One of the few things Egyptians living abroad often miss from back home is a fragrant, and viscous bowl of molokhia. Along with ful and koshary, the hearty dish is often considered a national dish – to be scooped with baladi bread or with a side of rice, salad and a kind of meat protein. Usually, many Alexandrians prefer to have molokhia with shrimp, while those in the Delta and Upper Egypt find poultry (duck, chicken) and rabbit to be a more worthy side to the beloved dish. Contrary to wide popular belief, jew’s mallow (officially: corchorus olitorius) is commonly eaten in different countries in Africa all the way to Asia, as the leaves are considered particularly good sources of vitamin C, A, potassium and iron. As for molokhia, variations of the dish are known to be eaten in Jordan, Tunisia, Palestine and Turkey. A not-so popular local variation of it is ‘molokhia nashfa’ which is prepared using dried molokhia leaves rather than green ones. It is often topped with chickpeas. More bitter than normal molokhia, it is also perceived by many as an acquired taste or for older generations….
A Mad Caliph: the Egyptian Ruler Who Hated (and Banned) Molokhia
February 14, 2020
