lebanon
Growing up , all I knew were the flavors and smells of Lebanon , emanating from my family kitchen . But I was never really aware of it . The fact that the fare originated in some faraway Levantine land and its materialization in my Armenian-Lebanese family ’ s home in the U . S . didn ’ t always reconcile . When I moved to Beirut , the two truths instantly collided .
Where there ’ s food in Beirut , there ' s a story . The city unfolds through the heady aroma of freshly cut kisbara ( coriander ), za ’ atar ( an earthy toasted spice mixture ) and unleavened flatbread known as markouk . The turbulent history of the city and its distinctive neighborhoods is best explored through its diverse , delicious cuisine .
All the walks I take in Beirut lead me to its Armenian enclave , Bourj Hammoud . The neighborhood is an integral cornerstone of the city ’ s culinary world . A tightly woven , salt-of-the-earth patchwork of densely populated streets , Shi ’ ite mosques , fragrant spices and butter-laden pastries , Bourj Hammoud is not for the faint of heart .
When I cross the river into its colorful environs from Beirut proper , I feel like I ’ ve crossed state lines , or tumbled into another era , or country . In a way , I have . In the first two decades of the 20th century , after the collapse of the Ottoman Empire and in the wake of a genocide that claimed nearly two million lives , Armenians began to scatter across the world , and Bourj images : getty ; alamy
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