ar at ▁plain . ▁ ▁Et ym ology ▁H are es ▁() ▁is ▁derived ▁from ▁the ▁verb ▁() ▁which ▁means ▁to ▁m ash ▁or ▁to ▁squ ash . ▁ ▁According ▁to ▁Armen ian ▁l ore , ▁the ▁patron ▁saint ▁of ▁Armen ia , ▁Gregory ▁the ▁Ill umin ator , ▁was ▁offering ▁a ▁me al ▁of ▁love ▁and ▁char ity ▁to ▁the ▁poor . ▁There ▁wer en ' t ▁enough ▁sheep ▁to ▁feed ▁the ▁crow ds ▁so ▁whe at ▁was ▁added ▁to ▁the ▁cook ing ▁p ots . ▁They ▁noticed ▁that ▁the ▁whe at ▁was ▁stick ing ▁to ▁the ▁bottom ▁of ▁the ▁ca ul dr ons . ▁Saint ▁Gregory ▁ad vised , ▁" H are kh ! ▁St ir ▁it !" ▁Thus , ▁the ▁name ▁of ▁the ▁d ish , ▁har issa , ▁came ▁from ▁the ▁saint ' s ▁own ▁words . ▁Har issa ▁has ▁been ▁offered ▁as ▁a ▁char ity ▁me al ▁ever ▁since . ▁The ▁d ish ▁is ▁tradition ally ▁served ▁on ▁E aster ▁day . ▁It ▁is ▁still ▁prepared ▁by ▁many ▁Armen ians ▁around ▁the ▁world ▁and ▁is ▁also ▁considered ▁the ▁national ▁d ish ▁of ▁Armen ia . ▁ ▁History ▁H are es ▁is ▁documented ▁in ▁I bn ▁Say yar ▁al - W ar ra q ' s ▁ 1 0 th - century ▁cook book ▁Kit ab ▁Al ▁Tab ikh ., ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁in ▁al - Bag hd adi ' s ▁ 1 3 th - century ▁cook book ▁Kit ab ▁Al ▁Tab ikh ▁and ▁ibn ▁Raz in ▁al