BURJ HAMMOUD: TREASURE TROVE OF CULINARY DELIGHTS
By Mirella Hodeib
The Daily Star
April 9 2012
Lebanon
BURJ HAMMOUD, Lebanon: Inside the bustling, densely populated narrow
streets of Beirut’s Armenian quarters, true culinary gems, each one
more enticing than the next, have existed since the Caucasus population
fled Ottoman tyranny to safer, less oppressive realms.
The industrial district of Burj Hammoud, northeast of the capital,
is not merely home to Lebanon’s Armenian community or migrant workers
from Asia and Africa; it is a treasure trove of cultures and culinary
traditions.
Scratching beneath the surface, scents of sumac, cumin and garlic
mix with those of caramel and vanilla in almost every corner of
Burj Hammoud.
Lebanon’s Armenians develop their skills to the point of perfection;
they’ll prepare their legendary sujok sausages and basterma meat with
the same passion and dexterity as when they create the fine jewelry
they are known for.
Crimson-red sausages and cured meat coated with pungent spices
hanging next to window displays of flashy jewelry are not completely
unfamiliar sights, since in Burj Hammoud, meat retailers, jewelers
and other craftsmen perfectly cohabit.
The district’s sujok and basterma can be tasted fresh because in the
past decade or two several butchers started sandwich sections.
The Basterma Mano deli on Municipality Street has been the most
creative in the field. In addition to traditional specialties such as
sujok and basterma sandwiches, Mano borrowed the concept of shawarma
and came up with the succulent fusion shawarma sujok, which is served
in Lebanese bread on a bed of finely sliced tomatoes and topped with
sour wild cucumber pickles.
To extend the Mano experience, think of buying sliced to order
basterma from their retail section as well as some old-fashioned
golden sandwich bread, “khibz franji” from the Veronna Bakery in
close-by Dora for a garlicky dinner the next day.
Mossis is another venue offering a wide range of sandwiches with an
Armenian twist. Located on the inner road linking Burj Hammoud to Dora,
Mossis is famous for its spicy, paper-thin meat on dough known as lahm
baajin, which is rendered even tastier by a squeeze of lemon on top,
as well as for its comforting chicken and celery amuse bouche.
Mossis’ roast beef, beef tongue and basterma sandwiches are also
widely popular for their taste, which is reminiscent of old times
when sandwiches did not drown in an overgenerous slosh of mayonnaise.
If you’re not offered vanilla-scented sweet dumplings with your
sandwich at Mossis, make sure to remind the staff about the crunchy
deep-fried tubular desert – a real enchantment to the taste buds.
But what about real Armenian home food? Fulfilling dishes such as
eetch, the hot version of Lebanese tabbouleh, or manti, the spicy
ground lamb mixture in a dough wrapper soaked in garlic yogurt with a
generous sprinkle of sumac on top, and sou boreg, the buttered phyllo
pastry with a melted cheese filling.
Typical Armenian cuisine, the kind of food you’d have at the home of
an Armenian friend, is not served in the capital’s well-known Armenian
restaurants but rather in the minuscule low-key chophouses hidden in
the maze-like backstreets of Burj Hammoud.
Karnigue Nigolian and his devoted commis/waiter Raffy have been feeding
their customers authentic Armenian specialties at the charming 30-seat
Restaurant Onno on Aghabios Street facing Sabtieh Church since 1990.
Nigolian, who goes by the nickname Onno, is particularly strict when
it comes to reservations, due to the dimensions of his two-story
restaurant, decorated with snapshots of pre-Civil War Downtown Beirut.
Onno’s fairly priced menu includes items hailing from Armenian and
Lebanese mezze and a lot of arak, of course – the anise spirit is
dearly cherished in both cultures.
The fiery chef is especially proud of his sweet and savory kebab
bi karaz (cherry kebab), which he serves up with toasted nuts and
fried bread.
Onno, in fact, nails the recipe: The gooey dark red cherry chutney
is satisfyingly sweet and the lamb kebab tender and juicy.
Onno confides that he shops for his meat, vegetables and most of the
remaining ingredients inside Burj Hammoud. One street in particular
will definitely delight every foodie.
Souk Marash is the home of spices and other materials required to
concoct flavorsome Armenian and other cuisine.
Bulk spices and seasonings, and also dried fruits, nuts and candy are
displayed on stands throughout the packed market, which is located
parallel to Arax Street, Burj Hammoud’s shopping hub.
At the spacious Bann Garo store right in the middle of Marash,
dried black cherries, an essential ingredient for kebab bi karaz,
are sold, but also a wide variety of cayenne pepper, chilli paste,
and walnuts to make the piquant muhamara dip.
Sweet sujok, the Armenian version of the Lebanese malban sweet,
is a bestseller at Bann Garo too.
Sold on wooden skewers, the sweet sujoks can be the perfect ending
to a culinary journey in Burj Hammoud. The caramel-scented sweets
are made with grape molasses, flavored with rose water and mastic
and stuffed with a variety of nuts, including walnuts and pistachios.
And just like Burj Hammoud was once a comforting refuge for newcomers,
in Marash, one is likely to find comforting infusions and herbal teas
to calm the indigestion incurred after a heavy meal in the lively
district that never fails to enchant inhabitants and visitors alike.