The Magical Spirit of Dawali - Khaled AlBayaydah

The Magical Spirit of Dawali

by Khaled AlBayaydah

From the depths of an ordinary village, there was a relatively small farm where grape trees occupied the majority of its space. Every time summer started to knock on our door, I used to wake up every morning to pick up grapes, wash them, and place them in a fridge. I cherished grapes so much that I wanted every soul in my village to have a taste of our ambrosial, heavenly farm’s grapes. One day, I woke up early and committed to my habit of picking grapes; however, I spotted my mother from a far distance picking up grape leaves which has certainly sounded mysterious to the 5-years-old me. Grapes being my favorite fruit, I never considered that its leaves would compose the best meal in the world- Dawali or grape leaves. Dawali is made out of grape leaves that are rolled and stuffed with spiced rice and minced meat. Special spices are used to intensify the flavor. Its leaves’ different temperatures heighten the ingredients’ flavors to the fullest. Some leaves are completely dissolved, and others are not even cooked to the end. Each leaf has different composition of flavors, and that continues sending a wave after wave of delicious flavor. This forces me to eat more of it in order to discover the unknown and uncover the taste of all leaves. It has this acidic taste that is mixed with mouthwatering aftertaste. Presented with its broth, juices gush out of each bite. Served in a wide plate, it is scrumptious through its eye-opening mix of dark colors. The first time I inserted it into my mouth, my body could not help but to react. The flavorful spiciness set me on fire while the juiciness shelled away my common sense. Its wide range of different leaves shook my instincts to the very core.

It is rather unfortunate that this meal is not that tasty when prepared by someone else other than my family. They take it seriously and follow specific steps preparing the dish. First, my father takes care of the trees at their season. Then, my mother picks only descent leaves to be cooked. We mix supplementary meals with it and add extra ingredients like boiled potatoes and spicy chicken wings. This step adds a nice note, and it boosts up the taste. Its elegance is reminiscent of being overwhelmed by 42

a never-ending torrent of luscious meat. My aunt tried once to follow the exact steps of cooking Dawali, but it never worked. She bought leaves from the market that do not taste like our farm’s. Additionally, the only one who understands how to balance all the ingredients is my mother. A significant number of Arabs believe that it is the Palestinian/Jordanian version of the Iraqi Dolmah which is an alchemy of flavor by itself. Nevertheless, my family completely opposes the saying that Dawali is nothing but a smaller version of Dolmah. There were many debates arguing about the origins of this appetizing meal, and I am from the side that suggests the irrelevance of the origins to how rich this meal is. Dawali is far superior to a regular meal to me. It is a spiritual experience. Even though it is almost impossible to eat it during anytime but summer, having a bite of entertains me to the end of the year. I would not be exaggerating if I say that this meal is the central reason I like summer more than any other season.