Syria before the uprising

For those who are new to Syria, and for those with fading memories, I thought it might be nice to 

revisit some images of the country when it was virtually unknown to the world. 

Food

Nothing sparks nostalgia quite like the thought of food. Syrians are probably more proud of their cuisine than anything else. Certainly visitors to Syria are generally swept of their feet by the gastronomic riches on offer. However, much of the food served in restaurants is not what Syrians eat at home. Eating with a family is obviously where you will find the good stuff

Syria does not need Ronald McDonald, Hamburglar or Grimace

The Assad sandwich suddenly makes sense now

Syria means 'falafal" in Arabic (surprising and also untrue). There is only one other phenomonen that will stop Syrians dead in the street apart from a tense moment in a Turkish soap opera, and that is the fine art of falafel sandwich making. No matter how many times they've seen it, people are hypnotized by it.

The key to this falafel was the combination of yoghurt, tahini, pomegranate sauce, and of course the 15 lira price tag 

If you don't know a good dentist, don't go to Syria. 

There wasn't much else to do in Deir Ezour at night

Two Syrian women prepared the biggest feast known to man. This is five per cent of it.

Syrian women produce more 'yebra' per minute than any other women in the world* 

*(source: Arab books of records 1974)

According to a popular Arabic saying, "anyone who doesn't eat 'saaj' is not a man". This man knows that well. 

This flavouring is called 'zaatar' which means wild thyme/time

The humble broad bean (or fava bean in American English) rose to international prominence, from relative obscurity, in 1991 after the release of the film The Silence of the Lambs. In Syria, 'ful' served with liver is optional but to eat it without lemon is a serious crime.

The less you sell the better the presentation looks. 

These were the days when you could get your lunch as well as decent change from a fifty.

2009 prices were cheap, even in 2009

Bakeries on every corner is my kind of country. 

If I could only eat one food it would probably be this ( but not from this guy)

N.B I was reliably informed ninety per cent of the time I ate or drank anything in Syria that it was (nudge, nudge) "good for men".  This perhaps explains why everyone has so many children.