01/06/2024
Eat where the locals eat.
Why would you, as a tourist, want to go to that restaurant? Because you can see the locals eating there. It must be good.
Hummus, Fatteh, Balila, Foul, Msabha (or Mshawsheh in local slang) are not very light for breakfast, but they are usual dishes for breakfast for Lebanese people, and in many parts of the Middle East and Northern Africa.
In every region of Lebanon, there is a master of these dishes. Back when there was no readily available internet on phones, and only a few smartphones at hand, I had started a project to document many of these shops in Lebanon, rate them, and make a tourist booklet about it. However, the internet caught up, and the age of paper guides went into decline. The point is that I still know very good restaurants that serve these dishes, distributed here and there in Lebanon.
In Saida’s old souks, here's a very good one — seen in the picture!
Very authentic, humble, in a gorgeous old setting within the narrow pathways of the souks, and full of local Saida citizens, recognizable by their local spoken Lebanese accent!
• Balila is a dish of well-cooked chickpeas with a seasoning of olive oil, lemon juice, salt, cumin, and, depending on the restaurant, added spices like paprika. There’s a mastery in mixing quantities and in choosing the quality of ingredients, especially olive oil.
• Foul is a dish of cooked dried fava beans with similar seasoning. Depending on the restaurant, you could have coriander, parsley, and paprika added.
• Msabha is prepared similarly to Balila, but with added tahini, or sesame paste. MY FAVORITE!
• Fatteh is Balila cooked with butter, with added yogurt and roasted nuts like cashews.
• Hummus is the well-known mix of ground chickpeas and tahini.
Always a meal to look forward to!
