The Loaf Of Firmness Is The Bread And Butter Of Golanis

The Golani tale of bread is not like other tales, it is a story made of exceptional ingredients. An ecru flour grinned from wheat, like a waterfall of warm memories that ignites in the heart of every Golani, flushing a tape of nostalgia to that fertile earth that knows how to breastfeed her children land attachment with milk, from their tender age until their last breath.

“Saj” (baking tin) bread, also known as Markook (Arabic: مرقوق) is a type of flatbread common in the countries of the Levant. It is baked on a domed or convex metal griddle, known as “saj”. It is usually large, about 2 feet in diameter, and thin, almost translucent. Similar to the procedures for making some other flatbreads, the dough of markook is flattened and kept very thin before cooking, resulting in a very slender depth. It is commonly compared to pita bread, which is known in Mediterranean cuisine, and is among the most ancient kind of bread.

Whereas, water that enters in the composition of Golani bread, is made from every Golani mother tears, seeing off her departing son, to receive education in Syrian universities where he will receive extra lessons in land attachment and unremitting readiness to offer the most precious in defense of this land freedom and dignity. When those dear tears reach the dough, the loaf will  come to be more delicious and full of flavor. The yeast leavening bread dough, rise as well the deep ties that root Golanis to the pure soil of their land. Which is translated in hard work to restore freedom that Zionists had assaulted.

For these reasons, Saj bread enjoys significant position in Golani villages, but also in the minds and hearts of all Syrians, who will not lose their confidence in the inevitability of Golan return to Syria. Golanis do not live by bread alone, as they break bread with the loaf of persistence to get rid of the Zionist occupier, a bread mingled with a delightful taste of determination when renewing refusal to carry Israeli identity, and insisting on the use of Arabic in order to not allow Zionists to turn them in part of Israeli community.

Saj bread make a great match with the dough of firmness to Golan return. Then extra virgin Golani olive oil is added to this twofold bread, to get the perfect composition, in harmony with all ingredient strings to play the land anthem. Here, the Golani olive seed blossom to become a blessed tree, which oil will shine freedom path heralding the dawn birth, independence dawn.

Noticeably, hardly any village or farm in Quneitra province, is devoid of traditional baking tools including Saj (baking tin), “al-Kara” (a thick round cloth to thinly knead the dough), in addition to ancient mud rooms specially furnished for handmade bread.

Golani Bread is a pristine bread kneaded with Golan children love for their compassionate Land, and their insistence to liberate it of the Zionist usurper. Whereas Golani olive oil sparkles freedom path for coming generations.

Firas Taleb

Translated & edited by: Lama Al-Hassanieh