Some people say you are what you eat- others might add, what you eat is what brings you joy and helps fog unpleasant realities. This is the case to a certain extent, according to Abdul Hussain Shakarchi, a baker from Baghdad who started learning the art of preparing Iraqi treats when he was seven years of age. Today, the sixty-two year old is a master when making regional specialties like baklava and halva.
In a fascinating story published on the BBC’s website, Shakarchi tells of how the ongoing troubles in his country have led to a sharp increase in his factory’s sales. He says, “We have more customers than we did four years ago. We used to sell between 20-25 trays of baklava a day - now it's more than 50 a day. People can't go out in the evening anymore, so they tend to stay at home and eat sweet things. That's one way they can still enjoy themselves - through what they eat.”
It seems that customer loyalty extends beyond his city borders- he gets customers from as far away as Lebanon, Syria and Jordan looking for a tray of sweetness to cut the bitterness of conflict and strife. It seems even the price hike that Shakarchi has had to implement to offset the higher fuel prices needed to bake his goods hasn’t stemmed the flow of customers; this despite the fact that his factory has been feeling the gas price pinch since 2003.
What’s particularly effective is that this story is told in the first person- a close up peek into the life of one man who admits he won’t even go out after dark in Baghdad (and won’t let any of his family members venture out either after dusk) due to the fighting. In many ways, Shakarchi’s story reminded me of the docu-theatre piece I saw last year, The Arab-Israeli Cookbook- with numerous people sharing their experiences of turbulence, loss and strife in a tumultuous region. All however were connected by the universal act of preparing food in customary tradition and enjoying it with family and friends, despite having to live under extraordinarily difficult situations.
It’s amazing what we often take for granted in other parts of the world where war isn’t a daily reality, and how for some, a piece of baklava or Turkish Delight is enough to make an endless progression of house-bound nights seem shorter, more tolerable and at the very least, a bit more palatable.
