Stories Celebrating Arab Cuisine In A Book

(MENAFN- Brazil-Arab News Agency (ANBA)) São Paulo – The book Brimos à mesa: histórias da culinária árabe no Brasil [Brimos at the Table: Histories of Arab Cuisine in Brazil] (Fósforo publishing house), by journalist Diogo Bercito, was launched on Wednesday evening (20) at the headquarters of the Arab-Brazilian Chamber of Commerce (ABCC) in São Paulo. The book signing event was accompanied by a cocktail served by the restaurant Arábia and a discussion with its owner, Leila Youssef, about cuisine and memories of immigration.

Brimos à mesa portrays the origins of recipes referred to as Arab in Brazil but that actually emerged in various regions of the Middle East. More than just recovering the history and original preparations of dishes such as kibbeh, sfiha, and tabbouleh, among many others, Bercito also examines the evolution of these recipes, how they were adopted and spread in Brazil, and how they contributed to preserving the memories of Arab immigrants.

The book launch was accompanied by a cocktail at the Arab-Brazilian Chamber headquarters in São Paulo

“The book emerges from this desire to weave together the history of Arab immigration and the Arab community through spices, dishes, recipes, and restaurants. One of the surprising things during the making of the book is confirming, realizing, that food has been a central element of the Arab community,” Bercito told ANBA. He is also the author of Brimos: imigração sírio-libanesa no Brasil e seu caminho até a política [Brimos: Syrian and Lebanese Immigration in Brazil and Its Path to Politics].

In the book, the author, a journalist for Folha de S. Paulo, Middle East specialist, and PhD candidate in history at Georgetown University in the United States, recovers and documents iconic figures of Arab cuisine, whether individuals or restaurants that have become references in the field. One of the cases featured in the book is Arábia, a famous São Paulo establishment specializing in dishes such as falafel and raw kibbeh. Its owner, Leila Youssef, shared her family kitchen memories with the audience at the event.

She shared that when she was a child living in the countryside of São Paulo, her mother worked“magic” with the few ingredients available. She recalled that her father was a lover of fine dining and that he never sat down to eat without a few randomly chosen companions when the house was empty.“Eating is not something you do alone, and an Arab custom is to arrive for a meal without announcing that you're coming,” she said.

At the book signing night, the chef shared her testimony and memories around the table. In addition to her, other chefs, entrepreneurs, families, and stories in Bercito's narrative highlight the bonds of the Arab community in Brazil, passed down from generation to generation, years after the arrival of the first immigrants. The event was also attended by the Vice President of Marketing of the ABCC, Silvia Antibas, and the institution's Treasurer-Director, Mohamad Abdouni Neto.

Quick Facts

Brimos à mesa: histórias da culinária árabe no Brasil
Diogo Bercito
288 pages
Fósforo publisher
Prices: BRL 99.90 (e-book BRL 69,90)

Read more:
The paths of Arab cuisine in Brazil

Translated by Guilherme Miranda

Marcos Carrieri/ANBA

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