Sedrak Mamulyan, chairman of the NGO “Development and Preservation of Armenian Culinary Traditions”, thinks that the Armenian national cuisine and its traditions should be taught in Armenian schools.
“Today, it is very important that our traditions be preserved inside the country, and that the younger generation knows their cuisine. Through the Ministry of Culture of Armenia, we intend to offer a pilot program for several Armenian schools,” said Mamulyan at a press conference.
According to him, the traditions of the Armenian cuisine have been preserved in the Armenian diaspora better than in Armenia itself.
“Many of our compatriots living abroad do not know the Armenian language and have little knowledge of the Armenian culture, but they do cherish culinary traditions, which helps them to preserve their national identity,” said Mamulyan.
In turn, the deputy director of the cultural heritage department of the Ministry of Culture of Armenia Yeranuhi Margaryan noted that society today should pay special attention to intangible cultural values.
“For our part, we are trying to implement various programs to support the intangible cultural heritage of Armenia. In this regard, a number of projects are being implemented. However, this requires the efforts of each of us,” said Margaryan.
She also noted that in this matter, Armenia has been actively cooperating with UNESCO. Since 2006, a corresponding legislative field has been being created in the country to protect intangible values.
