Jump to content

Sfiha

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Sfiha
Alternative nameslahem bi ajin
TypeFlatbread
Place of originBaalbek, Lebanon[1][2]
Region or stateLebanon, Syria, Palestine, Egypt, Jordan and Brazil
Main ingredientsGround mutton

Sfiha, esfiha, esfirra, sfija, sfihah, sfeeha or fatay (Arabic: صفيحة, romanized: ṣafīḥa) is a Lebanese dish consisting of flatbread cooked with a minced meat topping, often a mix of sheep and veal, and flavored with onions, tomatoes, pine nuts, and spices. It is traditionally found in the countries of the Levant,[1] and is closely related to manakish and lahmacun.[2] Sfiha is particularly associated with Baalbek, a city located in the Beqaa Valley of Lebanon.

Sfiha has become popular in parts of South America, where it is known as esfiha or esfirra in Brazil or as empanada árabe (arab empanada), fatay or sfija in Argentina, after being introduced by Middle Eastern immigrants to the former and to the latter from Syria and Armenia.[3][4]

History

[edit]

Flatbreads have been present in the Fertile Crescent since prehistoric times. They have been cooked on hot surfaces such as stones, a metal sajj plate, taboon, or tandoor. In the medieval Arab world, with the development of the brick oven or furn, a wide variety of flatbreads baked together with stuffings or toppings emerged, including sfiha, and spread across the Ottoman Empire.[2]

In Brazil, esfiha gained popularity in the late 20th century, and since has become one of the most popular fast foods.[4]

Main ingredients

[edit]

Every family has their own preference on what to add in addition to the meat. In Lebanon, the main ingredients are: meat, onions, tomatoes, pine nuts, salt, pepper, and flavorings such as cinnamon, sumac, or pomegranate molasses. The region of Baalbek is especially known for its sfiha.[5] In Syria,[6] Palestine,[7][8] and Jordan,[9] sfiha is similarly made with minced meat or lamb, in addition to herbs and spices, with tomatoes, onions, and other ingredients.[citation needed]

Esfihas in Brazil are oven-baked and may be open-faced flatbreads about four inches in diameter with meat topping,[10] or folded into a triangular pastry like fatayer. They may have various toppings, including cheese, curd, lamb, beef or vegetables.[citation needed]

Regional variations

[edit]

Sfiha Yafawiyeh

[edit]

Sfiha Yafawiyeh (Arabic: صفيحة يافوية, lit. 'Sfeeha from Jaffa') is a variant named after the city of Jaffa where, instead of topping flatbread with meat, the bread is rolled into a spiral shape with the meat used as a filling.[11][12]

Esfiha

[edit]
Brazilian esfiha in Sao Paulo

Esfiha, or esfirra,[13] first appeared in Brazil following the arrival of Lebanese immigrants.[14][15]

Esfihas come in both sweet and savory forms, with toppings like sausage or chocolate.[14][16] Some esfihas are closed-faced rather than being open-faced like sfiha, making them more similar to fatayer.[13]

Brazilian fast food chains that offer Arab cuisine inspired foods like Habib's sell hundreds of millions of esfihas a year.[17][15]

Similar dishes

[edit]

Eish bi-lahm (Arabic: عيش باللحم, lit. 'bread with meat') is a Saudi Arabian dish very similar to sfiha. It is a large open-faced meat pie with minced meat and vegetables as filling, with the top covered in egg wash.[18]

Lahmacun

[edit]

