3Akkb, an Edible Thistle
Right now, ie. the month of May, is one of the best times to be in Lebanon, not only for the beautiful weather before the start of the summer heat but also for the country’s many seasonal delicacies such as 3akküb.
3Akküb is an edible thistle that tastes somewhat like artichoke. Some say the taste is between that of asparagus and artichokes but I find that it is closer to artichokes rather than asparagus. Its latin name is Gundelia and the plant is native to the Eastern Mediterranean, and the Middle East in general. It grows wild, mostly in the Bekaa. For some reason, it is not so easy to find 3akküb for sale in Beirut but when I recently went to the south, in search of regional recipes, I visited Hasbaya, a large town near Marja3youn, where several greengrocers had 3akküb, both untrimmed (above) with all the spiny bits that make it a nightmare to prepare and already cleaned (below). This said, even if you buy it cleaned, you still have to spend a fair amount of time removing the last of bits of thorn before you can use it. I was going to buy some already cleaned in order to show my mother’s beautiful hands doing the last bit of trimming but I thought I would spare her — she is 91 after all!
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