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THE SYRIA WE KNOW OF….

THE SYRIA WE KNOW OF….

Syria is one of the most discussed topics these days but obvious for the bad reasons. The ongoing crisis is one of the worst and deadliest. Every day do we come across news of the lives that have been lost. The very thought of Syria shivers us all. But was this the Syria we all knew of? Well, definitely not. Whatever it might be and however worse the situation gets…the Syria we cannot forget is the cuisine it gave us which decorated our tables for years.

From Labnah to Kababs to Warga Anab to Fattoush. These mouthwatering delicacies have been the delight of our everyday cuisines.

Here are 8 of the many delicacies we cannot forget:

1)      Kibbeh


Kebbah or Kubbah too, pronounced differently in different regions (Also known as Kofteh..coming from Persia) is one of the oldest dishes made from wheat covered in Beef, Lamb or Camel meat. This dish is a delight for Bilad-Al-Sham (The region in and around Syria). It is one of the most famous dishes in the Middle Eastern region. It is best complimented with Hummus and Warga Anab along with Khubz pieces. Best served hot.

2)      Dolma

This one originated during the times of Ottoman Empire. The name is in the Turkish language. Commonly known as Warga Anab in the Arab world. Warga Anab can be translated to ‘Grape Leaves’. Various vegetables are used for the stuffing like tomatoes, zucchini, eggplant or garlic and rice. Italian cuisine too has a similar dish called ‘Ripeini’.This one is served either hot or cold. Personally I love it straight out from the refrigerator.

3)      Hummus or Houmous.


Hummus dips are made out of smashed chickpeas grinded with Olive Oil and Tahini. Adding a bit of garlic in the mixture just does the topping. This one is my personal favorite and best served warm with green olives. I call it the Middle Eastern Mayonnaise.

4)      Tabbouleh



Middle Eastern salad would be the best word to describe this delicacy. Its an appetizer or rather ‘Muqablat’ as we call it in Arabic. This dish is a mix of tomatoes (Can also be replaced with pomegranate seeds), finely chopped parsley, onion and mint. It has also become popular outside Middle East in the Western countries. Best served when cold with hot Kibbeh and Hummus (Not to forget…Hummus with olive oil topping).

5)      Fattoush



Unlike Tabbouleh, Fattoush is a bread salad. Toasted or fried pieces of khubz (Pita bread) mixed with greens, radishes and tomatoes. It is a common dish from Syria and the adjoining areas like Palestine, Lebanon and Jordan.

6)      Labneh



Also known as strained yogurt is a thick mixture between cheese and conventional yogurt. It has this sour taste and once you have it, I bet, its unstoppable. Probably one of the reasons why weight loss is difficult in the Middle East. This food is rich in cheese and milk. Labneh Fateera or as you call it, Cheese Pie is one of my most favorite from the region. I use Labneh as a late night snack…when hungry post mid night and want something easy and light? Don’t fear because Labneh is here. Spread it on a bread and there you go. Best served would be with coffee. A complete snack pack I would call it.

7)      Shawarma



Talking about Middle Eastern cuisine and not mentioning Shawarma is impossible. Shawarma is one of the most commonly sold sandwich rolls (Calling it a roll would be wrong as Shawarma just cannot be compared with anything else) in almost every city in the Middle East. The best one is of course from my city, Riyadh. There is nothing that can beat Shawarma. Chicken, lamb or camel meat is kept on a vertical spit and grilled. Shavings are cut off from the block of meat for serving and the remaining of the block is kept heated on the rotating spit. Served as a wrap with Cucumber slices (dipped in vinegar) and Mayonnaise.
This one can be had anytime, anywhere and anyhow. Describing it up here made my mouth water. I am going to go out and catch one as soon as I finish this post. It is a must have cuisine.

8)      Baklava




Let us end it on a sweet dish. Yes, baklava, the most common and undoubtedly the tastiest of all the sweets we have from the region. This mixture is made of chopped nuts layered together and sweetened and held in Honey. There are many outlets that serve this delicacy but the oldest memory of the best one I had is around 20 years ago when. Someone had brought it to my home and that taste is still lingering on my tongue. For all those who haven’t tried this, it is a must have.

...of all the dishes I have mentioned up here, do try one. You would then know what you had been missing.

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