MiddleMiddle EastEast

People, flavours and traditions meet at this junction of east and west, creating the distinctive cuisines of the Middle East.

he delicate weaving of influences that far back as Pharaonic Egypt. occurs in Levantine cuisine (the most well- Food in the Middle East is more than merely known Middle Eastern food) takes its inspiration in sustenance. The simple act of sitting down to share part from the rich tapestry of trade routes which a meal plays a pivotal role in age-old hospitality crisscrossed the deserts and mountains of this rituals and traditions and is a crucial element in region, stretching out to India, ancient Persia, and all the continuation of culture. The practice of Iftar the cultures which once made up the grand Ottoman (the sunset meal) in the Muslim month of Ramadan, Empire. The Levant itself is the Middle East’s the ceremonial Seder meal on the first night of the heartland of Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, and Israel and Jewish Passover, the vast picnics held on Sham the Palestinian Territories, but their most common el-Nessim (Egypt’s springtime holiday) to celebrate dishes - the kebabs and mezze spreads - are eaten the first Monday after the Coptic Christian Easter. throughout the region in one form or another. No matter religion or nationality, all will have a This region is also heavily influenced by its own family recipe for warak enab and will slow-cook nomadic desert roots and ancient history. Bedouin their aubergines the same way, to achieve the dishes are still commonly eaten at celebrations and smoked and creamy perfection of babaghanoug. In large gatherings across the Gulf countries, Jordan a region often riddled with conflict, where the three and Egypt’s Sinai. While some of the most beloved monotheistic religions have their roots, it is food regional specialities are said to have their origins as that binds them together.

115 Middle East FLATBREADS Middle East Wheat was first cultivated here and Middle Eastern flatbreads are among the world’s oldest Mansaf forms of bread. During Egypt’s THE BEDOUIN INFLUENCE Pharaonic Era the builders of the great pyramids of Giza were Mansaf is Jordan’s national dish. This slow-cooked meal of gently spiced even paid partly in bread. Today lamb, boiled in a sauce of jameed (fermented dried goats’ milk yoghurt) is a khobz (bread) is rarely missing on Bedouin speciality, anchored in the nomadic traditions of Arabia. Once cooked, a Middle Eastern table. the meat is laid over a layer of fl atbread and rice and the yoghurt sauce is ladled EISH In Egypt, where bread is so on top, with a sprinkling of almonds and pine nuts to add a nutty crunch. important that it’s known as ‘eish’ To the uninitiated mansaf-eater, fi rst sight of this dish can be unappealing. (the Arabic word for ‘life’), the most The overriding shade of beige isn’t particularly inviting. The peculiarly sharp common flatbread is eish merahrah. and distinctively robust aroma of jameed is a little off -putting. Laid out in the Shaped into disks these pita-style communal tray - for this is a meal to be eaten the old fashioned way - you sit loaves are made from maize flour down upon the surrounding fl oor cushions and using your right hand to take and have a rustic texture. Watch the from the dish, scoop from the overfl owing bowl. deliverymen do their daily circus The yoghurt sauce suff uses the meat with a strange but enticingly tart fl avour act on the crowded Cairene streets, while the meat itself is so tender it falls straight from the bone. The rice and cycling through the traffic balancing bread, oozing with sauce, has a slightly sticky-soggy texture aiding you to eat upon their heads a wooden tray the mixture more easily with your hands. This is comfort food the Bedouin way, stacked with dozens of loaves. Eat the sort of meal that sticks to your sides as your hosts ply you with more until your eish piping hot for an Egyptian you lean back on your cushion in defeat. breakfast of torshi (pickles) and fuul (mashed fava beans). WHERE TO EAT Although traditionally eaten at large family celebrations, mansaf’s status SHRAK/MARKOOK In nations as a culinary cultural icon in Jordan means that it is now on menus across of the old Levant, a wafer-thin the country. For a real-deal Bedouin feast, head out into the desert, to TE flatbread (known as shrak in Jordan Lawrence’s fabled Wadi Rum, and eat mansaf at night with your Bedouin and markook in Syria, Lebanon and hosts in the traditional beit shar (house of hair) tent. Israel and the Palestinian Territories) is the traditional bread of choice. Cooked upon the hot iron griddle of the saj, the dough is flipped over so that it bubbles evenly. Sniff out the aroma of slowly roasting meat in the alleyways of Aleppo’s old city souq to eat yours as the wrapping for a hearty shwarma lunch.

