Valley Lahvosh Crackerbread and Flatbread has earned three Best of Show awards from the prestigious American Tasting Institute, whose panel of professional chefs declared these uniquely delicious products to be America�s best.

�Our lahvosh is very traditional: a light color with a bubbly texture. It�s very low in sodium, has no cholesterol and zero grams trans fats. Very pure and healthy. It�s wonderful to calm an upset tummy. Pregnant women love it when they are feeling queasy!�

�Lahvosh is a generic name for a thin type of bread, which can be crisp like ours or soft. The term Lahvosh can mean crackerbread or flatbread.�

Lahvosh can be eaten crisp or soft. �Wet it under the faucet and layer it between two moist towels for about 20 minutes. That�s how they used to make the wraps, also called caravan sandwiches. In traditional Armenian homes they tear off a piece of the soft lahvosh and wrap it around cheese for a quick lunch.�

�Our large 15� round lahvosh is the number one food service seller and number two for retail. It�s so versatile � you can use it for a wonderful thin pizza crust, break it up to serve in a bread basket, or just break off a piece right out of the bag for healthy snack.�
  Valley Lahvosh

Agnes Saghatelian�s grandfather, Gazair, came to the United States in 1922 to escape persecution in Armenia, and like many immigrants he brought traditions from home with him. He settled originally in Massachusetts, but his asthma required a drier climate, so he moved to Fresno.

�Many Armenians settled in Fresno, so there was a rich community life here,� Agnes explains. �Perhaps the sight of the mountains off to the east reminded them of the mountains of Armenia.�

In fact, Gazair established his Valley Lahvosh Bakery right across the street from the Armenian Church, and the bakery and church were the center for an entire Armenian neighborhood. He built his home next door to the bakery, and all his children grew up there.

Agnes� mother Janet, the youngest of six children, started working with her father and her brother Sam in the bakery when she was 12 � a fact she is fond of reminding the younger generation. In 1982, when both her father and brother had passed away, Janet became the company�s president.

Agnes, whose degree is in business administration and management, entered the business fulltime in 1993 and runs the bakery�s day-to-day operations now. �I�m an only child, and I really wanted to continue the tradition of our family business.�

Grandfather Saghatelian might be surprised to see how Valley Lahvosh has grown. �He had a small corner shop and a fleet of beautiful delivery trucks which took fresh bread all over town. The corner shop is still in the same location, but now Valley Lahvosh takes up a whole block!�

The bakery still makes fresh pida loaf breads, and the people in Fresno and the surrounding area still come to the bakery to buy it. But the greatest growth has been with the lahvosh, which is now sold nationwide.

Small, shaped lahvosh were an innovation. �My mother Janet loves everything in the shape of hearts. She asked the die maker to make her a heart shaped mold. He thought it was kind of a crazy notion. But he did it, and the heart cutter was used for the first time the day of the funeral for her father�s last living brother Samson.�

Valley Lahvosh Hearts are the number one seller in their retail business and have become the company�s signature shape. Now they also make stars.

�It�s an amazing honor to be continuing such a long family tradition. I�m very proud that our family is still carrying on this business after 85 years!�
 
To contact
Valley Lahvosh

Visit our Website
Contact: Agnes Saghatelian
Email us
Phone: 800-480-2704
Fax: 559-485-0173
Store:
502 M Street
Fresno, CA 93721
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