Point of Origin Episode 21
Reviving Arak in Palestine
Image Credit: Quentin Lebeau
A look at the oldest spirit in the world and one Palestinian man’s journey to keep it alive.
Most people have heard of ouzo from Greece, pastis from France or Italian sambuca, but few know that they're all derived from the mother spirit, arak - the oldest spirit in the world. Nader Muaddi, a Philadelphia-born Palestinian, is working to change that while restoring arak to it's former glory. Join us as we launch season 3 of Point of Origin, in conversation with journalist Lyric Lewin as she travels to Muaddi's distillery and learn what makes this milky distillate unique.
Available on Apple Podcast, Spotify, & iHeartRadio
Highlights
( 03:10 ) The history of Arak with Lyric Lewin
( 05:35 ) Nader Muaddi on his familial connection to Arak
( 07:55 ) Nader Muaddi on beginning to make his own Arak
( 09:17 ) How Arak had become an “inferior” drink
( 12:08 ) The history of Arabic distilling
( 13:55 ) Separating politics and product
( 15:27 ) The future of Muaddi Distillery
( 17:07 ) The effect of the Israeli military on grape producers
( 20:59 ) Lyric Lewin on her experience traveling to Palestine and Arak Muaddi Distillery
( 23:32 ) How to drink Arak
The Production of Arak
Aniseed. Image Credit: Quentin Lebeau
Arak is traditionally composed of only two ingredients: Grapes and Aniseed.
Very simply, aniseeds are the seeds that are sprung from the anise plant. When the seeds are crushed, an oil is with a licorice taste is produced.
To transform aniseeds to arak, fermented and crushed hand-pressed Dabouki grapes are added with the crushed anise oil. At Arak Muaddi distillery, the resulting wine is then triple distilled in a direct fire, alembic pot still, where it is concentrated, purified and infused with indigenous aniseed. As custom dictates, it is then matured in clay amphorae for 12-months prior to bottling, at which point its strength is diluted to 53% alcohol with limestone-filtered Jordan Valley spring water.
From Arak Muaddi
Anise Plant. Image Credit: Quentin Lebeau
How to drink arak
Image Credit: Quentin Lebeau
When the water is added to Arak, the liquid turns milky white, giving it the nickname, Lion’s Milk.
The oil from Aniseed while soluble in water, is insoluble in alcohol. It’s the solidified anise crystals suspending in wine that gives it its’ milky appearance. This is known as the Louche Effect, the spontaneous emulsification of the essential oil of the Aniseed when it hits water.
Arak is usually consumed with one part alcohol, and two parts water. It is meant to be enjoyed slowly during dinner, not after or before, with small appetizers called Mezze, as the licorice-flavored liquor serves as palate cleanser.
“Arak is a drink usually eaten with mezze, it’s a whole way of life where you eat and drink slowly and enjoy life , mezze actually means, to savor slowly.”
-Reem Kassis
Vegan Kibbeh Niyeh
Recipe from Reem Kassis
Image Credit: Reem Kassis
Ingredients
Serves 4 - 6 as part of a spread
1 cup (about 6 oz/175 g) very fine bulgur wheat
1 medium tomato
1 medium onion
1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon paprika
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1 green or red chili, finely chopped (optional)
½ cup coarsely ground walnuts, lightly toasted
¼ cup olive oil
2 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
1 teaspoon dried ground mint or 1 tablespoon fresh finely chopped mint leaves, plus fresh leaves for garnish
Lettuce leaves, to serve (optional)
Instructions
Put the bulgur in a large bowl, cover with 1 cup very hot water, wait until fully absorbed then set aside or refrigerate until completely cooled.
To the bowl of a food processor add the tomato, onion, pomegranate molasses, tomato paste salt and spices and process until smooth. Add this mixture to the bulgur, mix well, then set aside for 5-10 minutes. Once the bulgur has absorbed much of the liquid from the mixture, knead well with your hands until it comes together in a paste-like consistency. Taste to see if the bulgur still has a strong bite, and if it does, add a tablespoon of water, mix well and set aside for another 5-10 minutes, then knead again. You want to feel the texture of the bulgur in your mouth, but you do not want the bite to feel hard or dry. You will probably have to knead the bulgur for a total of five to ten minutes.
Once you reach the desired consistency, add in the chopped chili, if using, and the walnuts, olive oil, parsley and mint and mix to combine.
To serve, spoon mixture into serving bowl or platter, drizzle with more olive oil if desired and garnish with fresh mint leaves. Alternatively, spoon portions of it into lettuce leaves, arrange on platter, and serve.
Meet the Guests
About Lyric Lewin
Lyric Lewin is a Food Culture Journalist based in Atlanta, Georgia. As a writer and photographer she focuses on stories around the world that use food as a platform to discuss equity. Her work has appeared in CNN, Condé Nast Traveler and Atlanta Magazine, among others. See more of her work on her website and Instagram.
About Nadar Muaddi
Image Credit: www.muaddi.com
Nadar Muaddi had a bicultural upbringing, being raised in Philadelphia, with Palestinian roots. At celebrations and gatherings, Arak was always the drink of choice to pair with traditional Palestinian food, but by 2007, the quality of the drink had gotten incredibly low. Nadar made it his mission to create his own brand, and restore the world-known quality of the drink. This resulted in the formation of Muaddi Craft Distillery, the Arak distillery company that Nadar currently owns and operates. It’s located near , where Nadar creates Arak out of his basement.
About Reem Kassis
Reem Kassis left Jerusalem for an education in the United States at the age of 17, and went on to get her MBA from Wharton and MSc in cultural psychology from LSE. Afterwards she pursued a career in the corporate world, and it wasn’t until her maternity leave that she began to dive back into her love of Palestinian food.
Over the last few years, she wove together her family recipes, historical anecdotes and cultural insights into her book: The Palestinian Table.
Find out more about Reem and her book on her website.