ABUD Made by mixing flour and water and then burying the dough beneath the embers of a fire to slowly cook, Abud is the desert nomad’s age-old flatbread, still cooked by Bedouin herdsmen on the move. Break off a chunk to sample the dense loaf around the fire on a silent Sinai night then fall asleep surrounded by the monstrous ABOVE Palestinian Bedouins prepare mansaf near city of Hebron. TOP RIGHT A little bit of silhouettes of jagged cliffs and a Bordeaux in the Lebanon: the stone cellar of Chateau Musar in Ghazir, Mount Lebanon. blanket of stars. 116 Middle East

Mezze THE CULINARY MAIN EVENT

Artistically arranged with a fl ourish of parsley or swirl of olive oil and spice, the mezze’s host of hot and cold morsels, dips, and salads are the cultural dynamo of Middle Eastern dining. Mezze is not meant to be eaten alone, nor should it be eaten fast. With the table groaning under the weight of tiny plates a mezze spread provides the backbone to a long evening of socialising. It is to be savoured and shared, to be picked over and passed around; brought out in stages of fi ve or so dishes at a time, with the meal lasting long into the night. The pinnacle of Middle Eastern feasting mezze, in some form or another, has survived as a menu tradition in nearly all of the nations which once formed the LEBANON’S WINE TRAIL vast Ottoman Empire. But it is perhaps in the countries that make up the old Lebanon’s arrival on the wine Levant that mezze truly holds the highest pedigree. Here mezze is presented world stage may have only as something of a culinary art-form, bursting with the rich colours of fresh just begun but winemaking ingredients and brimming with all the tantalising fl avours of the Orient. has a long tradition here, with Bowls of tart olives sit alongside simple peasant salads of ruby-red tomatoes viticulture first practiced by the and crispy cucumber. Taboulleh, the heavy-on-the-parsley Lebanese bulgur Phoenicians and exported by salad, and fattoush, the Syrian salad with a minty-zing and the satisfying crunch them to ancient Carthage. of fried pita wedges. A medley of dips; nutty fl avoured hummus sprinkled with All of the following wineries pine nuts and the pungent smoked taste of aubergine in the babaghanoug. have guided tours for visitors: All scooped up straight from the communal bowls with fresh from the oven KSARA fl atbread. There are no silly double-dipping rules here. www.ksara.com.lb Afterwards, more substantial dishes arrive though all still delicate in their The granddaddy of Lebanon’s arrangement. Makdous, piquant aubergines fi lled with walnuts and garlic and modern wine making history; soaked in oil. Bamia, tiny bowls of stewed okra, and fasulya, dishes of green Ksara’s vineyards were founded by beans. The bite-sized falafel balls and fatayer pastries jam-packed with cheese a mission of Jesuit brothers in 1857. and spinach. The delicate fi ngers of vine leaves stuff ed with rice known as warak The cellars, a series of subterranean enab. The mezze favourite of kibbeh, minced meatballs wrapped in bulgur, will Roman-era caves first discovered by nearly always be present on the table. Deep fried and yet deceptively light with a the Jesuits in 1898, are a highlight of subtle aftertaste of spice. And then the seasonal delicacies for the braver eaters; any visit here. asafeer, tiny birds drenched in tart lemon, velvety fried brains and fried liver. The table is a carnival of fl avours and textures to be leisurely meandered over, the MASSAYA mezze spread is a marathon not a race. www.massaya.com Massaya may be a young winery but WHERE TO EAT it’s probably the best known abroad Every evening during the balmy summer months, the strip of restaurants with its wines having found acclaim strung out along the trickling Berdaouni River in the Lebanese town of Zahle internationally. Come on Sundays pack full of diners, here for their famous mezze spreads. This is the place to for the fabulous brunch where you sample the full caboodle of dishes available and to do it the way the Lebanese can indulge in the best of Lebanese do so grab a group of friends, order a groaning weight of plates and stagger mezze while you sample their your mealtime to last maybe three or four hours. award-winning tipples.

KEFRAYA www.chateaukefraya.com Kefraya has the most in depth wine tour so is a must for anyone interested in the ins-and-outs of winemaking. 117

