Parts Unknown: The Court of Sartaq
Note to the readers: Parts Unknown was an American television show that followed late celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain as he traveled off the beaten path, immersing himself in local culture and cuisine. In this program food acts as a vehicle for delving into a place’s history, politics, and customs. In an episode on Armenia, for example, meals, drinks, and strolls through the marketplace breed incredibly deep conversations. Over dinners and drinks, individuals open up to Bourdain about the Armenian genocide, the subsequent diaspora, more recent suffering under USSR rule, and the effect of these experiences on the modern Armenian identity. Throwaway moments lead to salient revelations. For instance, Bourdain is surprised to see hummus included as part of a traditional Armenian meal. It is a seemingly insignificant observation, but leads his host to explain that hummus has become relatively commonplace after many families were forced to seek temporary refuge in countries like Lebanon ...