Ah, kibbeh. How is that stuff so wonderful? The recipe looks like a cheap hamburger, meat with enough grain filler to double the bulk. But the meat is usually lamb, and the grain is bulgur, and somehow the finished product is amazing.
I come from an extremely rural part of Virginia, up in the mountains, where you’d think everyone would be exactly the same. But in fact, there was at one time a massive immigrant community of Levantine Christians who had fled the collapsing Ottoman Empire in the early 20th century. We knew a number of those families very well. By the time I came along, no one was left who spoke Arabic. But my grandmother remembered that first generation, and she always commented on their incredible generosity.
My introduction to Lebanese / Syrian food came from one lovely lady in particular, a daughter of a couple of original immigrants. She ordered in supplies like lentils, olive oil, and tahini in giant restaurant-size containers, and she made her own yogurt! She was an excellent cook, and she made plenty of traditional Southern food, too. I wish I could have recorded our conversations, talking about Arabic food and customs in her marvelous Southern accent. I always loved the way she said, “My mama made the best kibbeh."
Central and South America also brought in an incredibly large number of Levantine immigrants, and Levantine food made a real mark on the cuisine of many countries. Mexican tacos al pastor don’t just look like shawarma, they ARE shawarma, introduced by the immigrant community—and changed through the years from lamb to pork. But kibbeh had the greatest impact, and you can find versions of it all over Latin America, from Yucatán to Brazil.
[this post was last edited: 2/27/2016-11:17]
