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| THE AUTHOR, Laila El-Haddad, PICTURED WITH HER AUNT UM HANI (PHOTO: MAGGIE SCHMITT) |
A Cuisine Under Siege
I couldn’t rescue my aunt in Gaza, but I can keep her recipes alive. By Laila El-Haddad
https://www.saveur.com/culture/palestinian-cuisine-under-siege/
[AS ALWAYS PLEASE GO TO THE LINK TO READ GOOD ARTICLES (or quotes or watch videos) IN FULL: HELP SHAPE ALGORITHMS (and conversations) THAT EMPOWER DECENCY, DIGNITY, JUSTICE & PEACE... and hopefully Palestine]
"... Teaching the next generation of Palestinians how to make a celebratory stew may seem trivial, inappropriate even, in light of the deliberate starvation and plausible genocide facing Gazans right now. But food is as integral to our identity and rootedness to the land as our centers of cultural knowledge, such as archives, libraries, theaters, and schools, which are also under attack. Israel’s assault is eliminating entire bloodlines, and with them, all of the memories and knowledge they possessed.
I live in the United States now, and I’ve cooked sumagiyya more times than I can count—even if it never tastes quite like Um Hani’s. One occasion stands out. It was May 2021, and Gaza City was being pummeled in what was the fourth major assault by Israel on Gaza in 14 years. The attack coincided with Eid, and as I watched on my screen in Clarksville, Maryland horrific images of air raids and grief-stricken mothers, I suddenly felt the urge to make a pot of sumagiyya. Serving it to my family and friends that night, despite the unfolding tragedy, was unexpectedly liberating and affirming.
Last month, I again found myself in tears chopping onions and chard for sumagiyya, but this time I was making it to honor Um Hani’s memory. Like in 2021, I couldn’t look away from the news: The park where I used to take my son for evening strolls, the beach promenade where I drank sage tea with my mother, the university where I gave guest lectures—they were all unrecognizable piles of overturned dirt and warped wire..." READ MORE https://www.saveur.com/culture/palestinian-cuisine-under-siege/
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| In Gaza, sumagiyya is synonymous with weddings, family gatherings, and
Eid Al-Fitr, the Muslim holiday that marks the end of the holy month of
Ramadan and its 30-day fast. Photo by Laila El-Haddad |
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