Shorba

An excavated Sumerian–Akkadian lexicon attests to the fact that soup was an important dish on the menu of ancient Mesopotamian diners. They knew the thinner form, such as broths, as well as thick and nourishing porridge soups. This Akkadian cuneiform tablet included over a hundred kinds of soup, which by definition were dishes prepared by cooking food in water. Some soups contained sheep’s tail fat or oil, honey, and meat broth. Others were made with a vegetable base (Limet). They even made fish soups (Gordon). Among the starchy ingredients used were chickpeas, lentils, barley, and emmer flour. Such soups have been popular ever since. The ‘aseeda of medieval times, for instance, was composed of flour, fat, and water, like these ancient soups. A variety with a thinner consistency was called hareera (silk-smooth), which nowadays is the specialty of North African countries. The two Baghdadi medieval cookbooks available to us include many recipes for making thick soups (porridge soups), which incorporate grains and pulses, such as wheat, rice, varieties of beans, mung beans, and lentils. They might escape the attention of soup-seekers because they are mostly called by the name of the main ingredient used, such as ‘adasiyya (cooked with lentils) or hintiyya (cooked with wheat). You will find some of these recipes in Chapter 9, under ‘Porridge Soups,’ which deals with grains and beans.