Spices, goats, and dates

Spices, goats, and dates Seeb, Oman

Seeb, Oman

Two Short Entries:

There are spices and then there is the ART of spices

I have been eating in restaurants from all over the Middle East, Asia and Africa since I arrived in Oman. If I were to say which I liked the best it would be difficult to pick. They all use similar spices with a twist here and there and lots of legumes and vegetables. My greatest fortune is that I have also been able to eat many Omani foods prepared in traditional fashion by visiting Omanis’ homes. I have written about my friend Aida and our visits to her home. Aida’s mother, Hamida, her grandmother, and a house aide prepare all the meals for 6 adults and many visitors who are in and out all the time.

After eating numerous delicious meals and being very curious, Shira and I kept asking what spices were being used. We learned that Hamid blends her own spices, that it takes about 11 hours to prepare the powdered mixture that is used as a rub and a marinade for meats, chicken and fish, and she makes enough to last about a year. Thanks to our curiosity, we were invited to their home to be a part of a learning experience on how to make the rub and marinade.

The date was set for our lesson in “Spices the Omani way”. Before we arrived, Hamida went shopping for all the ingredients. She purchased most everything in bulk and as fresh as possible. The grocery list consisted of the following: cumin seed, cinnamon bark, coriander
seed, green cardamom pods, black peppercorns, whole cloves, salt, fresh garlic, chili pepper flakes, ground ginger, ground turmeric, dates and cider vinegar. Shira figured there was around
35 to 40 pounds of ingredients.

Three days before we arrived, Hamida took 8 lbs. of whole dates, pitted them and placed them inside a 3 gallon container. She added whole cloves, raw garlic, water and salt, then tightened the lid and let it sit. This process is to soften the dates and start a fermentation.

Another process done before we arrived was to go through all the cumin seeds and take out the sticks, stones and dirt. Large, flat baskets that Hamida had brought from Tanzania years ago were used to hold the spices. Hamida was very proud of them.

When we arrived, we could already smell something from the kitchen, and Hamida was hovering over the stove using a large aluminum pot to toast whole coriander seeds. We were told to roast them until they have a specific color and fragrance to them, and are totally toasted. Each spice is roasted individually, then placed in the large baskets to cool. Hamida also feels that the pan roasting aides in killing any latent bacteria. After the spice has cooled down, the blenders were brought out and the blending began. This takes a long time due to the fact there are so many ingredients in such quantity to process. While the blending is being done, Aida grinds the cinnamon bark using a mortar and pestle, before eventually putting it through the grinder. Now I have to say that this is when the aroma begins to get really strong in the kitchen! I had been sneezing for some time, but when the blender started in, my nose was running and eyes filling up with tears. I stayed in the kitchen a little while longer, but finally had to leave the room because I was coughing so much, and basically having a hard time breathing. The aroma was intense, and the pepper flakes just did me in.

After a short break playing with an adorable little boy in an air-conditioned room, I composed myself and went back in the kitchen. Everyone else was holding up, but I did notice runny eyes and noses. Thankfully, the blending was almost complete.

The powder was then sifted and put together creating a beautiful color. Still, Hamida added more turmeric, adding that the color wasn’t quite right. When all the dry powder was mixed to the right color, I was given ball jars to fill up.

Now the dates had to be dealt with. The dates were pressed through a sieve into a large pot making a pulp. This step takes arm strength, and a long while to complete.

It’s now time for the marinade to be put together. The remaining powdered spices were put into a large 30-gallon container. The dates and garlic were blended using a different blender for wet foods, then put into the container along with the salt and vinegar. Out came this large wooden paddle, also from Tanzania, and the stirring began. We all took turns. First Hamida, giving us instructions, then Adia, Shira, and myself. It was really tough stirring and hard to get down to the bottom of the container. But Hamida added more water, and we finally got to the bottom. Omar arrived and he finished the stirring, making sure it was all mixed together well. Job complete. So I came home with dry spices and a marinade and will be cooking for you all who live near by.

Hamida was pleased because with all our help we had time to spare, and it wasn’t evening yet.
With the extra time we had, out came a board game they all love to play called, Sequence. I’m terrible at board games, but I did sort of catch on. As we were playing, treats of all kinds came out from Bruit, along with tea with ginger and chocolate cake. Shira is the queen of chocolate cake-making.

I have to mention Omar, Aida’s brother. He loves fashion and designs all his own kumas (Caps). He brought me into his bedroom and opened his closet to show me the collection. I could have spent much more time admiring each one. He is a very talented man. He is an inventor and has won awards for some of his work. After seeing these kumas, I was inspired to design a couple for Andrew and Ryan, and began working on a surfing wave design. Sadly, I then found out the person who makes the kumas is so busy he wouldn’t have time to make them before I leave. So next best thing is that Omar is going to take me over to his home where they are made and pick out a couple of his original designs. I am totally enthralled with these caps. I even bought one for me.

The day with Aida and Hamida will always be memorable. She has taken spices to a different level and I am so pleased I got to learn from the master. I do wish she and I could talk with one another. With her speaking Arabic and me English, there is a serious communication barrier. Aida helps with translation and she does understand a little English, but it leaves a lot to be desired.

And come to find out, the spices are now being packaged and will be for sale!

