Dear reader,
He appeared in my dreams about a month ago. The man in his 80s, with his pointy moustache and white coat, was making me a labneh sandwich, spreading the soft cheese with his big knife and seasoning it with cucumbers, tomatoes, and mint. It was a short, vivid dream, but I woke up with one singular craving: an Arisheh sandwich.
The dream lived in the back of my mind for about a month, until a subsequent chain of events that would lead me back to Massabki, the famous dairy shop in the Bekaa and classic pitstop for anyone on visit to the region. To be honest, I didn't even know arisheh existed until recently. It’s a Lebanese version of cottage cheese, crumbly and white, and unique in that you usually eat it with dollops of honey. When I first tried it, at a different place, my friend told me “it’s full of protein,” trying to sell it to me, and I think I stubbornly pretended I didn’t like it just because it wasn’t my first option.
But the dream pulled me back to my childhood memories of stopping at Massabki on our way to Syria through the Bekaa. It’s one of those classic roadside laiteries that sells you a sandwich knowing you’ll proceed to buy tubs of their locally made cheese to take home.
I had tried my best to ignore the lingering craving until I finally caved in. Yesterday, right after work, I got in my car and headed off to Massabki.
An hour later I arrived and was greeted by Elias, the moustached man from my dream. I ordered one labneh sandwich and one arisheh. The first bite of the arisheh was heavenly. All that month-long craving just dissolved into thin air. The amount of honey he put on it reminded me of the last sugar high I’d gotten from this same sandwich. Then, I hadn’t been able to finish it. But this time, it was perfect.
Moral of the story, make the long trips for the food you dream of. True, it might cost you a little bit more in gas now than it used to, but it’s still worth it to fulfil those cravings, the ultimate pleasures in life.
In case you’re looking for ways to spice up your run-of-the-mill labneh dishes, there are some interesting recipes you could experiment with. Check out Carla Rebeiz's green asparagus with labneh and zaatar, or her spaghetti with labneh, garlic, and dried mint. For something warmer, Joe Barza’s oven-roasted vegetables with labneh and tahini sauce is a must try.
Melissa Manouchakian
Distribution editor
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