Syrian Lemon Mint Polo - A refreshing summer drink with a story
Syrian Polo or Lemon and Mint Limonana - The Great Full
It was over this incredibly refreshing summer drink that I got to meet a delightful Syrian couple in Berlin. One sip of this lemon mint polo, they told us, immediately takes them back to balmy nights chatting with friends in Damascus. Back to times when life felt a little simpler than it does for them right now. They both had differing stories of how they left Syria and came to be ‘newcomers’ in Berlin. One as a student before the war broke out. One via a grueling overland route through Turkey, eastern Europe and eventually Germany. Within a short period of time, but with a lot of hard work and determination, they both spoke beautifully fluent German and took up their studies at university. Now, despite their busy schedules and uncertain future, they donate time to do their part in scaling the new wall that divides Berlin: the distinction Between ‘newcomers’ and ‘natives’.
Eating and Drinking Together to Understand Each Other
A cooking course at Über den Tellerrand - The Great Full
The tool they use to cross perceived barriers of ‘otherness’ is food. They are a part of an organization called Über den Tellerrand (English: Beyond the Plate) which inspires encounters and exchanges across cultures. I found myself at their community kitchen with a group of Alumni from the university food systems program I set up a few years ago. We were there to learn more about the organization and what it was doing to address a challenge facing the whole world: How can we as a global society treat each other with care and respect as globalization, migration and nation state concepts collide? What role can food play in this? Über den Tellerrand tries to start simply. They offer cooking courses where people with and without a migrant experience share their culture, food and perspectives face to face. The Syrian cooking class we joined began with a refreshing drink of polo (a delicious lemon and mint drink – recipe below!) and the chance to get to know our hosts. We then began cooking three dishes together – a tasty tabbouleh, a savory filo pastry pie and a sweet knafeh for dessert (an unexpected combination of sugar, noodles, cheese and pistachios).
Stories Beyond the Plate
After cooking and eating together we then had the chance to talk more about their journey to Berlin, what they had left behind, what they miss and how they see their future. It was both beautiful and heartbreaking to hear their memories and stories from a country now ravaged by war. They talked of all the family and friends left behind, the meals that can no longer be shared and the foods they miss every day. Their bravery to share meant that everyone in the room now had a human face and story to this humanitarian crisis. These stories reminded us that integration is a two-way process, where we all need to come to the table with open hearts and minds. Food is at the heart of our experience of life. It keeps us all alive and nourished, but more than that is a gateway to our culture, history and soul. And in many ways, it can help remind us that at our essence, we are all more similar than we are different. I think this makes food the best place to start to explore what is foreign to us and to develop a more nuanced understanding of what big global challenges mean for individuals.
Food is at the heart of our experience of life. It keeps us alive and nourished, but more than that is a gateway to our culture, history and soul. It reminds us that at our essence, we are all more similar than we are different.
Across the Divide, One Meal at a Time
Migration is at the forefront of many of our minds at the moment. In recent weeks we have watched in horror as children were separated from their families in the US, and with concern as European leaders struggled to find common ground on migration policies. If you are like me, you feel that you have to do something but also really overwhelmed about where to start and what to do. So here is my invitation to us all: why not use food as an entry point to better understand the migration crisis and what that means for people living in our own community? You could join a cooking class or dinner with people who have lived a migrant experience. You could join a tour where you see the city through the eyes of a newcomer and understand the different hurdles they face to integration regardless of their resilience and willingness to work. Or you could gather friends and family to cook a meal from another part of the world and talk about how you could engage in some sort of action. Or why not seek out a café in your area that supports refugees to join the workforce and start an open conversation over your coffee?
Through this exchange, you will certainly meet inspiring people. And it will probably remind you, as it did me, that diversity is strength and difference is our teacher. And, in the words of Über den Tellerrand, it might just help us work out what we can do to #maketheworldabetterplate !
Love, Michelle
To get started, why not make up a batch of this delicious polo (also called lemon and mint, bolo, limonana, laymoon ou na’ na’) and check out some of the links below. These are some interesting organizations and initiatives around the world that may inspire you to find, or start, something in your community:
Über den Tellerrand, Berlin – encounters and exchanges between cultures, often using food, cooking and community
“Berlin Refugee Cuisine”, Berlin - Overview of initiatives in Berlin linking people with and without a migration background
Refugee Food Festival, 14 Cities Around the World – A festival celebrating diversity and supporting the socio-professional integration of refugees through food
Eat Offbeat, New York – Employs refugees to prepare and share their home-cooked family meals
Gemeinsam z’Nacht, Zurich (Dinner Together)- Invites refugees and locals to cook and share dinner together
Logan Community Food Gardens, Brisbane – A community garden to support 100 refugees from Sub-saharan Africa to connect to their new country. (For an academic paper on this initiative, see “Refugees connecting with a new country through community food gardening” in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health)
A beautiful mess, Amsterdam – fusion restaurant run by refugees and locals in Amsterdam
1951 Café, Berkeley – A café in Berkeley helping refugees find work and connections
Syrian Lemon and Mint Polo
Recipe Type: Drinks | Cuisine: Middle Eastern | Author: Michelle - The Great Full
Prep time: 5 mins
Total time: 5 mins
Serves: 4
A refreshing lemon and mint summer drink, perfect to share over conversations that matter!
Ingredients
3 cups Ice
Handful Fresh Mint (approx. 20 leaves)
2 Tablespoons Lemon Juice (or any citrus)
2 Tablespoons Maple Syrup (or liquid Honey)
½ -1 cup Cold Water
Handful Pistachios, shelled and chopped finely
Equipment
Blender
Instructions
Place the ice, mint, lemon juice and maple syrup in the blender. Add a little water and turn the blender on. Keep adding the water until the blender can mix easily. Add more water if you would like the drink more liquid, less if you would like it to have more of a granita or slushy consistency.
Pour the mixture into small serving cups. Top with the chopped pistachios before serving.