Middle East MOLOKHEYA Molokheya leaves are available Molokheya fresh, frozen or dried in specialist Middle Eastern stores. MIDDLE EASTERN SOUL FOOD INGREDIENTS Molokheya has a history that reaches back to the Pharaonic Era but its 1 rabbit modern name - which stems from the Arabic word Malakheya or ‘royal’ - is said 8 garlic cloves to have been gained due to the Fatimid Caliph Al-Hakim’s great love for the 750g fresh / frozen molokheya leaves dish. So obsessed with it was he, that he supposedly banned Egypt’s fellaheen or dried equivalent (peasants) from eating it, reserving the dish only for royal consumption. Al-Hakim would have no luck trying to preserve the soup from his subjects today. 1 tsp ground coriander This glutinous stew of mallow leaves is now a favourite dish across the Middle 50g plain fl our East and the home cook who can make a good molokheya is renowned by all. 2 lemons Molokheya cooks will tell you the secret boils down to a certain well-timed gasp. 1 large onion, halved Just after adding the taqleya (a combination of coriander, garlic and butter), while 3 tbsp ghee the pot of mallow leaves is slowly simmering on the stove, the cook will pause for a moment to sharply inhale. It’s this act, they’ll assure you, which will transfer the 2 bay leaves cook’s soul into the food. Without it the molokheya will turn out bad. PREPARATION METHOD Spiked with the heady punch of garlic your fi rst spoonful of molokheya is Wash and prepare the rabbit by always a sensation. Its viscid character and earthy taste have a surprising removing any organs (or have your depth that seems to summon the homespun fl avours of an earlier age. This is butcher do this). Joint the rabbit into hearty, farm-style fodder, the soul-food of the Middle East. Just make sure that fi ve pieces, roll them in fl our and place the cook hasn’t forgotten to gasp. in a large bowl. Mix 1 tbsp of crushed garlic, the juice of one lemon, and salt WHERE TO EAT and rub this marinade into the fl oured Abou el-Sid Sharia 26th of July, Zamalek, Cairo, Egypt rabbit. Leave for at least one hour. You’ll sample a feast fi t for a Pasha at Egypt’s premier spot for stylish Melt 2 tbsp of ghee (or butter) in a Egyptian dining. Tuck into your molokheya amid hanging lamps, low tables large frying pan, add the rabbit and and scattered cushions and fi nd out why everyone adores this peasant dish. brown the meat. When browned, put the rabbit in a large saucepan of boiling water, with bay leaves, salt and a halved onion. Cook for 30 minutes until the meat is tender. Then remove the rabbit, saving the water. Heat more ghee or butter in the frying pan, add salt, pepper and garlic and fry the rabbit until the skin is crisp and golden.

Bring fi ve cups of the stock back to the boil and add the molokheya leaves. Simmer for 10 minutes. Add more water if the mixture becomes too thick.

As the molokheya cooks, heat the remaining ghee (or butter) in a small saucepan, add the remaining garlic (approximately half), the coriander and stir until golden. Add this garlic sauce to the molokheya. Taste, season ABOVE Sample traditional Middle Eastern dishes such as molokheya at Khan El Khalili Souk, in and cover the mixture for a minute Cairo, Egypt. LEFT Making pancakes, a regional staple, in the Middle Eastern way. or two. Serve the rabbit separately or 119 with the molokheya in a bowl. Middle East UMM ALI Make this celebrated dessert - an Arabic bread pudding - with everyday ingredients. Umm Ali

INGREDIENTS THE REGAL DESSERT 1 packet fi lo pastry One of the Middle East’s most scrumptious desserts is a decadent bread 30g butter pudding. Its intriguing origins are linked to the bloodthirsty tale of revenge and 50g sugar power centred on the life and death of Egypt’s last female ruler, Shajar al-Durr, at the end of Ayyubid rule. 2 cups single cream So the story goes, the pudding made its fi rst appearance on the culinary 2 tbsp coconut fl akes scene after Shajar was battered to death (using hammam slippers!) by al- 3 tbsp ground hazlenuts Mansur Ali and his mother Umm Ali so that he could take the sultan’s throne. 3 tbsp ground almonds Supposedly Umm Ali then created this dessert to celebrate Shajar’s death. Although the legend of Umm Ali’s creation may well be apocryphal this sweet 3 tablespoons sultanas treat’s taste is lavish enough to celebrate a royal battering. Your fi rst spoonful is PREPARATION METHOD a wildly luscious mix of velvety cream, coconut, sultanas and cinnamon infused Preheat oven to 400F/200C and with the crunchy aftertaste of liberal sprinklings of almonds and pistachios. Dig bake pastry in a generously buttered a little deeper into the bowl and you’ll fi nd layers of fi lo pastry, sumptuously baking dish until it is fl aky. Remove softened by being steeped in milk. This is an indulgently sinful dessert that pulls from oven and layer fl akes of pastry out all the stops and even better, these days you don’t need to whack someone in the dish, sprinkling the nuts, sugar, over the head with a hammam slipper to make it. cocnut fl akes and sultanas between each layer until the ingredients are WHERE TO EAT used up. You can add or subtract El-Malky 19 Sharia Gamiat ad-Dowal al-Arabiyya, sugar and nuts according to taste. Mohandiseen, Cairo, Egypt Pour the cream over the fl aked pastry Not the place you want to bump into your dentist at. Since 1917 this specialist and return the dish to the oven (same dessert-restaurant has been dishing out calorifi c, sugar-laden treats to the temperature), until the top is golden, Cairo crowd. Their Umm Ali pudding is renowned to be as authentic as they which should take no more than 15 get and the added richness of the taste is due to their adherence to only using minutes. Serve hot. buff alo milk in their recipes.

