{"id":14249,"date":"2017-04-30T16:04:17","date_gmt":"2017-04-30T16:04:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/arabic\/?p=14249"},"modified":"2017-04-30T16:04:17","modified_gmt":"2017-04-30T16:04:17","slug":"saltah-%d8%b3%d9%8e%d9%84%d9%92%d8%aa%d9%8e%d8%a9-yemens-national-dish","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/arabic\/saltah-%d8%b3%d9%8e%d9%84%d9%92%d8%aa%d9%8e%d8%a9-yemens-national-dish\/","title":{"rendered":"saltah \u0633\u064e\u0644\u0652\u062a\u064e\u0629: Yemen\u2019s National Dish"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><em>Bint aS-SaHn <\/em><strong>\u0628\u0650\u0646\u0652\u062a \u0627\u0644\u0635\u0651\u064e\u062d\u0652\u0646 <\/strong>, <em>sousi <\/em><strong>\u0633\u064f\u0648\u0652\u0633\u0650\u064a <\/strong>, <em>shafout <\/em><strong>\u0634\u064e\u0641\u064f\u0648\u0652\u062a<\/strong>, and <em>saltah <\/em><strong>\u0633\u064e\u0644\u0652\u062a\u064e\u0629 <\/strong>are some delicious Arabic dishes that are peculiar to Yemen. While the others are popular on special days and occasions, <strong>\u0633\u064e\u0644\u0652\u062a\u064e\u0629<\/strong> is eaten every day and by far the most favorite; ergo, it is <strong>Yemen\u2019s National Dish<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_14250\" style=\"width: 560px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter post-item__attachment\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/91378255@N03\/8561249642\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" aria-label=\"Saltah \u0633\u0644\u062a\u0629 768x1024\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-14250\" class=\"wp-image-14250\"  alt=\"\" width=\"550\" height=\"733\" \/ src=\"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/arabic\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2017\/04\/saltah-\u0633\u0644\u062a\u0629-768x1024.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/arabic\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2017\/04\/saltah-\u0633\u0644\u062a\u0629-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/arabic\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2017\/04\/saltah-\u0633\u0644\u062a\u0629-263x350.jpg 263w, https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/arabic\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2017\/04\/saltah-\u0633\u0644\u062a\u0629.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 550px) 100vw, 550px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-14250\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Image by anayamni on flickr.com<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Linguistically, what is the origin of the word <em>saltah\u00a0<\/em><strong>\u0633\u064e\u0644\u0652\u062a\u064e\u0629<\/strong> ?<\/p>\n<p>The very word <em>saltah<\/em> <strong>\u0633\u064e\u0644\u0652\u062a\u064e\u0629<\/strong> is derived from the Arabic root <em>salata<\/em> <strong>\u0633\u064e\u0644\u064e\u062a\u064e<\/strong> \u2018to eat and lick eagerly.\u2019 By way of derivation in Arabic, we say <strong>\u0633\u064e\u0644\u064e\u062a\u064e<\/strong> , <strong>\u064a\u064e\u0633\u0652\u0644\u0650\u062a\u064f<\/strong>, <strong>\u0633\u064e\u0644\u0652\u062a\u064b\u0627<\/strong> \u00a0and the food \u2018being carefully extracted from the boiling hot pot and eagerly eaten and licked\u2019 is <strong>\u0633\u064e\u0644\u0652\u062a\u064e\u0629<\/strong>. This means that having this dish involves a lot of \u2018eager licking\u2019 particularly since it is typically eaten while it is still boiling; besides, it is ensured that boiling and high heat stay for as long as possible. This is the reason why it is served in a pot of clay or stone which is called <em>Hardhah<\/em> <strong>\u062d\u064e\u0631\u064e\u0636\u064e\u0629 <\/strong>\u00a0or <em>maqlaa<\/em> <strong>\u0645\u064e\u0642\u0652\u0644\u064e\u0649<\/strong>. The <strong>\u062d\u064e\u0631\u064e\u0636\u064e\u0629<\/strong> \u00a0tends to be smaller than <strong>\u0645\u064e\u0642\u0652\u0644\u064e\u0649<\/strong>. Although modern thick steel pots are lately used, locally-made <strong>\u062d\u064e\u0631\u064e\u0636\u064e\u0629 <\/strong>\u00a0and <strong>\u0645\u064e\u0642\u0652\u0644\u0649 <\/strong>are always preferred. Therefore, <strong>\u0633\u064e\u0644\u0652\u062a\u064e\u0629<\/strong> that is not served in a <strong>\u062d\u064e\u0631\u064e\u0636\u064e\u0629<\/strong> is not really <strong>\u0633\u064e\u0644\u0652\u062a\u064e\u0629<\/strong> by traditional Yemeni food standards.