In Montreal, sweets that ease the nostalgia for home. (Credit: Élie Wehbé/L'Orient-Le Jour)
In this icy city, geographically far from their roots yet home to a large Lebanese community, pastry shops are far more than display cases filled with sweets. They are places of memory, emotional landmarks for the nostalgic, where baklavas, maamouls, namouras and knefehs sustain an intimate bond with the homeland — its holidays, its Sundays, its family gatherings.Some of these establishments have, since the 1990s, preserved the gestures, the recipes and the delicate balance between sugar, texture and fragrance, like a breath carried from home.At al-Zehlewi, kneffeh is a bestseller. (Credit: Élie Wehbé/L'Orient-Le Jour) Al-Zehlewi, the historic referenceAt al-Zehlewi, Lebanese pastry continues an assumed artisanal tradition. This spot offers a wide range of traditional desserts: baklavas, maamouls, syrupy cakes and varied...
In this icy city, geographically far from their roots yet home to a large Lebanese community, pastry shops are far more than display cases filled with sweets. They are places of memory, emotional landmarks for the nostalgic, where baklavas, maamouls, namouras and knefehs sustain an intimate bond with the homeland — its holidays, its Sundays, its family gatherings.Some of these establishments...