LEARNING

Discuss how to make Umm Ali with the chefs who know best at Beit Sitti cookery school.

BEIT SITTI 16 Sharia Mohammed Ali Al Sa’di, Jebel Weibdeh, Amman, Jordan; www.beitsittijo.com Beit Sitti cooking school dishes up a unique cultural cooking experience allowing participants to delve into the secrets of traditional Middle Eastern food. Come here for brunch to learn how to make Jordan’s favourite breakfast fuel, maneesh zaatar or dive into a three-course lunch or ABOVE The Todra Gorge, Southern Morocco, where almonds for Umm Ali are harvested in spring. dinner lesson featuring the best of RIGHT Dessert in the desert: Umm Ali is usually followed by tea and coff ee, here in Oman. Jordanian cooking. 120

Bite-size Diversions Ten more tasty experiences for travellers to the Middle East.

SOUK EL•TAYAB MOUNIR alleyways all named after fruit and FARMER’S MARKET Off Broummana Main Road, nuts (there’s Peach St, Almond St Trablos St, Beirut Souks, Beirut, Broummana, Lebanon and Plum St) for gourmet delights Lebanon; www.soukeltayeb.com This massive restaurant in the hills and then put your feet up at one of Focussed on supporting small above Beirut is renowned for its the many surrounding chi-chi cafes scale, organic producers across Levantine cuisine of mezze and and restaurants. Lebanon, this weekly market (held kebabs. In summer, when the tables every Saturday, 9am-2pm) is a great spill outside, it’s a wonderful spot for SOUK EL•TAYAB opportunity for visitors to pick up leisurely lunching. FARMER’S MARKET spice mixtures, preserves, and a host Trablos St, Beirut Souks, Beirut, of other foodie treats. BAKDACH ICE Lebanon; www.soukeltayeb.com CREAM PARLOUR Focused on supporting small scale, HASHEM Souq al-Hamidiyya, Old City, organic producers across Lebanon, Al-Amir Mohammed St, Damascus, Syria this weekly market (held every Amman, Jordan Come here to sample booza (pounded Saturday, 9am-2pm) is a great It may be a modest restaurant of ice cream), made from sahlab (orchid opportunity for visitors to buy spice scruffy tables which sprawl across root) and mastic (resin from the mixtures, preserves, and a host of an alleyway but everyone who’s mastic tree). other foodie treats. anyone in Jordan (including the King himself) has eaten hummus here. TAYBEH OKTOBERFEST ABDUL RAHMAN Taybeh, Israel and the Palestinian HALLAB AND SONS SOFRA Territories; www.taybehbeer.com Rue Tall, Tripoli, Lebanon Sharia Mohammed Farid, The Middle East’s first microbrewery, One for the sweet-toothed. This Luxor, Egypt based in Taybeh in the Palestinian bakery has been rolling out the finest Set in an old house festooned with Territories, celebrates its beer making Arabic pastry concoctions since 1881. antique chandeliers and oriental (along with music, cultural events and furniture, Sofra dishes up a menu of plenty of local dishes to feast on) over ABOU RAMY traditional Egyptian favourites. two days every October. Opposite Sidon Sea Castle, Corniche, Sidon, Lebanon ST GEORGE WINE TOURS MAHANE YEHUDA MARKET Is this the perfect falafel sandwich? Jordan; www.zumot-wines.com Off Agripas St or Jaff a St, The jury may be out but we rate The Zumot family first started out Jerusalem, Israel and the this tiny hole-in-the-wall shop as as vintners in 1954 and have since Palestinian Territories dishing up one of the most delectable gone on to produce Jordan’s award- Known locally as ‘The Shuk’, this is a combinations of chick-pea goodness, winning St George label wines. Wine sprawling foodie’s Neverland of fresh crunchy salad and divinely tangy tours of their Sama vineyard, in the produce, artisan bakeries, cheese- tahini sauce, all wrapped up in super- north of the country, can be booked makers, fine wine sellers’ and sweet- fresh bread, in the world. through their website. makers. Fossick amid its winding

LEFT The traditional Egyptian drink karkade is made from dried hibiscus fl owers, giving it a deep ruby-red shade. It can be served hot or chilled.

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