Mysterious ingredient in the Lebanese pastry kitchen
April 21, 2012 • Category: Main Dish
Anybody care to guess what this is? And what it is used for?
Comments
31 Comments • Comments Feed
Easy Middle Eastern Recipes
Dana says:
Is it chicory root?
On April 21, 2012 at 12:02 pm
ado says:
this HALAWA ROOTS&it is used to make the HALAWA CANDIE .
On April 21, 2012 at 12:22 pm
Mary S. says:
Licorice root?
On April 21, 2012 at 12:25 pm
Belinda @zomppa says:
Looks like something my dad would have. Definitely a root or bark of some sort. To make tea?
On April 21, 2012 at 12:33 pm
Diane Conti says:
Mahleb
On April 21, 2012 at 12:38 pm
Betty says:
Looks like bois de panama for Nattiffe Cream
On April 21, 2012 at 12:42 pm
Sarah says:
Not sure at all. Looks a bit like Glycyrrhiza glabra, licorice root although the kind at the souk are pencil size.
On April 21, 2012 at 1:01 pm
Velva says:
It is a flavorful root of sorts….obviously, it adds wonderful flavor.
Velva
On April 21, 2012 at 2:34 pm
Verkin says:
Licorice root, final answer :))
On April 21, 2012 at 4:12 pm
Arlette says:
shilsh Al Halawa…
good for you Joumana
On April 21, 2012 at 6:42 pm
Theresa says:
I think it’s called “soap root”, used to season Halawa. Mahleb comes from the St Lucia Cherry.
On April 21, 2012 at 7:06 pm
Halim says:
It looks like the bark to a grapevine. Yes?
On April 22, 2012 at 5:19 am
deana says:
Not a clue but would love to know!!!
On April 22, 2012 at 6:45 am
Silvia says:
I think it’s Shirsh halawa root used to make Natif thatyou eat with karabish
On April 22, 2012 at 6:58 am
Silvia says:
Now that you are in Lebanon can you try to find for me the recipe of chocolat mou? it seems that they know it only in Lebanon. I dream a chocolat mou from 1969 . Thank you for your beautiful recipes and the sweet “souvenirs” that emerge in my mind when i read you.
On April 22, 2012 at 7:06 am
Joumana says:
@Silvia: I remember chocolat mou too; in my recollection, it was like a sundae topped with chocolate sauce and a wafer cookie (like a crêpe dentelle from Brittany); tell me how you remember it, if my recollection does not coincide, I am sure I can get more info from my elederly aunties!
On April 22, 2012 at 11:19 am
Anonymous says:
Chocolat Mou is basically few scoops of chocolate ice-cream, topped with whipped cream and chocolate syrup. Some places substitute chocolate milkshake for the chocolate ice-cream.
On April 22, 2012 at 6:14 pm
Jeannie says:
Mmm…I am curious, looking forward to the answer and see what you can use it for:)
On April 22, 2012 at 6:52 pm
Georgia says:
Is this mistick
On April 22, 2012 at 7:20 pm
Jomana says:
I believe that this is soap root bark and is used in making Natif for Karabij Halab
On April 23, 2012 at 2:08 am
bergamot says:
Never seen it before so curious to know what it is 🙂
On April 23, 2012 at 3:22 am
Hagar the Horrible says:
Overly dried horseradish???
On April 23, 2012 at 5:23 am
ahmad chatila says:
they are used to make carabeej
On June 13, 2012 at 8:10 am
george says:
i think it is SHELSH AL ZALOU3 🙂
On July 24, 2012 at 9:34 am
r says:
It’s Soaproot used to make Natef.
On August 28, 2012 at 11:56 pm
berdougo says:
there is many name of that ;Shirsh el-Halaweh, racine de saponaire(in french),soapwort or soaproot used to do nateff and turkish halva
On July 15, 2013 at 5:01 am
Sam says:
It is shirsh-elhalaweh, but how do you use it? any recipes for it?
On October 21, 2016 at 5:10 pm
Joumana Accad says:
@Sam: I have a recipe in the blog for natef, which is the original whipping cream dating back 10 centuries! it has no cream whatsoever, just the broth from the shirsh and also some syrup and flavoring
On October 24, 2016 at 3:08 pm
Eugenie says:
Where to buy it? Can I find it in California?
On February 25, 2019 at 6:48 am
Joumana Accad says:
@Eugenie: not sure, I would check online first.
On July 2, 2019 at 4:18 pm
Antoine says:
Hi, where do you buy halawa roots in Australia. Who usually sells it
On April 18, 2020 at 6:29 am