Middle East Focus: Hezbullah and Israel, Liberating Hummus and Falafel, Protecting Tabbouleh, Baba Ghanouj Endangered……………

Arabia Deserta

Hezbullah and Israel, Liberating Hummus and Falafel, Protecting Tabbouleh, Baba Ghanouj Endangered……………

“Wars between Lebanon and Israel have been fought on several fronts……….There is another war, the war of kitchens, or the cuisine war between Israel and Lebanon. The Lebanese want to assert their historical right to the Hummus, while Israel has been trying to usurp that, to the extent of preparing the world’s largest Humus platter for the Guinness Book of records ……….. The Lebanese worry about the next victim, their Tabbouleh, and possiby other famous national dishes which the Israelis may claim are their own……… Actually the Lebanese consider it ‘intellectual property’ that is being pirated………. Some want these plates registered internationally as Lebanese dishes………” al-Quds al-Arabi

I knew when I first tasted the Israeli falafel at Goha’s stand in Berkeley then at Falafel King in Westwood that they will be tough competitors. They had the best falafel I have ever tasted in the United States, better than what I got at Arab restaurants. Better than the falafel we had in the Gulf. Not as good as what I got in Paris on Avenue George V, though, in my Paris days. Nothing beats Paris, and not just falafel-wise. Hell, it is even better than Crawford, Texas. Or Paris, Texas.

It is an unfortunate fact. It is a good thing the Israelis can’t take over the falafel or hummus and establish their colonies, okay settlements, over them. Then the Arabs will never be able to eat a falafel sandwich with hummus in peace, if and when they are so inclined. Removing one of those zealot settlers from a West Bank location is tougher than removing a tick from……..

Even with the Lebanese ingenuity for food, the Israelis are giving them tough competition. I just dread the day they decide to change their politics from little shards of political parties (mostly right wing these days) to one based on hereditary sectarian warlords.
Cheers
mhg
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