Badriya and her family farm

Badriya wanted us to meet her family and to visit the family farm. We never say no to such invitations. Aida and her mother joined us, and we were to meet up with Badriya at a petroleum station (what we call gas stations in the US) and follow her to the farm since there was no descriptive way to explain how to get there. Most properties here in Oman are defined by stone walls, marking property boundaries. And there were a number of turns within a maze of stone walls. We finally turned into the walls of the farm and found a place to park, realizing we were not the only people Badriya had invited. She had invited ex-pat’s that she works with along with their families.

We all followed Badriya through another entry defined by yet another wall, into a large courtyard, and then into the house. The entry way was covered with shoes….so off with the shoes (and me without slip-ons!). I was the last to enter, carrying my camera and my little gift for Badriya’s mother. Here in Oman, if you are invited to someone’s home, a gift is an important part of the protocol of meeting and greeting.

I knew this before we left the USA and wanted to bring something from home. I could not think of anything other than chocolates from Wilbur’s, but our friends we are traveling with had already bought chocolates from Bar Harbor. So I went to a wholesale floral dealer in Tampa and bought a case of small bud vases and shipped them to Oman. My thought was when we get an invite I’ll go to a floral shop and purchase flowers and design a small arrangement. That has worked well for me, and gives me many opportunities to visit flower shops and do a little designing.

When first walking into the house there is a large room with a Persian rug and many pillows on the floor. All the men were standing and introducing themselves to one another. Badriya’s father and brothers were greeting everyone and the ladies were shooed into the next room. I did offer my hand for a formal hand shake before hurrying along into the next room that was larger, with the traditional long Arabian couches around the parameter. All the ladies got to sit on the sofas. Yes, my body gets tired and sore sitting on the floors for hours on end.

Badriya’s mother had many stories to share with us. At 2 years old, her mother and father divorced and her grandmother took her far away from Muscat where she was brought up. She was glad for this because she was given all she needed and more. She had an excellent education and became a teacher. While she was growing up, she lived through a couple of wars and saw plenty of families living a hard life. She was aware of her fortunate circumstances with her grandparents and watched others not living as well. At 21, she met her mother for the first time since she was 2. She built on these experiences and became a teacher and an advocate for those less fortunate, living in a poor neighborhood and doing all she could to help others. In 2006, a person came into the school where she was teaching and started shooting teachers. She was one of those hit and almost died. She was unconscious for many days, and did not remember what had happened when she awoke. Afterward, she was told what had happened, but it took many days before her memory returned.

When she was telling the story with her accent, but in fairly good English it was dramatic and heartfelt. I was listening intensely. She has always been dedicated to teaching, and has now become an administrator. She taught the women who are the sewers at the Sadab Women’s Group where I volunteer. I was taken aback by her passion to teach and her appreciation for importance of education. She was a gracious hostess and was now ready to serve us all lunch. The men were served first.

To prepare for lunch, two plastic table cloths were carefully laid on the floor and out came the food… more and more food. Omani rice, smoked fish, hummus, cucumber & carrot slices. Sauces of all sorts, mashed rice, smoked goat and chicken. I really like the Omani rice but it does not agree with me (I found out later… it took days to get over that and now I know). I did like the smoked goat and fish. We were all visiting in our separate rooms, I could hear the men in the background chatting loudly. I turned around and looked around the corner into the other room and realized it was Stewart going on about something. He had captured their attention and they all seemed very interested. They had a lot to say about the politics in Oman, and about Trump. Stewart said they were right on with what they had said. Well-informed and not naive.
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After lunch was cleaned up (see photos of how easy they make it) we went outdoors into the court yard for a spread of desserts and Omani coffee and tea being served. It was very hot and I was thankful there was a canopy above to give us shade. The women kept to their own, but I didn’t catch on with that right away and had started talking with the men… I was politely asked to join the women. After dessert, it was time to walk around the farm and there was no way I was going to sit and visit with the ladies when I could see the farm! So I excused myself to take the tour.

There were a number of date palms at different stages of growth, but Badriya’s father explained that they had recently discovered that their water supply has been contaminated with salt, and they are struggling to fix the problem, which is basically impossible. Meanwhile, water is brought in for the goats and the household, but not for the trees. The water quality has gone downhill due to the number of new homes being built, and not enough water to go around. The system was over-used which caused the salt to appear. They are very discouraged.

They do have a small herd of goats, and we were shown how the goat, chicken and fish had been cooked. A pit had been dug into the ground and lined with stones. Wood is placed in the hole and then a metal plate. The goat is place in the pit and cooked for a long period of time with a lid covering the hole. It is their way of smoking meat, and the result was very tender and tasty. The cooking system seemed easy… nothing complicated. Just a hole in the ground.

We admired the trees and vegetables, and did get a lesson on how the date palms are pollinated. First, there needs to be a male plant involved with the process. If there is not a male tree there is not a stamen which is definitely needed. If this is the case there is a stamen auction in Nizwa. David and Shira happened upon it when they were visiting Nizwa one early morning. When the palm grower gets home with the stamen, it is tied into the middle of large dropping branches covered in flowers then the branches are pulled together and tied with string to hold the stamen together until the flowers have been pollinated. See photos. David is sharing some of his photos so you can see what that is all about.

Another tidbit, I had no idea that there are over a hundred different varieties of dates in Oman, or that they are harvested at different times of the year. My friend in Samile will be harvesting some of their dates in May. So I’m hoping to go and see the processes of harvesting before I leave.

It was an interesting day meeting many new people, hearing interesting stories, eating another Omani meal and me trying to digest the Omani rice.