ZAHLE CITY APPLICATION TO JOIN THE UNESCO CREATIVE CITIES NETWORK AS A CITY OF GASTRONOMY March 2013 1 TABLE OF CONTENT 1. MANAGEMENT TEAM P3 2. VISION P4 3. MISSION P5 4. GEOGRAPHY P6 5. COMMUNITY P7 6. STORY OF THE CITY P8 7. RESOURCES P12 8. CULTURE & TRADITION– poetry, literature, photography, painting… P16 9. ECONOMY P22 10. GASTRONOMY P29 11. FARMERS P43 12. THE GRAPE ROUTE: OF WINE AND ARAK P48 13. FESTIVALS & CULTURAL EVENTS P55 14. PARTNERSHIP P59 SOURCES P60 APPENDIX P60 2 > From the Municipality of Zahle 1. MANAGEMENT TEAM President of the Municipality: Joseph Maalouf ([email protected]) The idea of Zahle joining the ‘Creative Cities Elise Estephan Tamer, lawyer and teacher at Law Network’ came up naturally formulated by University. Chairwoman of Zahle Municipality. Joseph Kreidi, Programme Officer for Culture at ([email protected]) UNESCO-Beirut Office. Mr. Kreidi appointed Youssef Skaf, municipality counsellor Chérine Yazbeck, a local food culture specialist to Youssef Kerouni, lawyer and co-owner of a press fulfil the task. Zahle has been committed for over a group. century to the spread and recognition of traditional Samir Mallo, dentist, member of the Municipality. Lebanese food. Michel Ballech, lawyer & counsellor. As a long-time gastronomy leader in the region, Elias Chamoun, counsellor. Zahle intends to develop the cultural food heritage with ambitious projects. With its assets, Zahle aims > Administration & culture of Zahle to attract even more visitors into the region by Said Gédeon, executive at Bekaa Chambre of supporting the creative local food community. Commerce and Agriculture. ([email protected]) Khalil Geha, CEO of Geha company, and specialist As the person responsible for the project, I have of the history of Zahle. ([email protected]) contacted the main actors of the food industry Feyrouz Chamoun, founder of Zahle Historic working hand in hand with the Municipality Museum. of Zahle and at its head, Mr. Joseph Maalouf. I > Food experts & hospitality met a substantial number of farmers, small-scale Irène Alouf, owner of an organic guesthouse in producers, foodies, restaurant owners, pastry shop Zahle. ([email protected]) owners, bakeries owners, industrials, politicians, Johayna Dawalibe, nutritionist in Zahle entrepreneurs, cultural main figures and tourism Aziz Wardy, owner of winery Wardy, Zahle. experts who expressed a great interest in joining ([email protected]) the ‘Creative Cities Network’ that would put Zahle Jean-Paul Khoury, owner of winery Château on the map and encourage the city to acquire a Khoury, Zahle. regional and international status of gastronomic Sébastien Khoury, wine expert and owner of city. The two main zahliots that helped me fulfil this Domaine de Baal, Zahle. project are Khalil Geha, a prominent figure of Zahle ([email protected]) and Irène Alouf, owner of an eco-friendly organic Michel Mhanna, food specialist, owner of oldest boutique hotel in Zahle. This achievement would Berdawni restaurant, Mhanna, Zahle. also connect Zahle to other cities that are already Jean Arabi, mezze expert, owner of Casino Arabi, part of the global network. Berdawni, Zahle. Pascal Nmeir, owner of Casino Nmeir, Berdawni, The Team that will work on the follow-up of this Zahle. project is composed of committed locals. Elie Ghattas, chef and owner of restaurants in Zahle. > Point Person Clément Tannouri, Zahle photographer, writer. Chérine Yazbeck: Project Coordinator ([email protected]) [email protected] Rosine Zahlaoui, founder of Artisan guild, Zahle. Lebanese food expert, food writer, journalist and Kamil Skaff, owner of Skaff Farm. photographer. Barbara Abdeni Massaad, food writer, author of Author of ‘The rural taste of Lebanon – a food ‘Mouneh’. heritage trail’, ‘Le Liban Gourmand’ (a foodie Nicolas abou Fayssal, owner of Gardenia Grain guide), ‘Le Liban Autrement’ (ecotourism guide), d’Or, food company, Zahle. ‘A Complete Insiders Guide to Lebanon’ and the Walid Mouzannar, member of L’Académie ‘Shouf Cedars Reserve’ guidebook. Internationale de la Gastronomie, Lebanon. Kamal Mouzawak, founder of the Farmer market, Souk el Tayeb. 3 with many cultures as it has always proven to do 2. VISION throughout the centuries. It is even more significant now that the Middle East In the scheme of designing the project application is going through turmoil and major changes in the to integrate Zahle into ‘Creative Cities Network’, we scope of the Arab Spring. Zahle finds itself in the would like to establish the legacy of Zahle as the middle of this (re)evolutionary process. heritage city for regional food. Unesco confidence The aim of this application is to enable the city and focus on the city would certainly initiate a to push forward new diversification projects by general interest into the story and culture of the attracting new contributors in many fields and city that lies at the crossroad of many routes. mainly in the food sector. Gastronomy and Zahle are strongly connected Zahle wishes