Middle East - Anthony Ham [80]
Desserts & Sweets
If you have a sweet tooth, be prepared to put it to good use on your travels in this part of the world. The prince of the regional puds is undoubtedly muhalabiyya (also known as mahallabiye), a blancmange-like concoction made of ground rice, milk, sugar, and rose or orange water, topped with chopped pistachios and almonds. Almost as popular is ruz bi laban (rice pudding, known as fırın sütlaç in Turkey). All Middle Easterners love their sweets but they come closest to worshipping them in Syria and Turkey. Some say Turks’ adoration of sweets may be attributed to the Quranic verse, ‘To enjoy sweets is a sign of faith.’ Just in case you missed the point, a local proverb adds that ‘sweets are equated with a kind heart and a sugary tongue’.
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The popular Egyptian dessert of umm ali (dessert of filo pastry, butter, raisins and nuts baked in milk) is said to have been introduced into the country by Miss O’Malley, an Irish mistress of Khedive Ismail, the viceroy of Egypt.
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Seasonal fresh fruit is just as commonly served, and provides a refreshing, light finale to a mezze-and-kebab–laden feast.
But best of all are the pastries. Although these are sometimes served in restaurants for dessert, they’re just as often enjoyed as an anytime-of-the-day snack. Old favourites include kunafa, a vermicelli-like pastry over a vanilla base soaked in syrup; and the famous baklava, made from delicate filo drenched in honey or syrup. Variations on baklava are flavoured with fresh nuts or stuffed with wickedly rich clotted cream (called kaymak in Turkey, eishta elsewhere).
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DRINKS
Tea & Coffee
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Legend has it that in society Ottoman-era houses chefs made baklava with over 100 pastry-sheet layers per tray. The master of the house would test the softness of the pastry with a gold coin: if it fell to the bottom of the tray the chef kept the coin.
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Drinking tea (shai, chai or çay) is the signature pastime of the region and it is seen as strange and decidedly antisocial not to swig the tannin-laden beverage at regular intervals throughout the day. The tea will either come in the form of a tea bag plonked in a cup or glass of hot water (Lipton is the usual brand) or a strong brew of the local leaves. Sometimes it’s served with na’ana (mint) and it always comes with sugar. Be warned that you’ll risk severe embarrassment if you ask for milk, unless you’re in a tourist hotel or restaurant.
Surprisingly, Turkish or Arabic coffee (qahwa) is not widely consumed in the region, with instant coffee (always called Nescafé) being far more common. If you do find the real stuff, it’s likely to be a thick and powerful Turkish-style brew that’s served in small cups and drunk in a couple of short sips. Always ready with a proverb, the Turks strongly believe that ‘coffee should be black as hell, strong as death and sweet as love’. Given that love is clearly the most appealing of the three options, Turkish coffee is usually served very sweet; if you want less sugar ask for it to be served wassat (medium sweet) or sada (without sugar).
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When drinking Turkish-style coffee, you should never drink the grounds in the bottom of your cup. You may want to read your fortune in them, though – check out the website of İstanbul’s longest-established purveyor of coffee, Kurukahveci Mehmet Efendi (www.mehmetefendi.com) for a guide.
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Although it’s not as popular as tea in public cafés, coffee is invariably served in people’s homes. An Arab host will always refill his guest’s coffee cup. A good guest will accept a minimum of three cups but when you’ve had enough, gently tilt the cup from side to side (in Arabic, ‘dancing’ the cup).
Alcoholic Drinks
Though the region is predominantly Muslim and hence abstemious, most countries