yogurt mint soup with kibbeh = kaloor (2020)

[Some photos rotated and squeezed in Google Chrome, use Firefox or Internet Explorer. Big Tech cannot play nice together.]

The Anjarian word for the Arabic "kibbeh" (meatball) and Armenian "kufteh" is "kaloor" and the most delicious way of enjoying this unique food is in a thick yogurt soup. The coronavirus crisis of 2020 brought chef Isgouhi into our home to enjoy it together in our isolation.

chef at work

this is the hard part, working the bulgur meat "dough" around the filling.

fresh out of the oven.

closeup .

served with Italian wine.

This has to be my favorite soup.

The story of Musa Dagh and the Armenian genocide was made famous in the book Forty Days of Musa Dagh and more recently in the Hollywood moie The Promise. Ani's dad's parents were in the USA at the time because of a pogram in 1909 which led some young people to seek a better life in the new world and they returned some 11-12 years later. Ani's mom's mom was a newborn baby at the time they sought safety up on the mountain as the Turkish army was approaching. The dad was afraid the baby's crying would give them away to the Turks, and wanted to leave her behind, but forutnately the mom won the day.

Some links:

A second wave of kaloor making led to this last delicious closeup photo of the following three.

kaloor pan

artisan at work, view from above.

kaloor pan emerging from oven

just out of the oven.

amazing close up kaloor

Isgouhi, you are the best!

kaloor.htm:21-apr-2020 [what, ME cook? © 1984 dr bob enterprises]