Beirut in the heart: memories of kaak in zaatar, of kebbe for several, of the taste of life in Lebanon

Zeina Abirached and Karim Haïdar.

RFI / Clémence Denavit

By: Clémence Denavit Follow

9 min

The explosion of August 4 in Beirut plunged Lebanon into immense sadness, deep discouragement.

"Hope was needed", even if it will also take time to recover from the trauma of this tragedy.

Publicity

This memory of life, of the taste of life in Lebanon, to consider tomorrow as in the drawing by Zeina Abirached published in l'Orient littéraire on September 3.

“ 

 "

Zeina Abirached for L'Orient littéraire, September 3, 2020. Zeina Abourached

With

, Franco-Lebanese, designer, author of numerous comics:

,

,

at Casterman,

 published by Cambourakis.

, chef of the restaurant "Les mots et le ciel", author with Andrée Maalouf of

 published by Albin Michel, founder and president.

Extract from

, by Karim Haïdar and Andrée Maalouf:

Kebbe Bil Saïniyé 

35 mn

30 mn

1 hour 

For 6 people.

For the kebbe, 500 g of minced lamb or rump meat, 350 g of fine bulgur, 1 drizzle of neutral oil, salt and pepper. 

200g of minced meat, 6 onions, 50g of bread nuts, 10cl of neutral oil 

The recipe

Soak the boughol in cold water for 10 minutes then squeeze it in your hands to remove excess water.

The stuffing

 : peel and chop the onions, set aside?

Put 10 cl of oil in a pan, brown the pine nuts until golden brown.

Add the onions, sweat them for 15 minutes over low heat.

Add the minced meat, salt and pepper, simmer 10 minutes uncovered, leave to cool in a colander.  

The dough

 : meanwhile, mix for a long time by hand or in a food processor for at least 10 min the meat, bourghol, salt and pepper.

If using a food processor, add 3 ice cubes to prevent the dough from heating up.

The dish

 :

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees, coat the baking dish with oil and spread half the dough on it.

Cover with the stuffing then spread the other half of the dough by flattening it with your hands then placing it on top of the stuffing to cover the entire dish.

With your finger, make a hole in the middle. 

Decorate the top using the tip of a knife, drawing horizontal and vertical lines.

Pour a drizzle of oil and cook in the oven for 20 minutes.

Remove from the oven, remove the excess oil and cut into pieces.

Enjoy with a salad or cucumber yogurt.  

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For a new listening

It is first a question of this drawing by Zeina Abirached, published on September 3 in the supplement and the importance of wheat, essential ingredient: Aïch la vie.

Probably the most important product in Lebanese cuisine, two most symbolic preparations: the

and the

.

These silos destroyed in the explosion, signal of the arrival in Beirut.

Without doubt the most difficult drawing of his life.

The wheat from which bulgur is made, and therefore the kebbe, the dish that brings together the most, symbol of unity, eaten by all the Lebanese, wherever they come from.

Depending on the family, depending on financial means, only the proportion of bulgur contained in the kebbe changes.

History of the cunning kebbe, history of resistance and identity and traveler kebbe.

Making kebbe at home is one of the last traditions you lose when you are away.

The singularity of the kebbe, its preparation, its place in the family, the sharing that it induces.

Culture, identity and… cuisine

, Cayenne kebbe.

(17'15)

Memories of the taste of childhood, between zaatar, Kak, these breads in the shape of handbags and fried mullet.

The pleasure of eating with your fingers, bread used as a cutlery.

Where we talk about Fasateen, hope, freedom, nostalgia.

Music, East, West and the “oriental piano” invented by Zeina Abirached's great-grandfather, Abdallah Chahine.

From the birth of this bilingual piano and… what would be the quarter-tone of Lebanese cuisine?

The quarter-tone is the musical note which marks the east on a piano.

(29'23)

A single note would be exclusive, but several notes like pomegranate molasses, and tabbouleh made with flat parsley, and a tiny bit of bulgur.

Of the value during the war of vegetables and fruits washed in water, of sharing, of solidarity and of the sadness to note that the reflexes acquired during the civil war persist.

Zeina's first novel unfortunately still relevant today.

Memories of children during the civil war, of the still open wound, power cuts and shortages.

(39'14)

layers of buried memories that the explosion of August 4 brought back to life.

Aranis, evocation of street vendors of lupines, corn and watermelon.

Discussion around mezze and muné, the art of conservation, summer in a jar for winter.

Living all year round with the seasons, from labneh in oil to dried yogurt, green wheat smoked and savored later, and of course fat tail mutton through which the awarma - confit of meat - is prepared.

Pieces and mystery of the woman of Anhala, another great maternal figure of Zeïna.  

by Mashrou leïla  

Extract from "Piano Oriental", musical comic by Zeina Abirached and Stéphane Tsapis 

, from Soap Kills 

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