<\/p>\n<p>Yummy, for those who have eaten <strong>\u0633\u064e\u0644\u0652\u062a\u064e\u0629<\/strong>! So, what are the ingredients and how is <strong>\u0633\u064e\u0644\u0652\u062a\u064e\u0629<\/strong> prepared?<\/p>\n<p>Typically, <strong>\u0633\u064e\u0644\u0652\u062a\u064e\u0629 <\/strong>is almost a vegie dish. Its basic ingredients are <strong>\u062d\u064f\u0644\u0652\u0628\u064e\u0629 <\/strong>\u2018fenugreek\u2019, <strong>\u0645\u064e\u0631\u064e\u0642 <\/strong>concentrated consomm\u00e9 soup, <strong>\u0628\u064e\u0637\u064e\u0627\u0637\u064e\u0627<\/strong> potatoes, <strong>\u0628\u064e\u064a\u0652\u0636\u064e\u0629 <\/strong>an egg, <strong>\u0628\u0650\u0633\u0652\u0628\u064e\u0627\u0633 \u00a0<\/strong>green chili pepper, <strong>\u0643\u064f\u0631\u0651\u064e\u0627\u062b <\/strong>or <strong>\u0628\u064e\u064a\u0652\u0639\u064e\u0629 <\/strong>(in Yemeni dialect) \u2018leek\u2019, <strong>\u062b\u064f\u0648\u0652\u0645 <\/strong>\u00a0\u2018garlic\u2019, <strong>\u0637\u064e\u0645\u064e\u0627\u0637\u0650\u0645 <\/strong>\u00a0\u2018tomatoes\u2019, and <strong>\u0645\u0650\u0644\u0652\u062d<\/strong> \u2018salt\u2019. People add other spices based on their taste. Prior to the actual making of <strong>\u0633\u064e\u0644\u0652\u062a\u064e\u0629<\/strong>, three mixtures are to be prepared separately.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><u>The mixture of <strong>\u062d\u064f\u0644\u0652\u0628\u064e\u0629<\/strong> and <strong>\u0643\u064f\u0631\u0651\u064e\u0627\u062b<\/strong>:<\/u><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Two to three spoons of <strong>\u0637\u064e\u062d\u0650\u064a\u0646 \u0627\u0644\u062d\u064f\u0644\u0652\u0628\u064e\u0629<\/strong> \u2018fenugreek flour\u2019 is to be sprinkled in water and left for two to three hours. Then, the water is to be fully dribbled. The <strong>\u062d\u064f\u0644\u0652\u0628\u064e\u0629<\/strong> is to be beaten by hand till it turns white (up to 5 minutes of vigorous stirring, quite an exercise (but worth it &#x1f60a;). The <strong>\u0643\u064f\u0631\u0651\u064e\u0627\u062b <\/strong>is to be cut and pounded manually till it becomes juicy. It then is added to the paste of <strong>\u062d\u064f\u0644\u0652\u0628\u064e\u0629 <\/strong>\u00a0and mixed thoroughly.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><u>The mixture of <strong>\u0633\u064e\u062d\u064e\u0627\u0648\u0650\u0642<\/strong>: <\/u><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>\u0633\u064e\u062d\u064e\u0627\u0648\u0642<\/strong>, derived from the verb <strong>\u0633\u064e\u062d\u064e\u0642\u064e <\/strong>\u2018to grind\u2019 is a sauce-like blend of tomatoes, garlic, green chili, and a dash of salt. Traditionally, this mixture is squashed manually on a flat stone called <strong>\u0645\u064e\u0633\u0652\u062d\u064e\u0642\u064e\u0629 <\/strong>\u2018a flat stone with a small round stone on which spices and vegies are grounded.\u2019 Grinding using <strong>\u0645\u064e\u0633\u0652\u062d\u064e\u0642\u064e\u0629<\/strong> is always tastier than the one ground in a blender.