Tag: bekaa

Categories
News

Distribution of Mouneh parcels in the West Bekaa

The unfolding economic crisis during the Covid-19 lockdown is keeping the most vulnerable Lebanese communities under unbearable pressure of finding their daily sustenance. Aiming to support the local communities at the times of hardship, Mouneh parcels have been assembled under Ardi Ardak initiative, through a collaborative work between FHF, ESDU and LLWB.

The first batch of Mouneh parcels were distributed on March 30th, 2020 to 40 families in need including old people who cannot leave their homes to get their food. The parcels contained basic food items like rice, sugar, pulses, bulgur, jams and oil with some products locally procured from cooperatives and small scale producers.


This first distribution was made possible due to generous donations of people who want to make a positive change in the society particularly during the hard times the country is going through.


Donate Now!
https://www.zoomaal.com/…/7…/ardiardakfoodsecurityinitiative

Your contribution will save lives!

Categories
Recipes

Saff (Tabbouleh Saff)

Fresh saff tabbouleh from Rashaya ready to be served

Saff is a traditional Lebanese salad similar to the Tabbouleh we all know but with more sources of proteins and fibers. Saff is renown in Rashaya region and is prepared during summer and fall when all ingredients are available.

Fresh Saff ready to be served

Total Servings: 8

Preparation time: 30 mns

 Ingredients:

1 ½ cups of chick-peas soaked in water overnight

1/3 cup of fine Burgol

3 bunches of Parsley

Half bunch of Mint

5 Green onions

3 Tomatoes, medium size

5 Cucumbers, medium size

Olive Oil, Lemon Juice, Lemon Zest, Salt, Black Pepper according to taste

A pinch of Sumac

Carrot, Radish, Cabbage and Garlic are optional ingredients added according to taste

Preparation steps

  1. Finely chop all vegetables
  2. Grind the chickpeas
  3. Add chickpeas and burgul to the chopped vegetables
  4. Mix with all the seasoning ingredients (sumac, olive oil, lemon juice and zest, salt and pepper)
  5. Serve cold as a side salad
Categories
Eat Local

Preserving Ambarees – Arabic brochure

Categories
Eat Local

Preserving Ambarees – English brochure

Categories
Community Kitchens (CK)

Nusroto Al Anashid Association – Zahle, Central Bekaa

Ladies preparing "roz aa djeij" in Zahle CK

Nusroto Al Anashid Association is a charity organization founded in 2005 by Father Marwan Ghanem. Besides helping the needy and ill, this association offers a rehabilitation center for drug addicts.

Ladies preparing "roz aa djeij" in Zahle CK
Ladies preparing “roz aa djeij” in Zahle CK

In 2015, IOCC and FHF initiated their work with the association to establish a community kitchen in their center. A team of local and Syrian ladies were trained on food safety, healthy nutrition and recipes’ standardization. In parallel, an existing kitchen within the association was refurbished and equipped to cater for hundreds of vulnerable families in the area. Hot meals distribution was launched in December 2015. Despite some challenges at first, given the sensitive aspects supported by the association, the interactions within the CK and during the distribution unveiled success stories as ex drug addicts were volunteering and proudly helping to deliver the food to the vulnerable families.

Implementing Partners: IOCC

Funders: Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe (DKH)

Categories
Community Kitchens (CK)

Khayrat Bekaena COOP – El Khiara, West Bekaa

Khayrat Bekaena COOP – El Khiara, West Bekaa

“Khayrat Bekaena COOP” was founded in 2013 by a group of locals from El Khiara, a small village in West Bekaa, to create job opportunities for the women in the area. This COOP is specialized in mouneh production, offering different lines of long-shelf live items: jams, pickles, kishk, olive oil, vinegar, tomato paste etc. The COOP is led by around 10 Syrian and Lebanese women who work depending on the season and the crops available for mouneh production.

