Qarimouta

A little-known dish from the countryside of central Syria, and a fully meatless one. Onion is fried until golden, washed bulgur and water go in, and the pot stays covered until the grain is done. Off the heat it takes lemon juice, mint and sumac. Finely chopped tomato, cucumber and parsley are in the mix too.

Where the name comes from

The dish belongs to Salamiyah, in the Hama countryside. People there trace the name to the years when the Qarmatians ruled the region. It used to be called the poor people’s dish. Depending on the village it also answers to farifira, muqayrita and munayqria.

How it is eaten

A spoonful of the mixture goes onto a vine leaf, the leaf is folded into a small parcel and eaten by hand. Where vine leaves are out of season, lettuce or red cabbage does the job. Do not read it as tabbouleh: here the bulgur is cooked rather than soaked raw, and mint and sumac sit at the centre of the taste.

Where to find it

It almost never appears on a menu. This is a home dish and a seasonal one, cooked most in the months when vine leaves are young. Around Salamiyah a household is likely to put it in front of you, while in town restaurants you may ask and come away without it.