THE KERKENNAH ISLANDS LIE OFF THE COAST OF SFAX IN THE GULF OF GABÈS, IN TUNISIA. THOUGH THEY’RE LITTLE-KNOWN, THEY ISLANDS ARE CONSIDERED BY MANY TO BE AMONG THE MOST BEAUTIFUL PLACES IN THE WORLD. THEY’RE ALSO A HAVEN FOR BIODIVERSITY AND TRADITIONAL PRODUCTION PRACTICES, AS THEIR NUMEROUS SLOW FOOD PRESIDIA AND ARK OF TASTE PRODUCTS SHOW.

Through this video we learn more about sumac production from a producer in Al Warhaniyeh in Al Chouf, from Lebanon: the homemade mounen products and how to produce "baladi" (local) sumac.

THERE ARE DIFFERENT VERSIONS AROUND EUROPE, FROM THE ITALIAN TO THE SWISS AND THE FRENCH. IN GERMANY IT WAS KNOWN AS THE “SPANISH WIND”, WHILE IN ENGLISH IT WAS CALLED A KISS. THE VERSION WE PRESENT TODAY IS CALLED SOPLILLO, AND IT COMES FROM ANDALUSIA. BUT WHAT ARE WE ARE TALKING ABOUT? AN ICONIC AND ELEGANT DESSERT: MERINGUE.

IN LEBANON ARTISANAL APPLE MOLASSES ARE USED AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO INDUSTRIALLY-PRODUCED SUGAR, AS WELL AS BEING A MEANS OF SUSTENANCE FOR LOCAL PEOPLE.

OLIVE OIL BISCUITS AND JA’DEH. THE ROLE OF WOMEN IN THE PRESERVATION AND PASSING ON OF GASTRONOMIC TRADITIONS HAS ALWAYS BEEN FUNDAMENTAL, AS HAS THEIR ANCESTRAL ROLE IN FEEDING AND HEALING THROUGH FOOD.

ONE OF THE MOST ICONIC LANDSCAPES IS MALTA IS DECIDEDLY SALTY: GREAT BATHS DUG DIRECTLY INTO THE ROCK ALONG THE COAST, WITH AN ALMOST LUNAR FEEL, EVOCATIVE AND UNFORGETTABLE. THE MOST FAMOUS SALT PANS ARE IN THE AREA OF XWEJNI ON THE ISLAND OF GOZO, MANAGED BY THE CINI FAMILY SINCE 1860.

Experiential tourism is a contemporary tourism concept that seeks to enable the tourist to coexist with the hosting community. The mechanisms within this concept integrate different touristic experiences, such as historical tourism, rural tourism, community based-tourism, in one experience regardless of geographical distances. This allows for more interactions between tourists and the locals along diverse aspects such as food, culture, daily activities and even customs and traditions. 

SOLE project is supporting owners and managers of public buildings to improve them by designing effective energy rehabilitation strategies and increasing the use of renewable energies.

American University of Beirut (AUB), the leading partner at project MED GAIMS, is required to perform the mid-term evaluation of project implementation. As mandated by the project document, AUB is seeking to hire an external evaluator to perform this task. For those interested, the relevant Terms of Reference can be accessed at the following google document:

We can see the way to make Samneh "Local Ghee" from scratch in Al-Salt (Jordan), as a traditional food of rural Jordan.