Saudis flock to Jeddah souk for balila dish
Matouk Al Sharif of Saudi Arabia has become one of the most familiar vendors in the old souk of the Red Sea port of Jeddah. For he has been selling the famous traditional dish balila for nearly 25 years.
“I started selling balila at Al Gazzaz Plaza, then we moved to Al Jafali Plaza and finally the municipality chose Qabel Street for the balila stands to be set up, as it is located near the markets of the Historical Area,” he said.
Al Sharif is one of hundreds of vendors who pack the bazaar of Old Jeddah during the holy month of Ramadan to take advantage of rush by Saudis, Yemenis and other Arabs who are quite familiar with balila, which consists mainly of chickpeas and was a dominant scene in the famous Syrian TV series Bab El Hara (the neighbourhood gate), now on through Ramadan.
Quoted by Saudi Gazette newspaper, Al Sharif complained about some of the others who sell balila, but are relatively new to the business.
He said that they do not know how to make the dish properly, and that they use low quality chickpeas and other ingredients.
“Balila has been prepared by families living in the Historical Area of Al Balad in Old Jeddah for many, many years. We consider it a part of our heritage. Therefore, even if I do not make a good profit selling it this year, I will continue the tradition next Ramadan,” he said.
Al Sharif started the business as a child when his parents taught him how to make the traditional Hijazi dish from an old family recipe.
“Balila is an important part of our Hijazi traditions. No one can imagine Qabel Street in the Historical Area of Al Balad without balila stands in Ramadan… Jeddah residents shopping in the old markets of the Historical Area in Ramadan cannot leave Al Balad without eating at least a small dish of balila.”
Balila, also a popular dish in Syria, consists mainly of boiled chickpeas covered with a variety of spices and sauces. Once you reach Qabel Street in Ramadan, you will hear balila sellers singing the old songs of their profession.
“Oh, balila! They boiled you and at Qabel Street, they have crunched you. Oh, balila! They have decorated you with lemon and hot sauce and seven maids have served you,” Al Sharif was singing as he struggled to meet the requests of scores of buyers surrounding his tiny shop.
Saudi Gazette said most of the men selling balila wear Hijazi clothes – white thobe, turban and vest – as a mark of their deep-rooted customs and traditions.
Although Al Sharif says that his balila recipe is a closely-guarded family secret, he agreed to reveal part of that secret.
“You must buy the best quality chickpeas, and you should soak them in room temperature water for eight hours… but you have to change the water frequently. Then rinse them several times and cook them in fresh water. After that, they will be ready to be sold,” he explained.
He said some customers order boiled potatoes with their balila along with different kinds of spices, vinegar and “torshi”, a mixture of cucumbers with sumac, salt and lemon juice.
A small plate of balila costs SR5, while a large one sells for SR8 plus SR3 if the customer asks for boiled potatoes with his balila.
Al Sharif rents his balila stand for SR500 for the month of Ramadan, and he takes in between SR200 and SR300 a day.
“I would like to sell balila every day of the year as it is part of our Hijazi heritage. In fact, it could be a good source of fixed income for the widows and orphans of Al-Balad district,” he said.
He said demand for balila had recently sharply risen, especially from young people and tourists who visit the Historical Area in the holy month of Ramadan.
“The other day a Japanese tourist insisted on putting on a turban and selling balila with me. Then he took many photos of me and my balila stand. He refused to leave till I sang the old balila songs for him. It was really something that I will never forget,” Al Sharif said.