Arak: the only drink that goes really well with Lebanese food
5Every time I go to a Lebanese restaurant, I see people around me enjoying different drinks with the food; mostly beer, whisky, wine and arak.
While people can drink whatever pleases them with their food :), there is one drink that really goes well with Lebanese food and it’s Arak.
Let me explain; Lebanese food is generally very acidic, especially the mezze. Anytime you’re in a Lebanese restaurant, you will be ordering a lot of salads like tabbouleh, fattoush, rocca, artichoke in lemon and oil, hindbeh, etc., as well as hummus, moutabbal, batata harra, chicken liver, birds and sausages in debs el remmen and so on. The way we eat mezze is not to enjoy just one dish out of all of those, but to eat small portions from every dish, so imagine the level of acidity that your palate and taste buds are getting.
To keep enjoying this type of food over a whole lunch or dinner, your taste buds and palate need to be refreshed or else they’ll become numb. So whatever drink you’re sipping on between your mouthfuls needs to tone down the acidity of the food, and that’s exactly what Arak does. It’s actually what only Arak can do. With its hints of sweetness and earthy texture, it will sober your palate and ease your taste buds before you take in more tangy flavors from the food. This way, your mezze mouthfuls will be better enjoyed because your taste buds are ready to take in more acidity :).
Voila! Next time you’re in a restaurant, try to feel Arak’s effect on your taste buds and how each mouthful will taste better after every sip. Cheers!
August 30, 2017 @ 12:43 pm
Here is my menu for when it comes to drinking Arak.
Taboule with Hot chili Oil and Grape verjuice.
Labneh with olive oil.
Baked or BBQ Potatoes.
Green Crump or الكرنب
And
Slow cooking tomato with Arak, pepper, and salt.
Ever tried the below before?
https://ibb.co/i0EuXQ (hope this works)
August 30, 2017 @ 9:29 pm
I’ve tried tabbouleh with grape verjuice but not with hot chili oil. My taste buds are very sensitive to hot and spicy food, so what is mild for others can be extremely hot for me, which is why I try to be careful in this regard.
Labneh with olive oil: check.
Baked or BBQ potatoes: check.
Green crump: never tried it specifically with Arak but love it generally especially with salt.
So I get to the slow cooking tomato with Arak, pepper and salt: what is that? I’ve never seen it before! I know tomatoes with salt, pepper and olive oil, but I’ve never heard of ones slow cooking with Arak… So I just make a hole in the tomato, add Arak, salt and pepper and light the Arak? I need more details please 🙂
August 31, 2017 @ 7:53 am
Exactly, light up the arak and keep on doing that until the tomato is cooked (as you like). Slice it up, add more salt, garlic , or as i like with Sumac.
At some point the Arak will no longer burn because the tomato juice will turn of the firel. Just empty the tomato, add arak and light it up.
August 31, 2017 @ 1:53 pm
OK! I am having a barbecue with some friends over the coming week, so it will be perfect time to try it since we will be drinking Arak and all :). I’ll let you know my feedback!
August 31, 2017 @ 2:27 pm
I am not even invited 😛
Have fun, if you want good arak as well and not the commercial ones let me know.
I am still waiting for your feedback on the white wine from aurora blanc cabenet sauvignon.