that celebrates mushrooms, offering traditional Armenian noodles, or arishta, with mushrooms and spinach in a garlic sauce. You’ll also find the traditional Dilijan soup with seasonal mushrooms and the popular creamy mushroom soup.

Traveller’s Hut – Known for serving fresh, traditional food, this café offers baked wood mushrooms with eggs and greens, mushroom omelets, and vegetable mushroom soup.

Toon Armeni – This homestyle restaurant serves breakfast with fried wood mushrooms and lunch with Dilijan mushroom soup.

Visiting Dilijan without trying its mushroom dishes would mean missing out on the distinctive cuisine of this forested region. Here, you’ll discover not only new and unique combinations but also an enjoyable nostalgia for the flavors of childhood.