Hbeit (Deir ez-Zor date and lamb broth)

Hbeit is a big-pot dish from Deir ez-Zor. Lamb cooks for a long time in plenty of broth, with dates and onion added to the liquid. Safflower gives the broth its colour; in Deir ez-Zor it is called usfur. It is made in large pots for a crowd, and the portion of meat is kept generous.

Dates and lamb in one pot

What sets it apart from other Euphrates meat dishes is the dates. Their sweetness passes into the broth and the onion balances it. The meat is expected to be thoroughly cooked. Written sources give no measurements; they list the ingredients but not the proportions.

How it differs from thrud

In Deir ez-Zor’s thrud, broth is also poured over bread, but there broth is a method: it can come with okra or with rice. Hbeit is one particular broth, with dates and safflower. When the city’s old popular dishes are listed, it appears alongside tharid and fura.

Its relative in Mosul

The same name turns up in Mosul cooking as tashrib hbeit. There the lamb broth takes dried lime instead of dates and is poured over bread and rice. Dates and safflower are what mark the Deir ez-Zor version.

Where to eat it

At home and hospitality tables in Deir ez-Zor; since it needs a big pot, it is cooked for large gatherings. There is no verified information about restaurants serving it ready.