Spicing Up Michigan
Spices are at the heart of Chaldean cuisine.
Chaldean cuisine becomes mainstream
By Cal Abbo
The culinary traditions of the Chaldean community are as rich and diverse as our ancient history. Originating from the cradle of civilization, Chaldean cuisine boasts a plethora of flavors that narrate our cultural heritage. As the Chaldeans found a new home in Detroit, Michigan, we brought along our cherished recipes, crafting a unique food narrative that melds ancient traditions with the modern-day food landscape of the Motor City.
Food Culture
The culture and format of serving meals is just as important as the ingredients and taste. In the villages, many Chaldeans were farmers and raised animals. Religious Chaldeans saw the creation and consumption of food as a spiritual act. The food you received was passed down from God unto you, so as to nourish your body and continue the cycle of life. Food was a sacred community item, too, and was offered as a gesture of good faith to visitors and at festivals and celebrations.
Cooking food was most often considered a woman’s right and privilege. Her knowledge and skills in the arts of Chaldean cuisine were tested against other families in fierce-but-friendly competition. In essence, each house had its own kitchen, and individual traditions were passed down through the generations. Small changes in each individual’s recipe and methods evolved our food over thousands of years.
Chaldean women have a sense of pride when it comes to cooking their own food and feeding their families. Like anyone, they want to cook great food and impress their family and guests. While they might share recipes with close friends and family, especially daughters, many Chaldeans gatekeep their exact secrets like professional chefs.
As the community soon found out, life in the United States is much different than living in a village. Within a few generations, assimilation and the geographical reality of living apart changed the food culture invariably. Individual households maintained their own food traditions and collaborated less and less over time. Americans were introduced to Chaldean food with invitation-only family dinners.
Commercial Chaldean restaurants and pre-made food at grocery stores slowly popped up and commodified the rich food tradition into dishes for sale. While this greatly expanded the influence of Chaldean food across metro Detroit and pushed Michigan cuisine to new heights, over time, it also contaminated the relationship between families and food and allowed Chaldeans to purchase our traditional food rather than rely on their family’s cooking. Recipes and dishes were standardized and replicated to emphasize what was popular, what the masses enjoyed, and what made the most money. Some Chaldean food became so similar to food in other Middle Eastern restaurants that it is now indistinguishable.
Traditional Chaldean Dishes
Chaldean cuisine draws many similarities to other Middle Eastern food, but its unique flavors and preparation offer a unique Chaldean twist. Here are some dishes that Chaldeans helped popularize in the Detroit area.
Tikka and kabob platters are a popular choice at Detroit’s Middle Eastern restaurants.
Kabobs and Grilled Meats: The preparation of kabobs begins with high-quality meat, commonly beef, lamb, or chicken, which are cut into uniform pieces to ensure even cooking. The meat is marinated with a blend of traditional spices, garlic, and lemon. Skewering the meat requires a precise hand to ensure that the pieces are secure. On the grill, the chef must achieve the perfect level of char while retaining the meat’s juiciness. The result is tender and flavorful meat with a smoky aroma.
Kubba: To make Kubba, the chef uses bulgur wheat to cultivate a smooth dough which is then filled with a seasoned mixture of ground meat, usually beef or lamb. Each piece is carefully shaped into a disc or oval and cooked until golden and crispy. The result is a savory, textured dish enjoyed by many as a staple in Chaldean cuisine, and is often paired with a tomato and vegetable broth.
Pacha: Preparing Pacha is a time-honored tradition and involves the careful cleaning and preparation of sheep’s head, trotters, and stomach. The ingredients are simmered with a blend of aromatic spices until tender. This dish requires a skilled hand to ensure the flavors are balanced and the texture is perfect, delivering a unique taste experience hard to find in the Western world.
Guss: The making of Guss involves marinating choice cuts of meat in a blend of spices, garlic, and lemon, similar to kabobs. The meat is then roasted to achieve a perfect char, enhancing its flavors, in a stack of meat that is seen in Shawarma restaurants. The result is a succulent dish with a rich, smoky aroma, often enjoyed with flatbread and pickled vegetables.
Dolma: Dolma involves stuffing grape leaves with a mixture of rice, meat, and various herbs. Each leaf is carefully wrapped around the filling and cooked until tender. The resulting dish is a medley of textures and flavors. Preparing this dish is tedious and time-consuming, making it one of the most extravagant; it is often reserved for special occasions. In addition to grape leaves, you can use onions or cabbage as a wrap.
Biryani: Biryani preparation begins with the marination of meat in a blend of spices, followed by layering with partially cooked rice. The dish is then slow-cooked to allow the flavors to meld together. Achieving the right balance of spices and a perfect layering technique is crucial for this beloved aromatic dish that is famous across many parts of Asia.
Falafel: The preparation of Falafel involves soaking chickpeas, then grinding them into a coarse mixture with herbs and spices. The mixture is shaped into small patties or balls and deep-fried until crispy. The result is a flavorful, crunchy exterior with a soft interior, often enjoyed in sandwiches or with tahini sauce.
Bamia: Preparing Bamia begins with simmering okra with a mixture of tomatoes, garlic, and traditional spices. The process requires a gentle simmer to ensure the okra becomes tender without losing its shape. The result is a comforting stew, often enjoyed with rice and bread.
Harisa: The preparation of Harisa involves slow-cooking wheat with meat, often chicken or lamb, until it reaches a porridge-like consistency. The dish is stirred continuously to prevent lumps and achieve a smooth texture. Harissa is a hearty and nutritious dish, often associated with religious observances and community gatherings.