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><u>The mixture of <strong>\u0645\u064e\u0631\u064e\u0642<\/strong>: <\/u><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>\u0645\u064e\u0631\u064e\u0642<\/strong> is a thick stock of seasoned meat, especially beef. Little fatty meat with bones is boiled for almost two hours. Seasonings <strong>\u0628\u064f\u0647\u064e\u0627\u0631\u064e\u0627\u062a<\/strong>, like <strong>\u0641\u0650\u0644\u0652\u0641\u0650\u0644 \u0623\u064e\u0633\u0652\u0648\u064e\u062f <\/strong>\u2018black pepper,\u2019 and <strong>\u0643\u064e\u0645\u0651\u064f\u0648\u0646 \u0645\u064e\u0637\u0652\u062d\u064f\u0648\u0646<\/strong> \u00a0\u2018cumin powder\u2019 are added to the stock. Also, adding chopped <strong>\u0628\u064e\u0635\u0652\u0644 \u0623\u064e\u062e\u064e\u0636\u064e\u0631<\/strong> \u2018scallion\u2019 makes the <strong>\u0645\u064e\u0631\u064e\u0642<\/strong> tastier and thicker.<\/p>\n<p>What\u2019s next \u2026<\/p>\n<p>The\u00a0<strong>\u062d\u064e\u0631\u064e\u0636\u064e\u0629 <\/strong>\u00a0is placed over a fierce flame and is left for 2 to 4 minutes until it gets extremely hot. Then, the\u00a0<strong>\u0645\u064e\u0631\u064e\u0642 \u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0is thrown into the <strong>\u062d\u064e\u0631\u064e\u0636\u064e\u0629<\/strong>. Chopped slices of <strong>\u0628\u064e\u0637\u064e\u0627\u0637\u064e\u0627<\/strong>, <strong>\u0628\u064e\u064a\u0652\u0636\u064e\u0629<\/strong>, and <strong>\u0641\u0650\u0644\u0652\u0641\u0650\u0644 \u0623\u064e\u062e\u0652\u0636\u064e\u0631 <\/strong>are added. This is accompanied by very quick stirring, mixing, and adding of <strong>\u0645\u064e\u0631\u064e\u0642 <\/strong>as needed to prevent the mixture from burning or sticking. The <strong>\u062d\u064e\u0631\u064e\u0636\u064e\u0629<\/strong> is left on fire for two to three minutes. Then, the <strong>\u062d\u064f\u0644\u0652\u0628\u064e\u0629 <\/strong>\u00a0mixture is added to the top without mixing it. Voila! <strong>\u0633\u064e\u0644\u0652\u062a\u064e\u0629 <\/strong>is ready to be eaten and is served immediately. As for the <strong>\u0633\u064e\u062d\u064e\u0627\u0648\u0642<\/strong>, a little bit of it may be poured with <strong>\u062d\u064f\u0644\u0652\u0628\u064e\u0629<\/strong>; alternatively, most people leave it as a side dish and added according to taste. So, how\u2019s this eaten? <strong>\u0633\u064e\u0644\u0652\u062a\u064e\u0629 <\/strong>\u00a0is eaten with <strong>\u062e\u064f\u0628\u0652\u0632 <\/strong>\u2018bread,\u2019 <strong>\u062e\u064f\u0628\u0652\u0632 \u0642\u064e\u0645\u0652\u062d<\/strong> \u2018wheat bread\u2019, <strong>\u062e\u064f\u0628\u0652\u0632 \u0634\u064e\u0639\u0650\u064a\u0631<\/strong> \u2018barley bread,\u2019 <strong>\u0643\u0650\u062f\u064e\u0645<\/strong>, or <strong>\u062c\u064e\u062d\u0650\u064a\u0646 <\/strong>\u2018 both local multi-grained bread\u2019 popular in the northern regions of Yemen.<\/p>\n<p>This is how <strong>\u0633\u064e\u0644\u0652\u062a\u064e\u0629 <\/strong>is traditionally made. However, more recently, protein-rich variants of <strong>\u0633\u064e\u0644\u0652\u062a\u064e\u0629<\/strong> have been introduced, especially in restaurants. One variant is called <strong>\u0641\u064e\u062d\u0652\u0633\u064e\u0629<\/strong>; it is derived from the Arabic root <strong>\u0641\u064e\u062d\u064e\u0633\u064e <\/strong>\u2018to mash.\u2019 Essentially, the meat, which the <strong>\u0645\u064e\u0631\u064e\u0642 \u00a0<\/strong>is made from, is mashed fully and added to the\u00a0<strong>\u0633\u064e\u0644\u0652\u062a\u064e\u0629 \u00a0<\/strong>mixture. Another variant is <strong>\u0633\u064e\u0644\u0652\u062a\u064e\u0629 <\/strong>with <strong>\u062a\u064f\u0648\u0652\u0646\u064e\u0629 \u00a0<\/strong>\u2018tuna.\u2019 Simply, a can of <strong>\u062a\u064f\u0648\u0652\u0646\u064e\u0629 <\/strong>is thrown into the mixture. The latter variant is not as popular as the former two.