Cookies Preferences
I felt like a genuine Circassian lady earlier this week as I prepared all of these delicious traditional snacks! And it made me so happy to share with you this large part of my life that people wouldn’t normally know about. These little pockets of culture and tradition that have a way of finding their way to the surface and spreading a little light on those who care to take a closer look are make me tick! As I looked through the photographs and notes I took on my most recent visit to the ladies’ Circassian Association in Amman, I was warmed by the generosity of the women in sharing their secrets and the strong pride they have for their heritage. I love how important sharing their food with others is. I love how they hold their traditions so tightly.
This is not a dish you whip up at a moment’s notice, although you probably have all of the ingredients you need for it in your pantry. It’s a labor of love and one I imagine ladies have done for centuries, sitting around a kitchen table while catching up on the latest village news. There’s a word in Arabic for that kind of gathering. Subheya comes from the Arabic word for morning, subha. It’s a gathering in the morning, impromptu, informal, usually over a strong cup of coffee or tea. It is mostly used to refer to women who get together once their husbands and children have left for the day, to share gossip and also help one another with various tasks in each other’s kitchens. While the daily recipes are not necessarily labor intensive, some recipes, like this Haliva, are quite labor intensive, made less so by the work of many hands, time passing quickly with a good catch up. Gathered around a kitchen table, rolling cabbage leaves or pinching together dough parcels or peeling garlic or drying nuts or pitting fruit. The tasks are endless. The gossip undoubtedly juicy. The friendships lifelong.
This is not a dish you whip up at a moment’s notice, although you probably have all of the ingredients you need for it in your pantry. It’s a labor of love and one I imagine ladies have done for centuries, sitting around a kitchen table while catching up on the latest village news. There’s a word in Arabic for that kind of gathering. Subheya comes from the Arabic word for morning, subha. It’s a gathering in the morning, impromptu, informal, usually over a strong cup of coffee or tea. It is mostly used to refer to women who get together once their husbands and children have left for the day, to share gossip and also help one another with various tasks in each other’s kitchens. While the daily recipes are not necessarily labor intensive, some recipes, like this Haliva, are quite labor intensive, made less so by the work of many hands, time passing quickly with a good catch up. Gathered around a kitchen table, rolling cabbage leaves or pinching together dough parcels or peeling garlic or drying nuts or pitting fruit. The tasks are endless. The gossip undoubtedly juicy. The friendships lifelong.
You're up to date!
There are no newer posts.
You've reached the end.
There are no older posts.
