Nishan Gharibian's Legacy

Gharibian Farm was founded in the 1990s by Nishan Gharibian, a passionate chef seeking to pursue the quintessential American Dream and bring Armenian cuisine into the mainstream.

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Nishan had always been passionate about culinary arts - very exact and particular about the proper ways to prepare and enjoy food, not from formal courses or training, but from traditions passed down across generations in his native country. Good food being best when enjoyed in good company, Nishan was very active in his local communities, and it was only a matter of time before his creations were sought after by increasing numbers of friends and acquaintances. The hand crafted cheeses he lovingly prepared were a top request, particularly his traditional Armenian string cheese. By always only using wholesome ingredients with particular attention to ancient traditions, his friends and family enjoyed his cheeses for decades. As demand increased, Nishan Sr. launched Gharibian Farm.

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By 1999, Nishan had trained a small crew of loyal workers to make Armenian string cheese, and a small factory was opened in Carlstadt, NJ.  That location was outgrown a decade later, and relocated to the present facility in Passaic, NJ.   Gharibian Farm is one of the only Armenian string cheese manufacturers who has not shifted to machine making their string cheese. While we do use modern processing equipment to aid in our production, every piece of cheese is still hand-braided and stretched by a skilled worker employing the process that Nishan taught us over 20 years ago.  Indeed, many of the original employees trained by Nishan still work with us today after all these years.    

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