Community Magazine March 2014

Diffusion of Cultures Syrian cuisine is a diffusion of numerous cultures of societies that settled in Syria, particularly during and after the Islamic era, beginning with the Arab Umayyad conquest (711-788) and subsequent Persian-influenced Abbasid Caliphate (750-1258), and ending with the strong impact of Turkish cuisine stemming from the Ottoman Empire (1299–1923). Differences naturally arose between the dishes of the Sephardic Jews who settled in Syria and those who settled in other parts of the world. For instance, cumin, cinnamon, and allspice are the Syrians’ preferred spices, while Tunisians are partial to “harissa,” a zesty hot spice. Saffron, the crimson threads from the stigmas of a flowering crocus, is the choice spice of Persians and Moroccans. Moroccans simmer their tagines (stews) with olives and whole preserved lemons, whereas the Syrians rely heavily on a sweet-sour extract distilled from tamarinds, and Persians add pomegranate juice to their sauces. Greek and Turkish bakers soak their pastries in honey; Syrians pour a more delicate rose water or orange-blossom syrup over their sweets. Influences and Impact Syrian food is not actually “Jewish” food, says Mrs. Poopa Dweck, author of Aromas of Aleppo . “Syrian food is authentic Arabic food. Upon publishing Aromas of Aleppo , the MoslemArab community heavily praised the cookbook, relaying that all the recipes therein are perfectly authentically Syrian- Arabic.” Poopa shares an interesting meeting with the Ambassador of Syria, who told her that his mother, who lives in Syria, said that every single recipe in Aromas of Aleppo is exactly how they cook it! Mrs. Jennifer Abadi, author of Fistful of Lentils , further explains the Syrian-Arabic influence on Jewish cooking. “The influence can be seen in the use of grains, legumes, vegetables and dried fruit commonly available to Jews in the markets of Aleppo and Damascus in dishes such as burghol m’jedrah (crushed wheat with lentils) and dja’jeh mish mosh (chicken with apricots).” Interestingly, another influence on our traditional fare comes from Spanish Jews, the original Sepharadim, who brought the Latin-style cuisine with them to Syria. “Examples of this include the savory meat pie known as bastel to Syrians and bastiyeh to Moroccans, which can be traced to the pastelles that were prepared in Spain centuries ago,” Jennifer explains. “In Spain and Morocco, this meat pie is made with fila dough; the Syrian-Jewish version is daintier, almost bite-size, and made of pastry dough. Another Syrian-Jewish dish with Spanish roots is kalsonnes b’rishtah , cheese-filled pasta similar to the Italian tortellini.” Although Syrian cuisine is very much a byproduct of our life in Halab and the Arabs amongst whom we lived, one obvious difference between our and ordinary Syrian-Arabic food is our kashrut guidelines. “The only difference between the Syrian Jewish and non-Jewish food is our kashrut laws,” says Poopa. ”We don’t mix meat and milk and we slaughter our animals according to halachah . But it isn’t Jewish Syrian food; it’s Arab food with the modification of the laws of kashrut.” Jennifer shares another Torah influence on Syrian food. “In addition to kashrut, we have the laws of Shabbat which forbid cooking, or lighting any fires, such as those in an oven. Syrian Jews, like Jews in other parts of the world, solved this problem by developing regional dishes that could simmer over a low flame for many hours at a time. In this manner, the housewife could prepare and begin cooking the food before Shabbat and keep it warm until it was time to eat in the evening. The flavor of these foods improved with time and additional heating.” A.D. COHEN The Origins and Inspiration of Syrian Cuisine Sito’s skillful hands nimbly crinkle the sambusak closed. She smiles at her granddaughter’s attempts and closes her wizened hands over the child’s young fingers and begins to show her yet again the art of the sambusak’s intricate pattern. Our traditional food is interwoven in an exquisite tapestry of family and pride. We offer here the fascinating roots and geneses of the Syrian traditional fare so that the next time you eye a lehembagine on the Shabbat table, or dip a kaak into a steaming cup of coffee, you will appreciate our Syrian delicacies that much more! ADAR II 5774 MARCH 2014 53