20 March 4, 2016 Society

Lebanon’s Tripoli, capital of oriental delicacies

Omar Ibrahim and Sons is one of the most promi- nent, with branches across Lebanon and in other Gulf countries. Tripoli, Lebanon Tripoli keeps the secret of great sweets in Lebanon and the Arab ebanon’s northern port city world that many still wonder about. of Tripoli, renowned for its The recipes attracting residents and medieval history and great visitors have been devised, revisited heritage, is also known as and fine-tuned over many years, ex- the “Capital of Oriental plains Oussama Hallab, a descend- LSweets”, a reputation earned over ant of Hallab family, who runs Kasr more than two centuries of produc- al Helou with his three brothers. ing tempting taste-tempting treats. “In the past, Tripoli was famous Tripoli boasts a wide array of ori- for its sugar cane production. The ental sweets prepared according to big surplus in sugar was a main fac- traditional recipes originating from tor in shaping the city as a hub for a host of different cultures, especial- the production of oriental sweets, ly Ottoman, but which have been which were originally prepared at revisited and modified to seduce the home by housewives competing most refined palates and authentic over who would make the best des- sweets lovers. sert,” Hallab said. Sweets-making in Tripoli is a very For many residents old tradition that became a full- of Beirut, the fledged profession. Many owners of sweets shops trace their family 90-minute trip to businesses to the 19th century when Tripoli for a taste of great-grandfathers sold sweets on Znoud el Sett or handcarts. Halawet el-Jibn is “Our family started the busi- ness back in 1881 when an ancestor definitely opened a small shop in the old city. worthwhile. The business was later expanded by Kasr al Helou run by the Hallab family is one of the most renowned sweets shops in Tripoli, Lebanon. his sons and grandsons and even- Unique specialities such as Znoud tually many branched out and es- events such as religious feasts and ciality is Halawa shmaysiya, which cording to the original method. “In el Sett ( for “Lady’s Arms”), tablished their own outlets,” said during the Muslim fasting month consists of (lokum) our shops, we only sell this kind of perfectly rolled pieces of puff pas- Hallab, whose father Abdel Rahman of Ramadan and when prominent cooked in local cream and powdered sweets. We also kept on selling it on try filled with warm and creamy had split from the main family busi- guests visited the city. Some sweets sugar. handcarts roaming the city,” Haddad Kachta, basking in syrup and deco- ness. were created and named for visiting added. rated with red rose; or Halawet el- Tripoli’s sweets were influenced dignitaries. Sweets-making in Oriental sweets-making is an in- Jibn, a mixture of sweetened cheese, by interaction with surrounding Another sweet, Faysaliya, was Tripoli is a very herent part of Tripoli’s culture and cream and syrup, have drawn many cultures, Hallab explains. “For in- named after Prince Faysal (future heritage, which the residents have a sweet tooth to Tripoli from across stance, the Palestinians of Nablus king of ) and created on the oc- old tradition succeeded in preserving and export- Lebanon and abroad. who were famous for their Kunafa casion of his visit to Tripoli in the that became a ing beyond Lebanon’s borders. A visit to Tripoli is not complete Nabulsi, a local dessert prepared 1920s. full-fledged Oriental sweets lovers can order without a stop at one of its many with a local cheese, transmitted the The high quality of ingredients online and have orders delivered sweets shops, some of which oper- know-how to the people of Tripoli, used in sweets production is at the profession. within hours across Lebanon and by ate in their old premises in arcaded who introduced amendments to core of Tripoli’s reputation. “Some mail abroad, a service recently intro- souks inside the old city, the way the original recipe and changed its components are imported and oth- “This type of sweets is only pre- duced by Kasr al Helou. they have for more than a century. name to Zunafa Taraboulsi in which ers produced locally,” Hallab said. pared by our family. It is an ex- For many residents of Beirut, the Tripoli’s sweets industry is a se- they replaced the imported cheese “For example, ghee is brought from clusive creation that can only be 90-minute trip to Tripoli for a taste ries of family businesses passed with a local one and created a new Romania, milk is either local or im- found in our shops,” noted Khaled of Znoud el Sett or Halawet el-Jibn is down through generations, with version with cream.” ported from Bulgaria, pistachio Haddad, who inherited the recipe definitely worthwhile. each family becoming famous for its Sweets were traditionally made comes from Iran, whereas pine nuts from his ancestors. special sweets. Kasr al Helou (Palace on special occasions, such as wed- are local.” He said that his family has been Omar Ibrahim is a reporter based in of Sweets) of Abdel Rahman Hallab dings and births, to mark special For the Haddad family, their spe- preparing the sweets for decades ac- northern Lebanon. The changing world of Baghdad’s cultural cafés

