Syria is a delicious country, so it’s no wonder that eating is the Syrian national pastime. Restaurants usually open at noon and stay open until 1 or 2 in the morning, peaking at around 11pm. All day your taste buds face a barrage of sweet tea mixed with apple or melon nargile smoke, honey-drizzled sweets, freshly-baked, cheese-filled pastries, cardamom-spiced coffee, freshly-pressed juices, spicy street foods, varieties of fine dips, and slow-cooked lamb.

Syrians get an especially dreamy look in their eyes when they speak of Aleppan food. As the name implies it comes from Syria’s second largest city, Aleppo. Among other techniques, Aleppans take the myriad of Syrian kebab types and cover them with lightly spiced sauces of pomegranate, dark cherry and more. There’s a certain finesse to all the Aleppan dishes, too. Eating Aleppan baba ganoush for the first time, for example, is a bit like having your first French knife-cut steak tatare after only having known American ground beef.

While variety of food isn’t a Syrian strong point, I imagine most Syrians would wonder why you would ever want to eat anything else? Spend a night eating at Damascus’ rather upscale restaurant Naranj or Aleppo’s wonderful Bait Sissi and you just might agree.

Syria is self-sufficient in food, meaning that it produces enough food domestically to feed its populace with little or no imports. Except for the occasional meddling of the Evil Empire of Nestle, ingredients are almost always fresh and local. Orange, pomegranates, dates, cherries, blackberries, strawberries, olives, honey, an incredible variety of spices, strangely appetizing salty and sweet goat cheeses… and lots of lamb. Amazing.

Equally delicious is the voice of Lena Chamamyan. This young Armenian-Syrian Damascene singer has been recently released her second album, Shamat.

Chamamyan blends traditional Syrian and Armenian music with oriental jazz. She works with a variety of talented musicians who back-up her beautiful voice.. one that has been rightly compared to Souad Massi.

Once again this album comes to us thanks to the efforts of Incognito/Majal. It’s great to see local labels like this do such a good job promoting local musicians. Quality production, great musical picks. Thanks.

Lena Chamamyan - Seher