to encourage and unite creative small- since decades. Located in the midst of the scale farmers, artisans and producers in order to agricultural region of the Middle East, Zahle enjoys acquire the local economy based on good and fair an ideal place whereby regional cultures mingle and food alongside a sustainable and reliable farming. interact. Residents of Zahle and to a certain extent the Bekaa ‘Creative Cities Network’ would empower the residents have always been keen on safeguarding strengths of the local communities to join and their traditions through handicrafts and the improve fair trade, exchange, know-how and transmission of food heritage. They feel a certain diversity. pride in the preservation of this expertise. Harvests, the land, the attachment to local In the event of integrating Zahle to ‘Creative produces, the respect of Mother Nature, the Cities Network’, the city would boost gastronomic connexion to the region are elements that have programs focused on the tradition linked to been driving Zahle for centuries. modern techniques. The incentive would draw the Natural resources are essential assets to the city and path of a renewed yet active region whereby locally they all end up designing a unique cultural profile. produced food would be highly represented and Zahle has a strong will to come together with cities promoted giving a serious push to local economies. across the world to share its story and connect 4 would draw a better future to the food industry 3. MISSION alongside a healthier and environment driven agricultural economy. Zahle wishes to apply to ‘Creative Cities Network’ Zahle is a city with a strong rural identity. It in order to boost the local economy driven mainly is located at the heart of the Bekaa Plateau in by its gastronomic assets. a sparsely populated region. Zahle boasts a The city is already a main actor in the region when long-lasting culinary tradition with a stunning it comes to food heritage culture and would like to gastronomic culture based on locally produced generate a global interest on the regional wealth, sustainable food. food. The objective of being part of ‘Creative Cities The city would enhance food related projects Network Unesco’ is to place Zahle on the global as well as investments in the sustainable food map and to raise interest in preserving its regional production. Indeed, the city intends to develop input. interests in fair and organic food processes that 5 metres in a narrow geographical area. 4. GEOGRAPHY The Berdawni was at a time the town’s source of drinking water and its most prized natural emblem. A blessed geographical location The river winds through the valley, fringed with masses of foliage, in which tall and stately poplars Zahle is 50 kilometers far from Beirut, in the heart predominate the rich vineyards clothing the whole of the country at an equal distance between the slopes of the mountains and wild glens that furrow north, the south, the east and the west. Hence, it their sides. enjoys a strategic location in the most renowned fertile land. Climate Zahle is built upon a series of foothills of the mountain, at the Western edge of the Bekaa plateau, Zahle enjoys a Mediterranean climate characterized with Mount Sannine 2,628 metres towering above by hot and dry summers and cold and chilly it. It is on the brow of a mountain of which there winters, where most of the precipitation is are sublime views of the extensive vale bounded on concentrated. each side by lofty mountains. However, due to its high altitude and inland Zahle is built in an inlet of the mountain, on a location, in the rain shadow of the Lebanon steep ascent, surrounded with vineyards. The river mountains, its climate features some continental Berdawni issues from a narrow valley into the plain characteristics: summers are hotter than coastal and waters the gardens of Zahle. areas, with peaks of 38°C in summer together with Zahle has a delightful prospect of the fertile plain – low humidity. Temperatures fall below 20°C at once referred to as “the grain warehouse of Rome” night, which makes summer particularly pleasant and the surrounding outlook enhances it serene compared to coastal cities. On the other hand, atmosphere. winters are cold. The hills form a narrow valley, an extension of The north wind in the valley is so freezing that a ravine to the northwest (“Wadi el Arayesh” or residents refer to it as a “break nails”. In the valley, Valley of Vines). temperatures can easily plummet below -10°C. Due to its unique topography, Zahle outskirts spread vertically on steep hill slopes, and the town features an elevation difference of more than 200 6 brand of individualism and way of doing things. 5. COMMUNITY The city’s reputation for intellectual dynamism comes from a long line of writers, thinkers and Zahle is after Beirut and Tripoli in terms of size poets who have contributed to Lebanon’s cultural but also with respect to economic, cultural, and and political scene.