Masgouf: Masgouf is a traditional Iraqi fish dish that begins with the selection of a fresh, high-quality carp. The fish is seasoned with a blend of olive oil, tamarind, and a mix of spices, then skewered and slow-grilled over an open flame. The grilling process is crucial to achieving a crispy exterior while maintaining a tender, flaky interior. The result is a smoky, tangy dish enjoyed with traditional accompaniments like flatbreads and veggies.
Tekratha: To make Tekratha, first craft your dough from high-quality flour, which is then rolled out into thin discs. A seasoned mixture of ground meat, typically beef or lamb, is spread over the dough before being baked until golden and crispy. The careful balancing of spices in the meat and the precise baking process results in a flavorful, textured dish that is a beloved part of Chaldean cuisine. It’s easy to stuff these delicious snacks with anything from cheese to sweets.
Shawarma: The preparation of Shawarma involves marinating slices of meat, commonly beef or chicken, in a blend of aromatic spices, garlic, and yogurt. The meat is then stacked on a vertical rotisserie, where it is slow-cooked as it turns on the spit. Slicing the meat thinly off the spit requires a skilled hand, ensuring tender, flavorful slices ready to be wrapped in flatbreads and enjoyed with a variety of accompaniments like tahini or garlic sauce and pickled vegetables.
Mana’eesh (Za’atar Bread): The preparation of Za’atar Bread begins with crafting a soft dough from high-quality flour, which is then rolled out into small discs. A mixture of za’atar spice blend and olive oil is generously spread over the dough before being baked until golden and slightly crispy. The herbaceous za’atar blend paired with the richness of olive oil creates a flavorful and aromatic bread, often enjoyed as a breakfast item or a snack within the Chaldean community. Other types of Mana’eesh have different toppings, such as cheese.
Kleicha: Kleicha preparation starts with creating a soft, pliable dough which is then filled with a sweet mixture of dates and nuts. Each piece is carefully shaped and adorned with a sprinkle of sesame seeds before being baked until golden brown. The result is a sweet, tender pastry with a filling that’s both chewy and flavorful, embodying a traditional taste. This is great for a post-meal sweet snack.
Torshi: The making of Torshi involves pickling a variety of vegetables like cucumbers, carrots, cabbage, and cauliflower in a vinegar and spice mixture. The process requires a careful balance of vinegar, salt, and traditional spices to achieve the desired tanginess and flavor. Over time, the vegetables absorb the flavors of the brine, resulting in a crunchy, tangy accompaniment to many Chaldean dishes.
Geymar with Date Syrup: The preparation of Geymar involves gently simmering heavy cream to achieve a thick, clotted consistency. Once prepared, Geymar is traditionally served with a generous drizzling of date syrup. The sweetness of the date syrup complements the rich, creamy texture of Geymar, creating a simple yet indulgent dish often enjoyed as a part of a traditional Chaldean breakfast.
Tabouleh: Tabouleh consists of finely chopped fresh parsley, mint, and tomatoes, which are then mixed with soaked bulgur wheat. A dressing of olive oil, lemon juice, and a dash of salt is added to bring all the flavors together. The result is a refreshing, herbaceous salad with a citrusy zing, enjoyed as a light and nutritious accompaniment to many Chaldean meals.
These recipes and many others can be found in greater detail and direction in cookbooks like Ma Baseema, Babylonian Cuisine, or Awafi.
Chaldean Restaurants in Michigan
The voyage of Chaldean cuisine to Michigan has resulted not only in the spreading of Chaldean dishes into the home kitchens of Michigan residents, but also the commercialization of the food. One of the community’s oldest and most famous restaurants, Sullaf, is located on 7 Mile Road in Detroit, in historic Chaldean Town. It serves basic Arabic and Chaldean dishes, including different meats and fish. Since it opened, many other Chaldean restaurants have served excellent food and become quite popular.
Sahara Restaurant is among the influential Metro Detroit restaurants popularizing Middle Eastern and Chaldean cuisine. Under the guidance of Zeana (pictured) and Saad Attisha, Sahara has opened additional locations, with the latest in The District Detroit.
Smaller Shawarma outfits operated by Chaldeans are commonplace throughout the suburbs of Detroit in cities like West Bloomfield, Sterling Heights, Southfield, and Farmington. Dozens of Chaldean bakeries, some that began informally out of someone’s home, can be found in these towns as well. Larger restaurants like Sahara, which just opened its newest location in The District Detroit, serve a wide variety of options for diners and also cater large parties for Chaldeans. Chaldean grocery stores are common in places where a lot of us live, which provide fresh ready-to-eat food as well as the ingredients for making it yourself.
The Chaldean News has a special series called “Chaldean Kitchen” which aims to preserve our culinary history. The series posts articles about the history of someone’s dish as well as the full recipe so you can make it at home. Even better, the article is accompanied by a short video showing exactly how it’s made, which can be found on YouTube or the website chaldeannews.com. Even further, the new Chaldean Community Foundation center located in West Bloomfield, when completed, will include a demonstration kitchen so we can better share our delicious recipes with the world.
The Chaldean community has successfully preserved and shared its culinary heritage by enriching Michigan’s food scene with a blend of ancient flavors and modern adaptations. The story of Chaldean cuisine in Michigan is a flavorful journey of tradition, adaptation, and entrepreneurial spirit, contributing to the culinary and cultural diversity that provides the foundation of the Great Lakes State.