Oumayma Omar the walls, create a special ambi- According to historians, the first ance reminiscent of the “good old Baghdad café, the Khan Jahan, was days”. established in 1590 under Ottoman Baghdad “It is the character of the café rule. The cafés were characterised that for generations has been the by their brass decanters and hot he British mandate, in- meeting place of intellectuals, water that bestowed an dependence, society, thinkers and politicians who had a attractive ambiance that brought politics, philosophy, cin- great impact on Iraq’s cultural and together clientele from all social ema. poetry and arts are literary life,” Khashali said. strata spending hours discussing subjects that have been The café offers the lemon tea private and public matters. Tdebated for decades between the brewed the traditional Baghdadi Writer Abdel Amir al-Majar noted walls of the century-old Shah- way and the shishas. “Playing back- that the old cultural cafés had seen bandar coffeehouse, one of Bagh- gammon and dominos is forbidden controversial debates and argu- dad’s few remaining traditional in the café, in order to give space ments involving famous political cultural cafés. for dialogue and cultural exchang- figures such as Jamil Sidqi al-Zaha- The smell of hot lemon tea and es, which makes the Shahbandar wi and renowned poets including smoke from shisha pipes greets particular and different from the Maruf al-Rasafi and Muhammad visitors entering the renovated other (modern) coffee houses,” Mehdi al-Jawhari, who had an ef- café on Al-Mutanabi Street, Bagh- Khashali said with a laugh. fective role in shaping Iraq’s cul- dad’s historic cultural oasis. Cultural cafés thrived at the turn tural and political scene. of the century along the banks of “But the situation has changed. For writers, the Tigris, especially in the area Most of the famous cultural cafés of Al-Rasheed Street, a main land- Iraqi men sit inside Shahbandar café in central Baghdad’s have disappeared and were re- scientists, mark of the city. The majority of Al-Mutanabi street. placed by modern places,” Majar intellectuals, artists those cafés, which bear witness to said, adding, however, that Rida and lovers of cultural, social and political chang- Alwan café is among the few that es marking Iraq’s modern history, Al-Mutanabi Street and spend time from across Baghdad. still attract the intellectuals and literature the cafés have closed. in the Shahbandar,” Suheil said. “These places have no more im- artists. were like spiritual Older generations are accus- “The particular Baghdadi ambi- pact on cultural life as in the past. “Most of the old cafés have been temples. tomed to the traditional places, ance is the most attractive feature Modernisation and the widespread turned into commercial outlets whereas young people go to the of this place… The pictures hang- use of internet and social media and shops. The Shahbandar is an Shahbandar owner Mohamad Shahbandar to get a feel of the old ing on the walls transport me into platforms have greatly facilitated almost unique place which has al-Khashali insisted on maintain- Baghdad and listen to stories from past times that I have read about communication. Cultural meetings maintained its traditional charac- ing the character of the café, which the past. and heard my father talk a lot are now called on Facebook. Even ter and services,” noted scriptwrit- was devastated in 2007 in a suicide For writers, scientists, intellectu- about.” popular movements and demon- er and director Bare’ Jabbar. bombing that killed his four sons als, artists and lovers of literature strations can be organised on the “I often discuss work with my and one grandson. the cafés were like spiritual tem- The first Baghdad ‘net,” Suheil contended. team over a cup of lemon tea… It is “Despite the calamity that be- ples in which the graceful rituals Khouloud Samy, a university the best place to spend time away fell my family, I was keen on re- of worshipping culture and knowl- café, the Khan student specialising in Arab lit- from the chaos of the street and to habilitating the place to make it edge are practised. Jahan, was erature, said he regularly visits Al- have a break from the hassles of once again appealing to its regular Journalist Ahmad Suheil ex- established in 1590 Mutanabi Street to look for books life.” customers and clientele, though it plained that cultural cafés consti- and sources for his thesis. “The But for Suheil: “The cafés have bears a new name, the Shahbandar tuted a substitute for clubs and fo- under Ottoman rule. (Shahbandar) café is the only place largely become a place where peo- Martyrs’ Café,” Khashali said. rums that did not previously exist. where I can relax after spending ple get together and nothing more.” Antique brass decanters, old Over decades these meeting places Suheil noted, however, that the hours in libraries and bookshops,” samovars and the leather and wood became an important part of Iraqi “political and cultural scene” has Samy said, adding that the number Oumayma Omar, based in furniture, in addition to pictures of life in general and of Baghdad life changed from what it was when of female customers is increasing; Baghdad, is a contributor to the Ottoman pashas, King Faisal II and in particular. cultural cafés were the nexus for in the past, cafés were off-limits for Culture and Society sections of Iraqi poets and artists that adorn “I regularly come on Fridays to writers, artists and intellectuals women. The Arab Weekly.