Shaʿifūra (شعيفورة) or jaʿifūra (جعيفورة) is a typical

Syrian Syrians ( ar, سُورِيُّون, ''Sūriyyīn'') are an Eastern Mediterranean ethnic group indigenous to the Levant. They share common Levantine Semitic roots. The cultural and linguistic heritage of the Syrian people is a blend of both indig ...

salad consisting of shanklīsh cheese with chopped tomato and onion and olive oil. Shanklīsh or ''sourkah'' is an intensely flavored ball-shape cheese that has been cured with

thyme Thyme () is the herb (dried aerial parts) of some members of the genus ''Thymus'' of aromatic perennial evergreen herbs in the mint family Lamiaceae. Thymes are relatives of the oregano genus ''Origanum'', with both plants being mostly indigenous ...

. Shaʿifūra salad has a popular origin, and in each home it is prepared in a different way. It may also include cucumber, green pepper, carrot, parsley or fresh mint, all finely chopped. It is served as a ''mezze'' for breakfast or dinner. In restaurants in Banyas, Tartous or

Latakia , coordinates = , elevation_footnotes = , elevation_m = 11 , elevation_ft = , postal_code_type = , postal_code = , area_code = Country code: 963 City code: 41 , geocode ...

and other villages of the coastal area of Syria, shaʿifūra is served to customers as an

appetiser An hors d'oeuvre ( ; french: hors-d'œuvre ), appetiser or starter is a small dish served before a meal in European cuisine. Some hors d'oeuvres are served cold, others hot. Hors d'oeuvres may be served at the dinner table as a part of the ...

. In the last century, people from the coast repopulated central Syria ( Homs,

Hama Hama ( ar, حَمَاة ', ; syr, ܚܡܬ, ħ(ə)mɑθ, lit=fortress; Biblical Hebrew: ''Ḥamāṯ'') is a city on the banks of the Orontes River in west-central Syria. It is located north of Damascus and north of Homs. It is the provinci ...

and Salamiya), bringing their taste for shanklīsh and shaʿifūra. It is also known as bāzarkān (بازركان), a name possibly of Turkish origin, and is sometimes called simply shanklish salad (سلطة شنكليش). It is the most common way to serve shanklīsh, as the sweet taste of the tomato contrasts with the cheese. Because of its strong flavor, shanklīsh is known as الروكفور الشامي ''al-rukafur al-shami'' ("Syrian

Roquefort Roquefort is a sheep milk cheese from Southern France, and is one of the world's best known blue cheeses. Though similar cheeses are produced elsewhere, EU law dictates that only those cheeses aged in the natural Combalou caves of Roquefort- ...

").

References

Salads Levantine cuisine Syrian cuisine Vegetarian cuisine {{Syria-cuisine-stub

See also

References