Who's asking: Richard Bostwick, Hallowell, ME
I had never heard the names "Syrian bread" or "Lebanese bread" before moving to New England, but both describe pita bread. Although pita bread is flat, it's not unleavened; it's made with yeast. Yeast-induced puffing is what creates the distinctive pita "pocket."
Naan, the Indian version of flatbread, is also leavened. Naan is sweeter and lighter than pita bread, but the concepts are similar. Chapatis, Indian unleavened bread, are more like tortillas; they don't have pockets.
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11 comments:
Ooh, Clair, you're a fan! Now that you've started on Martha, go back to the very beginning (Man with a Load of Mischief, I think) -- what a treat to have the whole series before you.
Just listening to Martha's end of the conversation with you was fun. And her event with the audience was like listening to a stand-up comic (only she was seated): she had a whole routine of author anecdotes.
I just finished THE OLD FOX DECEIV'D (more about this tomorrow), and will definitely be reading more. Martha had interesting things to say about her writing process (she makes it up as she goes, without an outline), and was downright shocking (and hilarious) on the subject of whether she'd date her fictional creations.
Growing up in Cleveland we always called it Lebanese bread. Cherry tomatoes and American cheese toasted in the toaster oven until crisp and bubbly was the best. -Kathleen
I teased Martha several times about her "threesome" comment...
Couldn't make her blush, but I got her to chortle.
Linda
I am almost positive Syrian & Lebanese breads are the same, Give the Lebanese credit for the bread and the Syrians the credit for taking the bread and calling it their own.
Greek pita bread is thicker and has more of a "bread" taste, texture weight. Lebanese bread is much lighter with little bread like texture and is chewy good. I love Lebanese bread but dislike pita bread.
My Syrian grandmother made bread every saturday morning. She kneaded 25 pounds of Robin Hood flour by hand. The bread she made was large, 12-14 inches in diameter and 3/4 to an inch thick. Much different from pita
What Anonymous (right above my post) described is real "Syrian bread". I know because I make it. Recipe is in Syrian cookbooks. "Syrian bread" is not "Pita bread"!
Even though Pita comes from Syria and is also popular, Syrian Bread is much different. It is a big round thicker bun. It is similar to the Holy Altar ( Kurban ) bread in the Orthodox & Melkite traditions . France created Lebanon out of the Mt. Lebanon region of Syria in 1945, so it would be a lie to describe anything that was originally Syrian as Lebanese.
Lebanon was part of the region that was once known as Syria. But Lebanon has never been a part of the country Syria. Both Lebanon & Syria have always been independent countries from each other. By the way my great grandparents left Lebanon in the early 1900s & they were Lebanese not Syrian.
I agree Syrian bread was much thicker and absolutely the best bread I ever tasted. The older Syrian ladies made it in the Pittsburgh area, the best!
My mother grew up with a " fake" uncle and his family. They are from Lebanon. Some of the family still owns a bakery. My mother always called it Syrian bread. Either way it is at least 14" and very thin , like 1/4 inch. Don't know the real name of it. I have never found a recipe for it.
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