We love ak-mak Armenian crackers, because

• Our children love them. Do you understand how hard it is to find high-in-protein, whole-wheat crackers with no added sugar that our kids will happily munch on? These crackers have staved off many a hangry-temper tantrum, particularly on car rides. 
• They are sturdy and don't break apart easily. As David Tamarkin observed, writing for Epicurious, the ak-mak "is a strong cracker. Pile on prosciutto, slather on labneh—this sturdy, crisp cracker will not buckle under the weight." How many crackers can be a worthy substitute to bread? 
• They're made by an Armenian family, in the United States, using an ancient Armenian recipe that has been refined over 3,000 years. In an age of cultural appropriation, where western societies often fetishize "oriental" (Armenian) culture for marketing purposes (see below) without giving credit to the actual people whose traditions they are exploiting, this is rare. 

For all of these reasons, and many more, it was awesome to see these crackers at Trader Joe's, and equally disheartening to hear that they have been discontinued.

We ask that Trader Joe's bring back ak-mak Armenian crackers!

Finally, while we're on the topic of Armenian crackers, a somewhat more serious but important reminder:

Trader Joe's, please continue to be mindful of the origin of your products.

We see many products at Trader Joe's stores that are made in Turkey or branded as Turkish, despite that these foods originate in the Armenian Highlands ("Turkish apricots" aka prunus armeniaca, juices including pomegranate and mulberry juice which are central to Armenians, and "Turkish coffee" which actually came from Ethiopia by way of Armenian merchants).

A lot of things are made in Turkey; we get it. Turkey is a beautiful place; we get it. But please keep in mind that many of us would prefer not to buy Turkish-made products, while that country not only denies the Armenian Genocide but also promises to "complete the mission [their] grandfathers started in the Caucuses" (that's the Turkish President's own words from July 2020) and attacks Armenians and their cultural heritage, including destroying the cemeteries where our grandparents and elders were buried (as recently as this year).

You see, the 1915-1923 genocide of Armenians in the Turkish Ottoman Empire did not end there. It's not something that happened and then stopped 100 years ago.

Instead, the genocide continues today, by Turkey and Azerbaijan's continued killing of the indigenous Armenian people in present-day Armenia (Syunik), Nakhijevan, and the Armenian indigenous territory of Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh) which was ethnically cleansed in 2020.

The killings of the Armenian people are almost always accompanied by the destruction of Armenian cultural heritage and/or its appropriation, often repackaged as "Turkish". That's why we cringe when we see well-meaning companies unknowingly brand Armenian culture as "Turkish" or supply Turkish-made products to a consumer base that otherwise believes it is eco- and socially-conscious.

And this is another reason why we were sad to see one of the few truly Armenian products (made in the US!) removed from your stores.

Who thought that the stakes could be so high when dealing with crackers?