Qarymutah or qrymutah (in Arabic, القريموطة or القريميطة) is a little-known popular dish from rural areas of central Syria, totally vegetarian, consisting of a mixture of

bulgur Bulgur (from tr, bulgur, itself from fa, بلغور, bolġur (bolghur)/balġur (balghur), groats ), also riffoth (from biblical he, ריפות, riffoth) and burghul (from ar, برغل, burġul ), is a cracked wheat dish found ...

with vegetables and seasonings wrapped in

grape leaf Grape leaves, the leaves of the grapevine plant, are used in the cuisines of a number of cultures. They may be obtained fresh, or preserved in jars or cans. The leaves are commonly rolled or stuffed with mixtures of meat and rice to produce ...

. Some people in

Salamiyah A full view of Shmemis (spring 1995) Salamieh ( ar, سلمية ') is a city and district in western Syria, in the Hama Governorate. It is located southeast of Hama, northeast of Homs. The city is nicknamed the "mother of Cairo" because it was t ...

, where this dish originates from, say that its name comes from the time when the

Qarmatians The Qarmatians ( ar, قرامطة, Qarāmiṭa; ) were a militant Isma'ilism, Isma'ili Shia Islam, Shia movement centred in Al-Ahsa Oasis, al-Hasa in Eastern Arabia, where they established a Utopia#Religious utopias, religious-utopian Socialis ...

ruled. It was formerly known as " poor man's food" (أكلة الفقراء). Depending on the place, it may also be known as ''farifa'' (الفَريفيرة), ''muqrita'' (المقَيريطة) or ''mniqiah'' (المنيقريعة).

Preparation

Finely chop onion, cucumber, tomato and parsley. Sauté the onion and when it is golden brown, add the washed bulgur and water. It is covered until the grain is cooked, then it is removed from the heat and mixed with lemon juice, Arabian

mint MiNT is Now TOS (MiNT) is a free software alternative operating system kernel for the Atari ST system and its successors. It is a multi-tasking alternative to TOS and MagiC. Together with the free system components fVDI device drivers, XaA ...

(''na3na'') and

sumac Sumac ( or ), also spelled sumach, is any of about 35 species of flowering plants in the genus ''Rhus'' and related genera in the cashew family (Anacardiaceae). Sumacs grow in subtropical and temperate regions throughout the world, including Eas ...

. Once the qarymutah is ready, take a little of the mixture with the spoon and fill the grape leaves into small "sachets". If grape leaves are not available, lettuce leaves or red cabbage can be used.

References

Syrian cuisine Vegetarian cuisine Vegetable dishes Salamiyah District {{syria-cuisine-stub