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In Lebanon and most Arab countries, Mother's Day is celebrated on 21st March.
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It also coincides with the spring equinox which is when Iranians celebrate Noruz, the beginning of a new year. A beautifully decorated table called a haftsin displays 7 objects beginning with the letter "s" in Farsi. Each one is selected for their symbolic presence.
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Apart from sumac, which represents sunshine, you'll find sprouted wheat/lentils, garlic, eggs (usually painted), apples, coins and senjed (Persian olive). We love the fact that one of our customers has added Zejd's sumac to her haftsin.
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wheat in akkar
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Formidable women making freekeh in Akkar, north Lebanon feature in this article on growing wheat in Lebanon. Written and photographed by Jenny Gustafsson, Wheat in Akkar gives a comprehensive history of the grain and its importance in Lebanon.
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Hasna Ali, pictured, is sorting through green wheat for freekeh.
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The process of smoking the wheat gives it a wonderful taste. We've added freekeh to the sumac soup recipe below.
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farmers in the south
For farmers in south Lebanon the situation is catastrophic. Over the last 5 months Israel has bombed this rich agricultural land. Olive oil is a major crop for farmers in this area. A fifth of the country's olive oil production comes from the south.
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The photo of fires caused by Israeli artillery fire near Ibl al Saqi and Kfar Hamam is by Mahmoud Zayyat for AFP.
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spring time soup
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The Iranian food blogger Azita Mehran (@turmericandsaffron) kindly allowed us to add her sumac and herb soup recipe to our website.
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The sumac and the herbs make this a really refreshing lemony soup. Instead of rice, we added freekeh to the lentils which gives it an interesting smokey flavour. If the herbs in your garden are beginning to grow, this is a great way of using the first cuttings.
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easy flatbread recipe
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For anyone shocked at the ingredients on the label of supermarket flatbreads, here's a simple recipe to make your own. Without yeast, it doesn't take that long and is immensely satisfying.
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A couple of tablespoons of Zejd's extra virgin olive oil adds flavour and health properties to the simple ingredients that go into bread. Enjoy the magic of making flatbreads in a frying pan, and have a go at making some labneh or muhammara too!
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Can we recommend that any Easter orders are made before 26th March?
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Our online shop will be closed from 6pm March 26th to April 8th.
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From any purchase you make online before 26th March or at our weekend markets, we will donate 10% to Najdeh so the team can buy snacks for the children in their care.
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We've added a click and collect option so that you can browse online and collect at either market.
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