Abou Emne
As autumn draws to a close and the crisp leaves fall, mirroring the weariness of our bodies after the long months of war, resistance, and grief—while still maintaining our efforts in preparing mouneh—my mother and her sisters gather around the saj to bake our end-of-season celebration. By this time, we've completed the harvest and conserves, and it's time to bake Abou Emne (The Father of Emneh). This dish, from Akkar in North Lebanon, brings together the entire year's harvest in one crispy patty, infused with the labor of the long year, and dipped in our vibrant green fuel.
Abou Emne is more than just a meal; it's an ancestral autumn ritual. Stuffed not only with dried fruits and nuts but also with our powerful resistance against occupation, it's a celebration of the earth—cultivated, harvested, and baked by mothers alongside Mother Earth.
by Alya Hazim
Making Aboue Emne
Step One: Take the cleaned, boiled, and sun-dried whole wheat kernels to the village mill for bulgur. For this recipe, we want the softest bulgur possible
Step Two: Knead the soft bulgur with whole wheat flour, marjoram, dried herbs, salt, and water to form a sticky dough similar to kibbeh.
Step Three: Prepare the filling with ingredients gathered throughout the year. Caramelize onions (from June) in olive oil (from October), add walnuts (from July), cooked chickpeas (from summer), fresh pomegranates, pomegranate molasses (from autumn), and any dried fruits you preserved in summer.
Step Four: Shape the dough into a ball, gently pressing it with your fingers, and create a hole with your index finger.
Step Five: Use your thumb and index finger to widen the hole in a circular motion, keeping the edges even. When the hole is even, fill it with the year’s harvest, then seal the dough.
Step Six: With wet palms, press and bless the filled dough until it forms a complete circle, like the moon.
Step Seven: Grill the moon-shaped patty on a Saj (a traditional Levantine wooden oven used in the village).
Step Eight: Dip the patty in olive oil until it’s moist and crispy. Make enough patties to share with the entire village for ongoing life blessings.
Alya Hazim is a culinary consultant from Akkar, North Lebanon. For more information, you can follow her work at @wildlevantine and @akkarifruitinbeirut on Instagram.
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