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Damascus – Taste of a City
They say that when a man has lived seven years in Damascus, Damascus lives in him. Rafik Schami lived in Damascus for twenty-five years so his very soul yearns for the city. He was offered the chance to write a book about a culinary walk through the streets he knew so well, but how was he going to manage that when he couldn’t return to Damascus?
Rafik’s sister Marie Fadel came to the rescue with an audacious plan to collect all the information via the telephone. She would interview family and friends, collect the recipes and test them before passing them to her brother. Rafik would do the translating and turn all those notes into a book.
This is a true step by step guide to Damascus but through the eyes of an insider. We meet neighbours, friends and family. There is a favourite chicken recipe from an aunt, a lentil soup recipe from the family around the corner, and so the tour continues, each encounter punctuated by delicious food and generous hospitality.
One has the impression that we are eavesdropping on this conversation but it’s fascinating. Maria reminds Rafik of school friends, of cakes eaten, of kibbeh cooked on Sundays and of times spent together. She describes her route in meticulous detail and points out, more for our benefit than her brother’s, historic buildings and places of interest. We can follow on the map and imagine ourselves walking beside Maria as she chats on the phone.
Each alley has a story of tragedy, of courage and of fortitude. We meet people that have had to endure so much but manage to live life with grace and good humour. The recipes, however tasty, seem to fade in importance when compared to the human element of this very personal travelogue.
We are at the end of our walk. Maria returns home but she decides to ring exiled Rafik one more time. She falls silent and holds the phone to the city. It’s the background noise that we all take for granted but it’s the noise of home, of memories, of family. If you keep a dry eye through those last pages you are made of stronger stuff than I.
Damascus – Taste of a City
Authors: Marie Fadel and Rafik Schami
Published by: Haus Publishing
Price: £12.99
ISBN 1-904950-3-2
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