The Syrian leg of Bobby Chin's culinary exploration of the Middle East offers up a colourful mixture of traditional Arabic food and exotic dishes born out of the country's position along the  historic silk and spice routes between East and West.
For centuries Syria played host to some of the oldest civilisations in the world and its food reflects this rich and varied cultural heritage. Bobby begins his journey in the ancient commercial centre of Aleppo whose cuisine is considered by many to be the haute cuisine of the Middle East. Once a major caravan stop for the silk and spice trade, it's no surprise that the city's most loved dishes incorporate plenty of spices.
After a tour of the city's markets - some of the oldest in the Middle East - Bobby hooks up with local chef Hassan Kohja who shows him how to make two classic Middle Eastern starters the Aleppan way. First off, Muhammara, a dip using red pepper paste as a base mixed with walnuts, breadcrumbs, turmeric, and the all important pomegranate molasses. Second is Baba  Ghanoush, an eggplant salad flavoured with sesame paste tahini, chopped peppers and a garnish of pomegranate seeds. The pomegranate is popular throughout the Middle East but in Aleppo it's used in practically everything so Bobby takes a day trip into the country and visits a pomegranate farm to witness first hand how pomegranate molasses are made.
Back in Aleppo Bobby explores some of the residential quarters of the city and samples local versions of Middle Eastern classics such as a broad bean stew known as Foule. He also learns how to cook the city's signature dish - Cherry Kebab - using a special local variety of sour cherry. After a quick tour of some of the cities historic sites including the magnificent citadel of Aleppo Bobby boards the train to the Syrian capital: Damascus.
In contrast to Aleppo, Damascus seems modern, fast paced and cosmopolitan but it's famed as one of the oldest continually inhabited cities on earth and it certainly knows a thing or two about cooking. Bobby jumps in feet first meeting up with local restaurant manager Maria who takes him shopping the modern way at the Lazy Bones Market. Designed for housewives on the go, the  market sells prepared packages of just about every vegetable known to mankind. After buying some hollowed out courgettes Maria shows Bobby how to make a popular main course of Courgettes Stuffed with Minced Lamb.
In Syria most of the food served in restaurants is very different to the dishes cooked at home but there is one restaurant in town that is breaking this trend by serving up some of the best home cooked recipes from across the country. Bobby has lunch at La Narenje with restaurant chef, Ahmed, and samples some of Syria's finest home cooked meals. From a Raw Lamb Tartare to Middle Eastern classic Kibbeh, to Stuffed Lamb Intestines the lunch turns into an orgy of mouth watering sensations. But, it's not enough to put Bobby off desert and Damascus is famous throughout the region for its honey and pistachio soaked baklava - known as Knaffe - and ice cream. Bobby visits the oldest and most famous ice cream maker in the Middle East: Bakdash, to sample their unique brand of vanilla ice cream flavoured with rosewater, Arabic gum and pistachio. Inspired by Damascene deserts Bobby strikes out on his own for his final cooking demonstration and shows us how to make a sweet cake called Harissa.
Some of Syria's oldest inhabitants are desert dwellers who traditionally have a very different diet to what you might find in the city. Before leaving Syria, as is by now ritual, Bobby tries one of the weirder dishes on offer - a kebab made with camel hump meat. But as legend has it, eating camel makes you jealous so it's important to wash the jealousy away after eating. Only too willing to observe custom Bobby decides to end his visit to Syria with a traditional hammam steam bath and massage. It may be a little rougher than he's used to but as they say no pain no gain. |
