Meghli, moghli, meghleh, (), or karawiyah, is a
Levantine dessert based on a floured
rice pudding and spiced with
anise,
caraway, and
cinnamon
Cinnamon is a spice obtained from the inner bark of several tree species from the genus ''Cinnamomum''. Cinnamon is used mainly as an aromatic condiment and flavouring additive in a wide variety of cuisines, sweet and savoury dishes, biscuits, b ...
. The dish is often garnished with dried coconut flakes and various nuts including almonds, walnuts, pine nuts, and pistachios. Meghli is commonly served to celebrate the birth of a
child
A child () is a human being between the stages of childbirth, birth and puberty, or between the Development of the human body, developmental period of infancy and puberty. The term may also refer to an unborn human being. In English-speaking ...
. It is also a popular Christmas dessert in Lebanon as a celebration of the birth of Jesus.
Name
The name 'meghli' means “boiled” in
Arabic
Arabic (, , or , ) is a Central Semitic languages, Central Semitic language of the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family spoken primarily in the Arab world. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) assigns lang ...
, referring to the long time (up to an hour) it must be continuously stirred while boiling.
[Anissa Helou, Lebanese Cuisine: More Than 250 Authentic Recipes From The Most Elegant Middle Eastern Cuisine, St. Martin's Griffin (June 15, 1998), pg 241]
Celebrations
The dish was traditionally served to celebrate the birth of a male heir, but has now become a dessert to celebrate any newborn.
The caraway is thought to assist the new mother in lactating
Meghli is a popular Christmas dessert in Lebanon and among Christians communities throughout the
Levant
The Levant ( ) is the subregion that borders the Eastern Mediterranean, Eastern Mediterranean sea to the west, and forms the core of West Asia and the political term, Middle East, ''Middle East''. In its narrowest sense, which is in use toda ...
.
[Mouzawak, Kamal. ''Lebanese Home Cooking'', Quary Books, page 154] Meghli is also symbolic of
fertile soil, which is brown like the Meghli.
In
Lebanon
Lebanon, officially the Republic of Lebanon, is a country in the Levant region of West Asia. Situated at the crossroads of the Mediterranean Basin and the Arabian Peninsula, it is bordered by Syria to the north and east, Israel to the south ...
and
Palestine
Palestine, officially the State of Palestine, is a country in West Asia. Recognized by International recognition of Palestine, 147 of the UN's 193 member states, it encompasses the Israeli-occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and th ...
, it is often served cold. In
Syria
Syria, officially the Syrian Arab Republic, is a country in West Asia located in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Levant. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to Syria–Turkey border, the north, Iraq to Iraq–Syria border, t ...
and
Jordan
Jordan, officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, is a country in the Southern Levant region of West Asia. Jordan is bordered by Syria to the north, Iraq to the east, Saudi Arabia to the south, and Israel and the occupied Palestinian ter ...
, it is commonly called ''karawiya'' (the Arabic name for caraway) and more commonly served warm.
See also
*
Ashure
References
{{Rice pudding
Arab desserts
Levantine cuisine
Rice pudding