Leading an educational project during a revolution,
What an adventure!
We are back after three weeks in Lebanon working on the Ursino project. Our goal was to work with teenagers on Lebanese culinary traditions by collecting recipes, conducting research to discover that cuisine, like culture, is the result of cultural mixing, and sharing this work in a video.
But three days after our arrival, the Lebanese people took to the streets to fight against corruption and for better living conditions. The peaceful revolution had begun.
Schools closed and many roads were blocked for the rest of our stay...
This could have sounded the death knell for the Lebanese leg of our project, but it takes more than that to discourage us!
For three weeks, we haven't been idle.
The Ursino team in Beirut
We forged strong bonds with wonderful people, met chefs and cooks, developed an alternative program to the project with the Ecole des Trois Docteurs, had lengthy discussions with the Institut Français, shared ideas with the Food Heritage Foundation and Bel employees (whose foundation supports the project), shot videos, discovered Lebanese culture and history, and of course, we ate, ate, ate.
We managed to hold two workshops with the students despite the closure of schools, thus covering the collection part of Ursino. They are truly active participants in Ursino, showing incredible curiosity and enthusiasm. They have taken ownership of the project and are extremely proud to represent Lebanon alongside young people from six other countries.
[Video] Images from our workshop on collecting traditional Lebanese recipes with students from the School of the Three Doctors
Chef Youssef Akiki
Ursino is evolving with the arrival of valuable support in the form of Chef Youssef Akiki, who is passionate about cooking, of course, but also about traditions and passing on knowledge. Youssef is a humble and generous person with whom we are proud to collaborate. He took the time to meet with us and welcomed us into the kitchen of the Burgundy restaurant. We will soon share a video with you in which he presents a typical Lebanese recipe. When we return to Beirut, he will also come to meet the students and help us format the recipes we have collected.
Joumana Accad
We also spent time with Joumana Accad from the Taste of Beirut blog, who kindly welcomed us into her home in Deir el Qamar to show us how to make another traditional Lebanese dish. She also guided us around her town, past wild fig trees, pomegranate trees, and sumac trees, to meet children collecting snails, and to her vegetable garden and orchard, which still offer a wealth of delicacies, from eggplants to pine nuts, persimmons to olives... A feast for the eyes and the taste buds!
During our absence, the School of Three Doctors and the Food Heritage Foundation will assist the students with the research phase of the project. We will then return in early 2020 to complete the project and present their work to you. Patience, patience...!
New images from this eventful and exciting trip coming soon!
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