Meatballs with sour cherries from Aleppo

Although the cuisines of different Levantine countries share many similarities, there are some important distinctions as well. For example, whereas Lebanese food is more citrusy, bright and Mediterranean, Syrian food — especially that of Aleppo — is known for its use of agrodolce (‘sweet– sour’), particularly in savoury dishes. In this, Aleppo cuisine reminds us a lot of Iranian cuisine.

I am particularly fond of a thirteenth-century Syrian cookbook, translated into English a