Los Angeles

Host Marcus Samuelsson arrives in sunny Los Angeles to meet with Armenians influencing the city's food scene. Armenian food is diaspora food — the community is widespread, building homes in countries like Turkey and Syria following the Armenian Genocide.

Andy Kozanian, owner of Kozanian Ranch Market in LA, discusses the beauty of some of his imported Armenian food ingredients, and points out other nations' dishes to which Armenians have added their own signature. He then shows Marcus the preparation of simple, ageless Armenian flatbread, lavash.

Mother and son Evelina and Sarges Yegiazaryan explain their process for churning out 10,000 sini-monta (Armenian beef dumplings) per day, by hand. Having begun as a wholesale operation, they eventually opened their doors to the public, and since then, they've provided a hearty taste of home to members of the Armenian diaspora, while also broadening the palates of non-Armenian Angelenos.

Armenian-American LA surfer and chef Ara Zada discusses his Egyptian and Armenian roots, eating cow foot soup atop the tallest peak in Armenia, his discoveries about the origins of traditionally Armenian dishes, and the ongoing conversation between the cuisine of the Armenian diaspora, and the cuisine that can be found in Armenia proper today.