Khychin is a traditional filled flatbread originating from the regions of Kabardino-Balkaria and Karachay-Cherkessia. This thin flatbread is made from unleavened dough and it's filled with boiled potatoes, local cheese, or meat with fresh herbs.
The dough is usually made with a combination of flour, salt, and kefir or ayran, while the filling can contain soft cheese, potatoes, butter, veal or lamb, garlic, onions, coriander, and mint. Once assembled, khychin is fried in butter until it's slightly browned and crispy.
The dish is prepared for all special occasions such as weddings, childbirth, funerals, or visiting guests. It is believed that khychin symbolizes the Sun, wealth, and hospitality.
MAIN INGREDIENTS
Lavash is a traditional flatbread claimed by many food specialists to be Armenian in origin, but it is well-known and prepared throughout Western Asia (most noteably Iran and Türkiye) and the Caucasus (most noteably Azerbaijan). The dough consists of wheat flour, salt, and water leavened only with a sourdough starter.
Once the dough has risen, it is shaped into small lumps that are rolled flat and then slapped against the inside of a clay oven called tonir. Depending on the part or region of Armenia, these flatbreads can vary in thickness, size, shape, and the method of kneading.
MOST ICONIC Lavash
Pampushki are small Ukrainian yeasted buns. They can be prepared in sweet or savory versions. The dough usually consists of milk, flour, eggs, sugar, butter, yeast, oil, and salt, and it is then shaped into small balls. The sweet version is often stuffed with ingredients such as fruit jam, berries, fresh fruit, or cottage cheese, while the savory ones have no filling, but are traditionally flavored with garlic sauce and served alongside borscht.
MAIN INGREDIENTS
Qutab is one of the most famous dishes in Azerbaijan. Similar in shape to a quesadilla, qutab is made with paper-thin dough, stuffed with a variety of ingredients, folded, and usually baked in saj, a traditional Azerbaijani frying pan.
Three of the most common fillings are meat (lamb being the national favorite), a mixture of green vegetables, and squash. Most commonly it is consumed in between meals, as a nutritious snack. Before qutab is served, it is usually cut into smaller triangles and garnished with sumac, parsley, pomegranate seeds, or chopped walnuts.
MOST ICONIC Qutab
View moreMAIN INGREDIENTS
Shotis puri or shoti is a Georgian baton-like bread made with whole wheat flour, salt, water, and yeast. It is traditionally baked until golden brown in a deep, circular oven called a tone. The freshly baked bread is then placed on wooden racks to cool, and it is usually sold wrapped in a sheet of paper.
Shotis puri is consumed as an everyday bread, but it is especially popular during festive events such as Easter, Christmas, and birthdays.
MAIN INGREDIENTS
A culinary delicacy coming from Artsakh, or the Nagorno-Karabakh region, zhingyalov khats is a traditional flatbread that contains a variety of herbs and greens. Often considered a lavash with herb filling, this flatbread typically consists of a thin unleavened dough that is topped with a mixture of thinly sliced herbs and greens, folded over, sealed, and then carefully rolled out again.
Zhingyalov khats is traditionally baked on a hot saj, a type of Armenian cast-iron vessel resembling a bulging tray. The filling is typically made with butter, salt, onions, and lots of herbs and greens, sometimes supposedly even up to 20 different kinds, such as spinach, leeks, scallions, nettle, chickweed, mint, parsley, tarragon, lettuce, chard, dill, or kale.
MAIN INGREDIENTS
Traditionally consumed at Barbaroba, the feast of St. Barbara, lobiani is a popular Georgian bread that is filled with mashed kidney beans and flavored with onions, parsley, coriander, and black pepper. The dough consists of flour, yeast, salt, and water.
There is also a variety of the bread called rachuli lobiani, which is prepared with added bacon for extra flavor. The name lobiani is derived from the Georgian word for kidney beans, lobio.
MAIN INGREDIENTS
Matnakash is a traditional bread consisting of a smooth, elastic dough made with flour, yeast, water, sugar, salt, and oil. Originally, it was prepared only with flour and water, and without yeast. Before it is baked in a well-steamed oven, the dough is usually topped with a type of flour mixture consisting of flour and water or black tea, which lends the bread a unique, crispy crust that complements its soft and slightly chewy interior.
This Armenian flatbread has a distinctive oval or round shape, and its surface is adorned with a traditional pattern of indentations. Its name matnakash translates to finger draw or finger pull and is derived from the traditional way of adorning the bread’s top by using one’s fingers.
Korovai is a traditional wedding bread that is also popular in countries such as Poland, Bulgaria, Romania, and Russia. Instead of a cake, Ukrainians bake this massive, lavishly decorated bread that is often made by seven married women from seven different places.
Participation of widows in the bread-making process is forbidden, since it is believed that a piece of their fate will be forwarded to the prospective couple. There are many superstitions and rituals connected to korovai – for example, if the bread cracks in the oven, the marriage will be doomed.
MAIN INGREDIENTS
Chvishtari is a traditional cornbread originating from Svaneti. It's usually made with a combination of cornflour, milk, eggs, oil, salt, and sulguni cheese. The dough is kneaded with the cheese until it becomes firm and smooth. It is then flattened and cooked on both sides in a greased frying pan over medium heat until lightly golden.
It's recommended to eat chivshtari on the same day that it was made, preferably while still hot.
TasteAtlas food rankings are based on the ratings of the TasteAtlas audience, with a series of mechanisms that recognize real users and that ignore bot, nationalist or local patriotic ratings, and give additional value to the ratings of users that the system recognizes as knowledgeable. For the “Top 13 Eastern European Breads” list until May 15, 2025, 1,229 ratings were recorded, of which 626 were recognized by the system as legitimate. TasteAtlas Rankings should not be seen as the final global conclusion about food. Their purpose is to promote excellent local foods, instill pride in traditional dishes, and arouse curiosity about dishes you haven’t tried.