A Somali poet and scholar, Axmed Ismaaciil Diiriye Qaasim, once penned the poem, Macaan iyo Qadhaadh (Sweet and Bitter). The poem is a kind of metaphor for his homeland:
Consider the aloe - how bitter is its taste.
Yet sometimes there wells up a sap so sweet
That it seems like honey in your mount.
Side by side the sweet and the bitter run.
The poem goes on, but, it is the last line quoted above that caught my attention. The sweet and the bitter, side by side. While the poet may have had someone else or something else in mind, those words provide an apt description of Somalia.
For most of its recent history, the bitterness has gotten all of the attention. Since the onset of civil war in 1991, the country has been gripped in a seemingly endless state of violence. As the central government disintegrated, various groups began to assert themselves and battle each other for control. The costs of these battles, over the course of the past thirty years, has resulted in the death of approximately 500,000 people, the displacement of more than 2,000,000 people, the disintegration of governing institutions, and the destruction of infrastructure and public services. If one were to reach back further in time, before the civil war, he or she would encounter a history marked by military rule and colonial conquests, both of which have their own price tags with respect to death and destruction.
Yet, for all this bitterness, there is still the sweet. Somalia is a land of natural contrasts running along the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean. There is a diversity of environments, from the coastal forests and mangroves in the southwestern region (along the Indian ocean and the border with Kenya) to the bushlands and thickets of the Somalia-Acacia Commiphora Bushlands. There is also an interesting diversity of plants and animals. Somalia supposedly boasts of the largest population of camels in the world, as well as lions, Sudanese cheetahs, African bush elephants, gazelles, zebras and, of course, the Somali wild ass.
The sweet can be found not just in the place, but also in the Somali people and their culture. For example, there is a long literary tradition. The 19th century British explorer, Richard Francis Burton, once wrote in his book First Footsteps in Eastern Africa that the land which would become Somalia
teems with poets ... every man has his recognized position in literature as accurately defined as though he had been reviewed in a century of magazines - the fine ear of this people causing them to take the greatest pleasure in harmonious sounds and poetic expressions .... Every chief in this country must have a panegyric to be sung by his clan, and the great patronize light literature by keeping a poet.
There are approximately thirty different forms of Somali poetry, many of which differ in terms of the number of syllables per verse: from Gabay, with 14 to 16 syllables, to Hees Xoolad, with only 4 to 5 syllables.
The sweet is not only found in the poetry of the Somalis, but also their music because, historically speaking, both were tied together. Poetry would be set to music by way of a chant or a song. The words were always more important than the music. Indeed, some genres of poetry -- such as Gabay, Jiifto, or Geeraar -- were typically accompanied by the clapping of hands, without any musical instruments. Another form of poetry, Buraanmbur, which is recited at formal occasions such as weddings, is recited with the use of drums. And, if one travels into southern Somalia, the poetry may be performed with a variety of different instruments such as drums, flutes, hand carved clappers and a lyre.
Colonialism brought changes to Somali music, most notably the separation of music from poetry. English, French and Italians introduced music as a stand alone concept in its modern form, which was reinforced by the radio. Somali musicians incorporated foreign genres, such as American soul, Jamaican reggae and Arabic maqaam, with their own traditional musical instruments and folk stylings.
The literary and musical history and traditions of the Somali people are just one of the many aspects of the sweet that can be found in Somalia. It is unfortunate that such sweetness does not prevail over the bitter, which tends to get the most attention.
MAIN COURSE
Turning to my personal culinary challenge, I needed a main course from Somali cuisine for my personal culinary challenge. I went through quite a few recipes before I decided to make Surbiyaan Hilib Adhi, which is dish of lamb with rice that very much resembles a biryani.
Biryani originates from the Persian word burian, which means "fried before cooking." While it may have originated in Persia, biryani became a staple of the royal kitchens of the Mughal empire. The empire ruled over a large territory that included substantial parts of modern-day Afghanistan, Pakistan and India. As with any empire, the Mughal could not withstand time, or, for that matter, colonialism. However, biryani - with its combination of vegetables and meats - continued to thrive throughout the subcontinent. The dish also extended its reach, especially to the east, into the Arabian peninsula. It became known as zurbian in Saudi Arabia and zurbiyan in Yemen. Eventually, the dish crossed the Red Sea into Somalia, where it became known as surbiyaan.
