 Bissara with olives and spices | |
| Place of origin | Ancient Egypt[1][2][3][4] |
|---|---|
| Region or state | Greater Middle East |
| Serving temperature | Hot |
Bissara (Arabic:بصارة)[5][3] is a dish inEgyptian andMoroccan cuisine.[1][6][7] The dish contains splitfava beans, onions, garlic, fresh aromatic herbs and spices. All ingredients are slowly cooked and then blended to yield a creamy and fragrant dip or side dish.
Food historians believe that the name Bissara originates from theAncient Egyptian hieroglyphic wordbisourou (orbissouro), which means "cooked beans".[1][2][3][4][5]
According tohistorian Daniel Newman, a 13th-century cookbook fromal-Andalus contains the oldest known recipe forbaysār (Arabic:بيسار), which is the ancestor to bissara, it was aporridge made with driedbroad beans and meat.[8]
Inancient Jewish cuisine, a similar dish, known as "mikpah ful" inrabbinic literature, was commonly consumed.[9]
Bissara usespuréedbroad beans as a primary ingredient.[1][2][3][4] Additional ingredients include garlic,olive oil,lemon juice, hot red pepper,cumin, and salt.[1][10] Bissara is sometimes prepared usingsplit peas orchickpeas.[11][12]
In Egypt, bissara is eaten exclusively as a dip for bread, and is served for breakfast, as ameze, or more rarely, for lunch or dinner. Egyptian bissara includes herbs or leafy greens, hot peppers, lemon juice, and occasionally onion.[13] It is traditionally a rural farmer's dish,[13] though it has become more popular in urban Egypt since 2011 because it is healthier than its rural counterpart,ful medames.[14] It is typically inexpensive, and has been described as apauper's dish.[15][10]
In Egypt, bissara also includes herbs or leafy greens—particularlyparsley,mint,dill,spinach, ormolokhiya, though the latter is more commonly added by Egyptian expatriates inPalestine—and is eaten with bread as a dip.[13][16] Bissara spread from Egypt to theLevant; Palestinians make bissara with fava beans and molokhiya.[17][18]
In Morocco, bissara is popular during the colder months of the year and can be found in town squares and various alleyways.[2][19][20] It is typically served in shallow bowls or soup plates, and topped with olive oil, paprika, and cumin.[12] Bread is sometimes eaten dipped into the dish, and lemon juice is sometimes added as a topping.[12]
Tova Dickstein, an expert in ancient food, linked the ancientJewish dish known asmikpah ormikpah ful, mentioned multiple times inrabbinic literature, to the modern bissara. Ancient sources describe it as a dip made from fava beans, garlic, mint, and olive oil. Due to its frequent appearance in theMishnah, which also includes ahalakhic rule stating that asukkah may only be abandoned during rain once themikpah has become wet and smelly, she referred to it as the "national dish" of the ancientIsraelites.[9]
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