Sfiha or sfeeha ( ar, صفيحة, ṣafīḥa) is a dish consisting of

flatbread A flatbread is a bread made with flour; water, milk, yogurt, or other liquid; and salt, and then thoroughly rolled into flattened dough. Many flatbreads are unleavened, although some are leavened, such as pizza and pita bread. Flatbreads r ...

cooked with a minced meat topping, often lamb flavored with onion, tomato, pine nuts, and spices. It is traditionally found in the countries of the

Levant The Levant () is an approximation, approximate historical geography, historical geographical term referring to a large area in the Eastern Mediterranean region of Western Asia. In its narrowest sense, which is in use today in archaeology an ...

, and is closely related to manakish and

lahmacun Lahmacun ( pronounced ''lahmajoun'') or Lahmajo ( hy, Լահմաջո) is a flatbread topped with minced meat (most commonly beef or lamb), minced vegetables, and herbs including onions, garlic, tomatoes, red peppers, and parsley, flavored with ...

. Sfiha has become popular in Brazil and Argentina, where it is known as esfiha or esfirra in Brazil or as sfija in Argentina, after being introduced by immigrants from Syria and Lebanon.

History

Flatbreads have been present in the

Fertile Crescent The Fertile Crescent ( ar, الهلال الخصيب) is a crescent-shaped region in the Middle East, spanning modern-day Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, State of Palestine, Palestine and Jordan, together with the northern region of Kuwait, sou ...

since prehistoric times. They have been cooked on hot surfaces such as stones, a metal sajj plate, taboon, or

tandoor A tandoor ( or ) is a large urn-shaped oven, usually made of clay, originating from the Indian Subcontinent. Since antiquity, tandoors have been used to bake unleavened flatbreads, such as roti and naan, as well as to roast meat. The tandoor ...

. In the medieval Arab world, with the development of the brick oven or ''furn'', a wide variety of flatbreads baked together with stuffings or toppings emerged, including sfiha, and spread across the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...

. In Brazil, esfiha gained popularity in the late 20th century, and since has become one of the most popular fast foods.

Main ingredients

Every family has their own preference on what to add in addition to the meat. In

Lebanon Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to Lebanon–Syria border, the north and east and Israel to Blue ...

, the main ingredients are: meat, onions, tomatoes, pine nuts, salt, pepper, and flavorings such as cinnamon,

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 Ea ...

, or pomegranate molasses. The region of

Baalbek Baalbek (; ar, بَعْلَبَكّ, Baʿlabakk, Syriac-Aramaic: ܒܥܠܒܟ) is a city located east of the Litani River in Lebanon's Beqaa Valley, about northeast of Beirut. It is the capital of Baalbek-Hermel Governorate. In Greek and Roman ...

is especially known for its sfiha. In Syria, Palestine, and Jordan, sfiha is similarly made with minced meat or lamb, in addition to herbs and spices, with tomatoes, onions, and other ingredients. Esfihas in Brazil are oven baked and may be open-faced flatbreads about 4 inches in diameter with meat topping, or folded into a triangular pastry like fatayer. They may have various toppings, including cheese, curd, lamb, beef or vegetables.

References

* Arab cuisine Brazilian cuisine Iraqi cuisine Jordanian cuisine Lebanese cuisine Palestinian cuisine Syrian cuisine Lamb dishes Israeli cuisine Flatbreads {{Brazil-cuisine-stub

History

Main ingredients

See also

References