SURBIYAAN HILIB ADHI (LAMB WITH RICE)
Recipe from My Somali Food
Serves 4
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup oil
- 2 onions, 1 sliced and 1 chopped
- 1/2 cup raisins
- 1 teaspoon saffron threads
- 3 cups basmati rice
- 5-6 cups water, plus 3/4 cup water
- 2 pounds lamb, medium cut
- 2 medium tomatoes, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1-2 tablespoons cilantro leaves
- 2 teaspoons coriander powder
- 2 teaspoons cumin powder
- 2-4 tablespoons of oil
- 5 cardamom seeds cracked
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
Directions:
1. Caramelize the onions. Heat the oil over medium heat, add the sliced onion and fry until brown. Add the raisins and cook until they puff up. Drain on kitchen paper and set aside.
2. Soak the saffron. In a small bowl, add the saffron and then pour 1/4 cup of hot water into the bowl. Let it soak for up to 20 minutes.
3. Boil the rice. Bring 5-6 cups of water to a boil. Add the rice and cook for a few minutes. The rice should be cooked to half way. You can test this by trying to break the rice in your hand. Drain the rice in a colander and let it cool until needed.
4. Cook the lamb. In a large pot, fry the lamb with the oil until brown on all sides. Add the chopped onions and sauté until brown. Add the cardamom, cinnamon stick, and lemon juice. Then add the garlic, tomatoes, spices and cilantro. Mix the ingredients together and then cook for 3 minutes until fragrant. Add 1/2 cup of water. Let simmer while covered on medium heat until boil, and then lower the heat for 10-15 minutes.
5. Finish the dish. Add the rice and spread it out so that the top is even. Add the caramelized onions and raisins, followed by the saffron water. Cover the pot and cook on medium heat until it begins to boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. The bottom of the pan will be dry and there will be no water left so make sure not to burn the bottom. Remove the pot from the heat and serve immediately.
DESSERT
Although I was looking forward to the lamb dish, I did a lot of research to find another dish that I could prepare as part of this challenge. Ordinarily, I am looking for side dishes or appetizers, but, this time I came across something that could either be a breakfast or dessert. It is Malawah. It is a crepe like pancake made with ground cardamom and ginger, which, along with the sugar, provide the sweetness.
MALAWAH (SOMALI SWEET PANCAKE)
Recipe from The Spruce Eats and The Somali Kitchen
Serves 4
Ingredients:
- 2 cups flour
- 2.5 cups milk
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 pinch salt
- 2 tablespoons oil
- Honey, sugar to garnish
Directions:
Whisk or blend the eggs, sugar, milk, salt and cardamom and ginger. Then pour approximately 1/4 of a cup of the mixture the pan in a circular motion. Once the pancake is brown, flip and cook briefly on the other side. Repeat with the rest of the batter. Serve immediately with honey or sugar as a garnish.
In the end, I think that the main course of Surbiyaan Hilib Adhi was a success. I think my prior experience with making biryanis in the past, along with my general experience preparing plovs, pulao and polos -- all rice dishes with some form of protein -- helped with making this dish. The Malawah were also very good. However, I failed to get the circular motion down, which is why my Malawah look more like pancakes that crepes with a circular design.
I also have to note that this challenge presents a milestone in my personal culinary challenge. It marks the first time I have completed challenges for an entire region. The region is the Horn of Africa. I previously completed a culinary challenge for
Ethiopia (#1),
Eritrea (#19) and
Djibouti (#30). Somalia (#39) represents the final country in region and it was a huge success.
One last thought. The two dishes that I made for this culinary challenge have analogues in the cuisine of a nearby country with an unfortunate history: Yemen. While the random country generator may choose my next challenges, I think I may make a stop to explore Yemeni cuisine very soon. Until next time ...
ENJOY!
