Eetch

A cold plate of bulgur that sits on the mezze side of an Aleppo table. The name is not said the way it is written; in the city it comes out as eetch. What goes into it is short: coarse bulgur, finely chopped onion, mint, olives, hot pepper paste, pomegranate molasses, lemon juice, black pepper and salt. That is the whole list. The bulgur is not boiled. It softens by taking up the juice of the paste and the lemon, which is why the grains stay separate.

How it differs from tabbouleh

Both are made with bulgur and both come out cold, but the weight is reversed. In tabbouleh the parsley leads and the bulgur stands beside it. In eetch the bulgur leads and the only greenery is mint. Colour separates them as well. Tabbouleh is green, eetch is the dark brick red the pepper paste gives it.

How it is eaten

On the mezze table, with bread or with a lettuce leaf. A spoon is used, but in Aleppo wrapping it in a leaf and taking it by hand is more common. Olives, pickles and salty cheese go beside it, and it comes out at the opening of the table rather than with the main dish.

The heat comes from the paste and varies from house to house. If you are not used to it, ask when you order; some places make it without.

Where to find it

In Aleppo at restaurants that put out mezze and at places serving breakfast. At home it appears more in summer, because no stove is needed. It travels well: eaten cold, and it holds while it waits.