<\/p>\n<p>One reason why <strong>\u0633\u064e\u0644\u0652\u062a\u064e\u0629 \u00a0<\/strong>is exceedingly popular is that it is associated with Chewing Qat (more on this soon). Qat chewers, almost 90% of Yemenis, particularly men, believe that a session of Qat Chewing will not be as enjoyable and relaxing if they did not have spicy\u00a0<strong>\u0633\u064e\u0644\u0652\u062a\u064e\u0629 <\/strong>\u00a0for lunch. Besides, <strong>\u0633\u064e\u0644\u0652\u062a\u064e\u0629<\/strong> is cheap and easy to prepare. <strong>\u0645\u064e\u0631\u0652\u0642 <\/strong>\u00a0is replaced with vegie stock spiced with a cube of Maggi or a teaspoon of MSG.<\/p>\n<p>Now, let\u2019s learn more of Arabic Cuisine.<\/p>\n<p><u>Using Google or YouTube<\/u><\/p>\n<p>a) Try to get acquainted with the three other Yemeni dishes mentioned above.<\/p>\n<p>b) Find out what the National Dishes for Kuwait, Egypt, Mauritania, and Jordan are.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<img width=\"263\" height=\"350\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/arabic\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2017\/04\/saltah-\u0633\u0644\u062a\u0629-263x350.jpg\" class=\"attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/arabic\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2017\/04\/saltah-\u0633\u0644\u062a\u0629-263x350.jpg 263w, https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/arabic\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2017\/04\/saltah-\u0633\u0644\u062a\u0629-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/arabic\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2017\/04\/saltah-\u0633\u0644\u062a\u0629.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 263px) 100vw, 263px\" \/><p>Bint aS-SaHn \u0628\u0650\u0646\u0652\u062a \u0627\u0644\u0635\u0651\u064e\u062d\u0652\u0646 , sousi \u0633\u064f\u0648\u0652\u0633\u0650\u064a , shafout \u0634\u064e\u0641\u064f\u0648\u0652\u062a, and saltah \u0633\u064e\u0644\u0652\u062a\u064e\u0629 are some delicious Arabic dishes that are peculiar to Yemen. While the others are popular on special days and occasions, \u0633\u064e\u0644\u0652\u062a\u064e\u0629 is eaten every day and by far the most favorite; ergo, it is Yemen\u2019s National Dish. Linguistically, what is the origin&hellip;<\/p>\n<p class=\"post-item__readmore\"><a class=\"btn btn--md\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/arabic\/saltah-%d8%b3%d9%8e%d9%84%d9%92%d8%aa%d9%8e%d8%a9-yemens-national-dish\/\">Continue Reading<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":148,"featured_media":14250,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":""},"categories":[3,13],"tags":[462606,462605,462603,462604],"class_list":["post-14249","post","type-post","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-culture","category-vocabulary","tag-making-saltah","tag-national-dish-of-yemen","tag-saltah","tag-462604"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/arabic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14249","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/arabic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/arabic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/arabic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/148"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/arabic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14249"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/arabic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14249\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":14256,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/arabic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14249\/revisions\/14256"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/arabic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/14250"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/arabic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14249"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/arabic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14249"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/arabic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14249"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}