The cooking ladies of Khiara CK
The cooking ladies of Khiara CK

FHF has contributed in expanding “Khayrat Bekaena”’s activities by adding a cooking unit to the cooperative and building the capacities of the kitchen’s team on food safety, healthy cooking and kitchen’s management. This unit allowed for the provision of food assistance in the area as well as the development of catering services. Currently, the COOP has reached and fed more than 1,000 vulnerable Syrian and Lebanese family in the area.

Implementing Partners: IOCC

Funders: Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe (DKH)

Categories
News

Launching of the project “Preservation and Promotion of Ambarees, a Traditional Caprine Dairy Product in the Bekaa Valley”

Eng. Mabelle Chedid (on the right) and Ms. Marwa Soubra welcoming the participants and stressing on the reasons why Ambarees production should be preserved

Under the Lactimed project, the Food Heritage Foundation (FHF) and the Chamber of Commerce, Industry & Agriculture of Zahle & the Bekaa (CCIAZ) initiated their collaboration on preserving a typical dairy product of the region called “Ambarees“. The idea of this cluster pilot project is to identify, through a survey, Ambarees producers in the Bekaa and gather information on the production process of this traditional dairy product and try to standardize it to enhance its marketing potentials and preserve its production.

Eng. Mabelle Chedid (on the right) and Ms. Marwa Soubra welcoming the participants and stressing on the reasons why Ambarees production should be preserved
Eng. Mabelle Chedid describing the main phases of Ambarees making

The documentation of Ambarees making was collected through a workshop that was hosted by CCIAZ in its offices in Zahle on December 19, 2015 and was organized by FHF. Twelve Ambarees producers from various parts of the Bekaa attended the workshop and participated in the working sessions that were organized; they shared their know-how with each others and described their process of Ambarees production then identified the main challenges that they are facing.

The participants were divided in working groups, according to their region and the type of milk they used in Ambarees production
The participants were divided in working groups, according to their region and the type of milk they used in Ambarees production

The participatory session was then followed by a brief session on food safety practices in Ambarees production focusing on how to abide by food safety standards while preserving the traditional aspect of this product.

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Ms. Marwa Soubra and Ms. Dominique Anid giving the food safety session

The next phase of this project is to identify Ambarees earthenware producers and provide the dairy producers with tested earthenware jars to in order to increase their production. A brochure aiming at promoting this traditional product will also be prepared and distributed in relevant events.

 

Categories
Hosts

Nabila Azzam, Ein Zebde

nabila azzam

Originally from Kherbet Qanafar, married and residing in Ein Zebde, Nabila has an extensive knowledge in local cuisines and collection of wild edible plants that grow in the surrounding area.

Whether you are picking apples or olives, or you are walking with the Shepherd between the highlands of Saghbine and Ein Zebde, Nabila will give you snacks and coffee and meet you in the field to prepare her famous fatayer with wild edible plants, her potato kebbe and her delicious salads for a relaxed lunch under the shade of trees.

Categories
Hosts and local guides

Therese and Tony Khoury

Tony and Therese prepare a wide variety of traditional dishes highlighting their village

A glance at Therese and Tony's mezze
A glance at Therese and Tony’s mezze

The couple owns a family restaurant on the terrace of their modest home in Khrayzet at the entrance of Ein Zebde village.

The restaurant offers traditional Lebanese cuisine and homemade mezze and is famous for its fawaregh or “stuffed intestine” dish, available upon request starting September.

Tony Khoury is a farmer from Saghbine who owns lovely apple, olive and peach orchards near his restaurant, where visitors can involve in apple and olive picking activities when in season and while the restaurant is open (from August – November).

Tony and Therese always greet you with a warm smile and create a convivial environment for your time at their cozy restaurant, under the shades of the trees.

The beautiful and warm settings of the family restaurant
The beautiful and warm settings of the family restaurant

Ask their younger son Chady, 13 yrs old, about his wild berry jam and he will proudly explain about the picking process and how he made them with his own hands. He also started experimenting with homemade wine! An enthusiastic young entrepreneur, strong with motivation and full of optimism, definitely and innovator for the future of this family business.

We invite you to know the face behind your apples, the person who put his heart into growing the fruit and much care into picking it just for you.