Lahmacun is referred to as sfiha in some regions, and the dishes are similar to one another. Lahmacun is also referred to as "Armenian sfeeha" (Arabic: صفيحة أرمنية, lit. 'Armenian sfeeha') in some places in the Arab world, such as Palestine where it is called that to distinguish it from the thicker Palestinian-style sfiha.[19][20][21]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b The World's Best Street Food: Where to Find it & How to Make it. Lonely Planet. 1 August 2012. ISBN 978-1-74321-664-4 – via Google Books.
  2. ^ a b c Marks, Gil (17 November 2010). Encyclopedia of Jewish Food. HMH. ISBN 978-0-544-18631-6 – via Google Books.
  3. ^ "Gramatica atualizada". Dicionario e gramatica. (in Portuguese). 2015-09-27. Retrieved 2021-02-26.
  4. ^ a b Karam, John Tofik (14 March 2008). Another Arabesque: Syrian- Brazil. Temple University Press. pp. 127–128. ISBN 978-1-59213-541-7 – via Google Books.
  5. ^ Saleh, Nada (31 March 2012). New Flavours of the Lebanese Table. Random House. ISBN 978-1-4481-1876-2 – via Google Books.
  6. ^ "Community profile" (PDF). metrosouth.health.qld.gov.au. Retrieved 2021-02-26.
  7. ^ Nasser, Christiane Dabdoub (10 July 2013). Classic Palestinian Cuisine. Saqi. ISBN 978-0-86356-879-4 – via Google Books.
  8. ^ Kalla, Joudie (3 September 2019). Palestine on a Plate: Memories from my mother's kitchen. White Lion Publishing. p. 32. ISBN 978-0-7112-4529-7 – via Google Books.
  9. ^ Guides, Insight (1 February 2018). Insight Guides Jordan (Travel Guide eBook). Apa Publications (UK) Limited. ISBN 978-1-78671-396-4 – via Google Books.
  10. ^ Roberts, Yara Castro (2 May 2009). The Brazilian Table. Gibbs Smith. p. 186. ISBN 978-1-4236-0814-1 – via Google Books.
  11. ^ "طريقة عمل الصفيحة اليافاوية" [Palestinian pastries: How to make Jaffa sfiha]. Sada El-Balad (in Arabic). 8 Jan 2022. Retrieved 24 March 2025.
  12. ^ Hisham, Passant (19 September 2024). "A taste of home - Passant Hisham". Kuwait Times. Retrieved 28 July 2025.
  13. ^ a b Rubim, Patryck (26 May 2025). "O segredo da esfirra de carne que deixa qualquer um com água na boca" [The secret to the meat esfirra that makes anyone's mouth water]. Correio Braziliense - Radar (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 28 July 2025.
  14. ^ a b "On North Circular Road, Brazilian Mini-Pizzas, both Savoury and Sweet". Dublin InQuirer. 6 March 2019. Retrieved 28 July 2025.
  15. ^ a b Shalaby, Malak (9 July 2025). "Inside The Lebanese-Brazilian Diaspora: The Story You Probably Haven't Heard Of". Scoop Empire. Retrieved 28 July 2025.
  16. ^ "How South Americans with Middle Eastern roots are transforming Arabic cuisine". Arab News. 22 July 2022. Retrieved 28 July 2025.
  17. ^ "BRAZIL: Arabic fast food chain Habib's is a hit in Brazil". Reuters Archive Licensing. 5 August 2008. Retrieved 31 July 2025.
  18. ^ "أكلات سعودية.. طريقة عمل عيش باللحم الحجازي" [Saudi food: How to make Hijazi meat bread]. Jawhara Magazine (in Arabic). 24 August 2019. Retrieved 31 July 2025.
  19. ^ "طهاة يضيفون مفاهيم جديدة إلى المطبخ الفلسطيني" [Chefs add new concepts to Palestinian cuisine]. جريدة عمان (in Arabic). AFP. 4 August 2022. Retrieved 29 July 2025.
  20. ^ "لحم بالعجين ، الصفيحة الارمنية". جريدة الدستور الاردنية (in Arabic). Retrieved 14 May 2025.
  21. ^ "الصفيحة الأرمنية.. إرث يعتز به أرمن القدس". الجزيرة نت (in Arabic). Retrieved 14 May 2025.
Stub icon

This Brazilian cuisine–related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sfiha&oldid=1303505864"